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Quantitative Synthesis I
To Receive a Certificate for This Activity
- Read the CME information on this page.
- Review information on the contributor biographies.
- View the presentations in this enduring material.
- Complete the CME posttest (you must answer 6 out of 8 questions correctly).
- Complete and submit the CME registration and evaluation forms.
CME Information
Course Overview
The overwhelming increase in the quantity of clinical evidence has led to detachment of the evidence and practice because new evidence can be integrated into clinical practice only after it has been critically appraised and synthesized on the basis of the existing evidence. Because many clinicians lack the skills and time for such information processing, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses, their quantitative counterparts play an important role in health care. Well-performed systematic reviews provide clinically relevant information, abrogating the need to identify, read, and evaluate many individual studies.
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has been funding systematic and comparative effectiveness reviews (CERs) for 13 years through its Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC). As part of the ongoing effort to ensure transparency and standardization of approaches across the 14 currently funded EPCs, AHRQ has created methods guides for conducting CERs. Recent months have seen a substantial increase in additional funding for comparative effectiveness research. In order to expand the capacity to conduct CERs, AHRQ produced training modules to familiarize new investigators with the methodological framework and guidance outlined in AHRQ’s Methods Reference Guide for Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness Reviews (available at http://www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/index.cfm/search-for-guides-reviews-and-reports/?pageaction=displayproduct&productid=318).
This CME activity focuses on quantitative synthesis, a task in the fourth of five steps, "Analyze and Synthesize Studies," of the systematic review or CER process. It is the tenth of 13 CME activities in the series titled AHRQ Training Modules for the Systematic Reviews Methods Guide.
To learn more about the Evidence-based Practice Centers and how they relate to AHRQ’s Effective Health Care Program, or for an overview of this CME series on conducting systematic reviews, please see the introductory module titled “The AHRQ Training Modules for the Systematic Reviews Methods Guide: An Introduction.”
Educational Objectives
At the conclusion of this activity, the participant should be able to:
- List the basic principles of combining data
- Recognize common metrics for meta-analysis
- Describe the role of weights to combine results across studies
- Distinguish between clinical and methodological diversity and statistical heterogeneity
- Define fixed effect model and random effects model
Target Audience
This CME activity is designed to meet the educational needs of investigators and clinicians interested in systematic review methods.
Method of Participation
This activity is comprised of two parts: an audio presentation with synchronized slides, and an interactive case quiz.
To receive a maximum of .75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ you should:
- View the presentations in this enduring material.
- Complete the posttest (you must answer 6 out of 8 questions correctly).
- Complete and submit the CME registration and evaluation forms.
The estimated time to complete this activity, including review of the materials, is .75 hour(s).
Hardware/software requirements: Activities should be run with recent versions of common browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Google Chrome.
If you have questions about the participation process, please e-mail the Office of Continuing Medical Education, cme@bcm.edu or phone 713.798.8237.
Accreditation/Credit Designation
Baylor College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Baylor College of Medicine designates this enduring material activity for a maximum of .75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Term of Approval
June 2010 through June 2013. Original release date: June 2010
Peer Review
In January 2010, this continuing medical education online enduring material was reviewed by Rongwei (Rochelle) Fu, Ph.D., associate professor of Biostatistics at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, Oregon. To ensure the continued scientific relevance of this enduring material, its content will be reviewed again in June 2013.
Disclosure: nothing to disclose
Program Director
Michael Fordis, M.D.
Director, Center for Collaborative and Interactive Technologies
Director, The John M. Eisenberg Center for Clinical Decisions and Communications Science
Sr. Associate Dean and Director, Office of CME
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas
Disclosures: Nothing to disclose.
Disclaimer
This CME activity is designed for use by healthcare professionals for educational purposes only. Information and opinion offered by the contributors represent their viewpoints. Conclusions drawn by the participant should be derived from careful consideration of all available scientific information. Prescription information and use of medical devices should be undertaken only after confirmation of information by consulting the FDA-approved uses and information.
Baylor College of Medicine makes every effort to have accurate information presented, no warranty, expressed or implied, is offered. The participant should use his/her clinical judgment, knowledge, experience, and diagnostic decision-making before applying any information, whether provided here or by others, for any professional use.
Links are provided to other Internet sites solely for the convenience of users. Once you link to another site, you are subject to the site's terms and conditions of use including copyright and licensing restrictions.
Disclosure
The Office of Continuing Medical Education (OCME) makes every effort to develop CME activities that are scientifically based, accurate, current, and objectively presented. In accordance with the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education Standards for Commercial Support SM, Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) has implemented a mechanism requiring everyone in a position to control the content of an educational activity (e.g., directors, planning committee members, contributors, peer reviewers) to disclose any relevant financial relationships with commercial interests (drug/device companies) and manage/resolve any conflicts of interest prior to the activity. Individuals must disclose to participants the existence or non-existence of financial relationships: l) at the time of the activity or within 12 months prior; and 2) of their spouses/partners.
Baylor College of Medicine does not view the existence of interests or relationships with commercial entities as implying bias or decreasing the value of a presentation. It is up to the participants to determine whether the interests or relationships influence the presenter with regard to exposition or conclusions.
If at any time during this activity you feel that there has been commercial or promotional bias, please inform us by using the commercial bias comments box in the evaluation form. Please answer the questions about balance in the CME activity evaluation candidly.
The following individual(s) has/have reported no financial or other relationships with commercial entities whose products/services may relate to the educational content of this activity:
Michael Fordis, M.D., Activity Director: nothing to disclose
Thomas A. Trikalinos, M.D., Ph.D., Contributor: nothing to disclose
Joseph Lau, M.D., Contributor: nothing to disclose
Rongwei (Rochelle) Fu, Ph.D., Peer Reviewer: nothing to disclose
Some drugs/devices identified during this activity may have United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for specific purposes only or for use in restricted research settings. The FDA has stated that it is the responsibility of the individual physician to determine the FDA status of each drug or device that he/she wishes to use in clinical practice and to use the products in compliance with the applicable law.
Baylor College of Medicine requires that all contributors disclose an unlabeled use or investigational use (not yet approved for any purpose) of pharmaceutical and medical device products, and provide adequate scientific and clinical justification for such use. Physicians are urged to fully review all the available data on products or procedures before using them to treat patients.
Acknowledgement of Support
This activity is supported by a contract, HHSA290200810015C, from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
