3-day course on network meta-analysis at Biarritz

Course description

For any given condition there is usually a plethora of alternative treatment options. Systematic reviews including several interventions, also known as comparative effectiveness reviews, are increasingly used in the medical literature. Network meta-analysis is an extension of pairwise meta-analysis that allows the simultaneous synthesis of data from networks of interventions. By combining direct and indirect information, network meta-analysis can inform every possible treatment comparison, even those for which no head-to-head trials exist.

This course will focus on the role of network meta-analyses in comparative effectiveness research for healthcare interventions. We will examine the full process of a network meta-analysis from the planning stage and the preparation of the protocol up to the final report and publication of the manuscript. Special attention will be given in proper interpretation of the results. The course will consist of theoretical and practical sessions.

Course page available here.

Course objectives

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the concept and the main principles of network meta-analysis
• Write a protocol for a network meta-analysis
• Understand and evaluate the assumptions of a network meta-analysis
• Synthesize the data from a network of interventions
• Interpret the results of a network meta-analysis
• Identify the limitations and potential sources of bias within a network of interventions
• Critically appraise the results from a network meta-analysis
• Create visualizations and prepare the final report

Prerequisites

The course is aimed at physicians and clinical researchers with good understanding of quantitative analyses or epidemiologists, biostatisticians and health economists. Some previous experience with systematic reviews and meta-analyses, basic knowledge of statistics and some experience with R or Stata are required for all participants. Participants will need to bring their laptops with R or Stata installed for the practical sessions.

COVID restrictions

To access this course, you must be fully vaccinated with one of the four accepted vaccines by EMA (Pfizer, Moderna, Astra Zeneca, J&J) before the beginning of course (2nd done at least 14 days before the start of the event; for the J&J vaccine it is at least 30 days before) OR have proof of recovery from the last 6 months.

If these conditions are not met, access to the course in-person will be rejected.

Course location

The course will take place at Radisson Blu Hotel (1 Carr d’Hélianthe, 64200 Biarritz)

Speakers

Anna Chaimani, Inserm – Université Paris Cité (previously Université de Paris) (France)

Theodoros Evrenoglou, Université Paris Cité (France)

Silvia Metelli, Université Paris Cité (France)

Adriani Nikolakopoulou, University Medical Centre of Freiburg (Germany)

Ian White, University College London (UK)