Date
Monday 23rd March 2009

Time
9.00am-5.00pm

Location
Novotel Melbourne, St Kilda
16 The Esplanade
St Kilda VIC 3182
AUSTRALIA (website)

Registration
Registration fee: before 1 March $175; from 1 March $250
Secure online payment through Register Now.

Cochrane Reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy are now being published in The Cochrane Library. The Australasian Cochrane Centre in collaboration with the Cochrane DTA Working Group and Support Teams based in the UK (UKSU) and Continental Europe (CESU) have arranged training to assist Australasian-based review authors and CRG editorial teams in undertaking systematic reviews of diagnostic tests. Currently no other Cochrane training in DTA reviews is scheduled in Australia or New Zealand.

Outline
The workshop will cover the science and methods of doing diagnostic test accuracy reviews, including question formulation, study design, study quality, locating studies, meta-analysis and interpretation & presentation of results.

Following the workshop, participants will be able to advise fellow review authors about the various sections of a DTA review; will be able to comment on the methods used; will know the special requirements of the editorial processes for DTA reviews; and know when and how to get methodological advice and support.

Topics
1. Introduction to the roles and purposes of tests in medical care
2. Aims and objectives of systematic reviews of test accuracy (with examples)
3. Overview of the structure of SRDTAs and RevMan 5
4. Identification of studies
5. Study designs and methodological quality
6. Analysis of a single study
7. Basic methods for meta-analysis
8. Advanced meta-analysis using external software
9. Comparing tests and investigating heterogeneity
10. Understanding the results

Faculty
Patrick Bossuyt (University of Amsterdam)
Jon Deeks (University of Birmingham)
Jonathan Craig (University of Sydney)
Petra Macaskill (University of Sydney)
Ruth Mitchell (University of Sydney)

Target audience
Review authors and members of Cochrane Review Group editorial teams