PHVIT9550 Systematic reviews and metaanalyses Course description

Healthcare decisions for individual patients and for public health policies should be informed by the best available research evidence. The evidence comes from good reviews which is a state-of-the-art synthesis of current evidence on a given research question.Systematic reviews, meta-analyses and qualitative evidence synthesis (QES) play an important role in clinical guidelines, patient information, in clinical and political decision-making and in an evidence-based practice. A systematic review or qualitative evidence synthesis (QES) can also play an important role in a PhD Thesis by providing an overview of the thesis topic.

This course offers an overview of the use of systematic reviews, the method of systematic reviews, qualitative evidence synthesis (QES) and meta-analysis and how to critically appraise a systematic review or QES. The course will focus on systematic reviews of qualitative and quantitative studies. The course will be run as a six day course over a period of six months.

None

On completion of the course, the PhD candidate has achieved the following learning outcomes, defined in terms of knowledge, skills, and general competence:

Knowledge

The PhD candidate:

• is at the forefront of knowledge in how to write a protocol of a systematic review or qualitative evidence synthesis

• understands the role of best evidence research in clinical and political decision-making

Skills

The PhD candidate can:

• plan and write a protocol of a systematic review or qualitative evidence synthesis

• formulate a focused research question

• plan a literature search

• conduct a systematic and explicit selection process of the available articles

• assess the methodological quality of included articles

• extract data from included studies and plan analyses

• critically assess a systematic review

General competence

The PhD candidate can:

• the principles of how to search for research literature 

• the principles of how to run a meta-analysis or a synthesis of qualitative studies

•  the principles of how to assess the quality of evidence by Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) or GRADE CERQual

• the principles of how to conduct a systematic review

Work and teaching methods consist of lectures, small group work and discussions, self-study, and practical exercises. The outcomes of the small group sessions are presented and discussed in plenary.

None

Each candidate must plan and write a protocol of a systematic review or qualitative evidence synthesis based on a research question of their choice. The protocol must consist of all the elements of a systematic review, and be submitted no more than 6 months after the first day of the course. 

All

Pass / Fail

One internal and one external examiner will assess the protocol submitted by all candidates.

This course is primarily aimed at PhD candidates admitted to the PhD Programme in Health Sciences but is also open to other applicants. Admission requirements are a completed hovedfag, master's degree (120 ECTS credits) or equivalent qualification.

The course can also be offered to students who have been admitted to the “Health Science Research Programme, 60 ECTS”, by prior approval from the supervisor and based on given guidelines for the research programme.