Methods in Evidence Synthesis seminar (MESS)
Abstract: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) inform healthcare decisions. It is now apparent that some published RCTs contain false data and some appear to have been entirely fabricated. Systematic reviews are performed to identify and synthesise all RCTs that have been conducted on a given topic. While it is usual to assess methodological features of the RCTs in the process of undertaking a systematic review, it is not usual to consider whether the RCTs contain false data. Studies containing false data therefore go unnoticed and contribute to systematic review conclusions. The INSPECT-SR project is developing a tool to assess the trustworthiness of RCTs in systematic reviews of healthcare related interventions.
In this talk I will give an overview of the development of the INSPECT-SR tool. Participants will then have the opportunity to apply some illustrative trustworthiness checks to a real study. I hope to devote a good portion of the talk to feedback and discussion around some key points relating to the development and implementation of the tool, and will give information about how attendees may contribute to the development process. The study we will look at in the session is The effects of probiotic supplementation on biomarkers of inflammation, oxidative stress and pregnancy outcomes in gestational diabetes by Badehnoosh, et al., 2018 (doi.org/10.1080/14767058.2017.1310193c). Attendees may wish to read the paper ahead of the session, but this is not a requirement.
Jack Wilkinson — Research Explorer The University of Manchester. Jack is interested in how we can spot RCTs that may contain problematic data or, may be fraudulent and is working on INSPECT-SR a tool to help us check our included studies for studies that we shall call, for legal reasons, “problematic”. He is a Senior Lecturer in Biostatistics in The Centre for Biostatistics at The University of Manchester and was Statistics Editor for Cochrane Gynaecology and Fertility before the Cochrane restructure. He is currently leading the NIHR-funded INSPECT-SR project, which aims to develop a tool to identify problematic studies in health systematic reviews.
Join Zoom Meeting: https://bristol-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/98256580740?pwd=THE1dFJVdXNsbDRzeTAzQUt4dC80Zz09