2019 Cochrane Methods Symposium: Developing robust review protocols with increasingly diverse evidence, 21st October, Chile

[Andy]

Cochrane reviews are becoming increasingly complex as methods evolve, as data sources become more diverse, and as we increasingly recognize that health outcomes are the products of many interlinked elements. Cochrane pioneered the publication of protocols before undertaking systematic reviews, partly to help ensure that the many decisions we make along the way are objective and not based on the results of the identified studies.

This year’s Methods Symposium will examine whether our protocols continue to provide the road map we need to navigate a modern Cochrane review. We will explore how much can reasonably be anticipated about the decisions we need to make. Speakers will address several aspects of pre-specification from diverse methodological perspectives, showcasing updated material in the new Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions (Version 6). Issues for discussion include deciding what syntheses are to be performed, deciding which data to extract and analyse, and dealing with issues of complexity in interventions and study contexts. We will discuss the extent to which issues can be overcome with careful review planning, and aim to determine whether refinements are needed in our current guidance for writing protocols.

https://methods.cochrane.org/news/2...-robust-review-protocols-increasingly-diverse

 

[Esther12]

With Jonathan Sterne, from Crawley's SMILE trial, and Julian Higgins who is a co-author with Crawley on this still unpublished review of 'recovery' in pediatric CFS: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=9303

 

[ME/CFS Skeptic]

Julian Higgins who is a co-author with Crawley on this still unpublished review of 'recovery' in pediatric CFS:

Didn't know that. Higgins is a big name. He's the main author of the Cochrane handbook, both the old and new version. He's also from Bristol.

 

[ladycatlover]

Higgins is a big name. He's the main author of the Cochrane handbook, both the old and new version. He's also from Bristol.

Oh dear. Gawd help us.

 

[Snowdrop]

I anticipate them having a lovely time in Chile.

I expect the whole point of the exercise (conference) is merely to write off the expense of a nice travel destination .

As for learning anything useful on the subject of developing robust protocols for the type of 'evidence' we're used to being assaulted with . . . I simply expect more robust assault.

I admit to an occasional morbid fascination with the mind-set that can torture ideas so effectively to align them with their preferred thinking. All the while proclaiming some higher-ground -robust analysis-- honest/real results.

Maybe I'm way off the mark on this one. I have no optimism left for the integrity from certain quarters.

Let's hope they do better.

 

[Sly Saint]

 

[Sly Saint]

(not related but also saw this
)

 

[MSEsperanza]

"We are pleased to announce the re-schedule of the 2019 Methods Symposium, which was postponed due to the cancelled 2019 Cochrane Colloquium"

Date: Wednesday 5 February 2020

https://methods.cochrane.org/2019-cochrane-methods-symposium

Type: Interactive webinar

Co-chairs: Professor Julian Higgins and Dr Joanne McKenzie

You will need a Cochrane Account to sign up for this webinar. If you don’t have a Cochrane Account you will be able to register for free on the following page. You will be able to use this account for all future activity. A brief guidance on how to sign up using your Cochrane Account is available here and if you have any problems, please ...

With Jonathan Sterne, from Crawley's SMILE trial, and Julian Higgins who is a co-author with Crawley on this still unpublished review of 'recovery' in pediatric CFS: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=9303

Sterne seems to miss now.

Another review with Crawley and Higgins as co-authors:

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=10756

see also: https://www.s4me.info/threads/esther-crawley-what-drives-her-plus-quotes.1139/page-6#post-210718

 

[rvallee]

Another review with Crawley and Higgins as co-authors:

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=10756

see also: https://www.s4me.info/threads/esther-crawley-what-drives-her-plus-quotes.1139/page-6#post-210718

Cochrane just straight up trolling us now? Would they accept a review on vaccine safety by Andrew Wakefield? At this point why not?

 

[Esther12]

Cochrane just straight up trolling us now? Would they accept a review on vaccine safety by Andrew Wakefield? At this point why not?

That's not a Cochrane review.

 

[rvallee]

That's not a Cochrane review.

Ah, it uses Cochrane as a source. Which is... odd. A meta-meta-review, ongoing for 4 years it seems now.

Busywork for no purpose. I don't understand how people in this field can choose to dedicate effort to pointless tasks. Oh well.

 

[MSEsperanza]

We have edited the presentations from the symposium into several sections, which you can view at the following links:

https://training.cochrane.org/resource/2019-cochrane-methods-symposium

https://methods.cochrane.org/2019-cochrane-methods-symposium

it uses Cochrane as a source. Which is... odd. A meta-meta-review,

I'm not sure whether the Cochrane library stores only (their) reviews. Even if they did, you could search the reviews for original studies/ sources, too. So not sure if it's critizable to use the Cochrane library for doing reviews.

Anyway, it would be intersting to know why those reviews aren't published yet.