Dear colleagues,

In 2016 Cochrane Netherlands (formerly known as the Dutch Cochrane Centre) and members of the Cochrane Screening and Diagnostic Test Methods Group organise two related workshops regarding diagnostic test evidence:

1. (Cochrane) Systematic Reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy (May 24 and 25, 2016)

2. Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy (hands-on) (May 26, 2016)

Below you’ll find short descriptions of the workshops. For further information and registration: http://portal.juliuscentrum.nl/academy/Courses/tabid/886/ctl/CourseDetails/mid/1808/CourseId/200/language/en-US/Default.aspx

We hope to meet you in May in Utrecht!

Kind regards,

Rob Scholten

Cochrane Netherlands and Cochrane Screening and Diagnostic Test Methods Group

Understanding, appraising, interpreting and summarising evidence regarding diagnostic tests: a series of two workshops

1. (Cochrane) Systematic Reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy (May 24 and 25, 2016)

In this two-day workshop all aspects regarding question formulation, identification and appraisal of primary studies, meta-analysis and interpretation of a body of evidence regarding diagnostic tests will be addressed. This is done by following all steps of a systematic review. The workshop is essential for understanding the subject matter of the other workshop and is directed to healthcare workers, clinicians, researchers, guideline developers and policy makers, who wish to know more about systematically reviewing and synthesising diagnostic evidence. For the brochure: click the link mentioned above.

2. Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy (May 26, 2016)

This one-day hands-on workshop will address meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy. This type of meta-analysis requires complex statistical methods and special software packages, such as R, Stata or SAS. Participants will learn the main aspects of meta-analysis of diagnostic studies. Meta-analysis is directed at combining sensitivity and specificity of primary diagnostic studies. Because those parameters are not independent of each other, they must be analysed jointly by the use of advanced statistical models. We will address both hierarchical and bivariate models for diagnostic meta-analysis by the use of R software. In addition, we will address how to explore heterogeneity and to perform subgroup analyses. This workshop is intended for researchers (statisticians and epidemiologists), but is also very useful for healthcare workers, clinicians, guideline developers and policy makers who wish to perform diagnostic meta-analyses. For the brochure: click the link mentioned above.