...it's not just about translating your paper into English
Dr Steven Lock
Chief Executive
British Medical Journal

MEDICAL WRITING & STATISTICS ADVANCED (for Novartis Poland)
28-29th May 2010, Warsaw

This training workshop has been specially developed for scientists and medical professionals in the healthcare system, academia and clinical departments of the pharmaceutical industry. It aims to teach you how to understand what the statistical methods are attempting to show, how to correctly interpret the results and how to get your research published in peer-reviewed journals. It discusses in depth all the essential steps you will need.

CME points (punkty edukacyjne): 16.

(more) (agenda) (location) (price)

DAY 1 - HOW TO READ AND UNDERSTAND STATISTICS

Medium of instruction: English and Polish

Clinical research is involved with the comparison of groups of people and statistics are required for this. As scientific communicators, we need to understand not how to do statistical testing and calculations, but rather how to understand what the statistical methods are attempting to show and how to correctly interpret the results.

 

By completing the course you will understand the following and how to report them:

  • Study populations to be analyzed: intent-to-treat, per-protocol, safety-evaluable.
  • Descriptive statistics: mean, median, range, standard deviation, coefficient of variation, box plot, normal and non-normal distributions, parametric and nonparametric tests,
  • Estimates and confidence intervals: probability, standard error of the mean, p-values
  • Sample size calculations
  • Correlation and regression analyses: r, p and the 95% CI for a correlation
  • Different Kaplan-Meier plots and the elements of reporting Kaplan-Meier analyses

 

During the morning sessions we will explore some very basic but extremely important statistical concepts: kinds of variables, levels of measurement, descriptive statistics, point estimates, confidence intervals, and sample size calculations. The emphasis will be on understanding statistical concepts as well as reporting the results and what they mean. An exercise will allow participants to analyze the weaknesses and suggest improvements in some real statistical calculations.

 

The afternoon sessions will focus on understanding correlation and regression analyses and the analysis of survival as used in clinical trials. We will learn the basics of regression analyses such as the difference between r, p and the 95% CI for a correlation followed by interpreting different Kaplan-Meier graphs and the different elements of reporting Kaplan-Meier analyses. The appropriate graphical and tabular presentation of these analyses will be discussed and will be practiced using exercises. The essential elements of these analyses will be presented: pre-requisites, basic definitions, graphical and tabular presentation, but will concentrate on the interpretation.

 

Celem części warsztatów prowadzonych w języku polskim będzie zapoznanie uczestników spotkania z omawianymi podczas części wykładowej i seminaryjnej zagadnieniami statystycznymi w praktyce. Na podanych przykładach będziemy planować obliczenia statystyczne, wybierać testy oraz interpretować uzyskane wyniki w formie graficznej i tabelarycznej ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem krzywych przeżycia. Dodatkowo przygotujemy wzorcowy opis metod statystycznych do celów publikacyjnych z uwzględnieniem zaleceń wymaganych w czasopismach z tzw. listy filadelfijskiej.

Leaders:

Barry Drees PhD

Justyna Stefaniak MSc

 

DAY 2 - MEDICAL WRITING

Medium of instruction: English

In this workshop we will examine the structure of manuscripts, and you will learn how to write abstracts, how the peer-review process works and how to write effectively in English – for example, what makes text easy to read, using paragraphs to get your message across, use and misuse of jargon and medical terminology – and what to do when you receive the referees’ comments. The aim of this course is to provide professional support to authors and would-be authors of medical papers. Participants will acquire up-to-date information on the requirements for submitting articles, publication structure and common problems encountered by authors, plus some of the “tricks of the trade” that professional writers use

The morning will consists of lectures followed by breakout sessions in the afternoon. In these breakout sessions, participants will work in small groups on real-life practical tasks designed to reinforce the messages contained in the lectures. In these small group sessions you will work with our experienced trainers in an interactive manner.

By completing the course you will be able to:

  1. Write a structured abstract which meets the congress requirements and at the same time captures the critical points of your study, describes your results clearly and consistently, and raises interest
  2. Write a manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed medical journal so that it has the best chance of being accepted by the editor and referees.
  3. Write a covering letter
  4. Critically review a publication, point out the pitfalls and to come up with ideas for an improved version.
  5. Write a letter to an editor in response to your publication being turned down.

The trainers are researchers with many peer-reviewed publications, and professional medical writers, all with wide experience in data presentation at international meetings and writing scientific and medical papers for publication in peer-reviewed journals.

Leaders:

John Carpenter PhD

Barry Drees PhD

 


Agenda

DAY 1 - HOW TO READ AND UNDERSTAND STATISTICS

Medium of instruction: English and Polish

08:15–08:30

Registration and morning coffee

08.30 – 09.15



09.15 – 10.15

Statistics in Clinical Research (Statystyka w badaniach klinicznych)

  • Types of clinical trials BD
  • Data in clinical trials: types of variables, scales of measure BD
  • Sample size calculations BD
  • Statistical analysis plan and study protocol ZS
  • Data management, preparation for analysis, variable conversion JS
  • Choosing statistical tests appropriate to clinical data JS

10:15 –10:30 

Coffee break

10:30 –11:30


11:30 – 12:15

The Meaning of Statistics in Clinical Research (Znaczenie statystyki w badaniach klinicznych)

  • Descriptive statistics and graphical presentation BD
  • Estimates and confidence intervals BD
  • Statistical method description in papers ZS
  • Statistical software JS

12:15–13:00   

Lunch

13:00–15:00   

Workshop: interpreting clinical trials statistics and graphical statistical analytic techniques (Warsztaty: interpretacja wyników i techniki graficznego przedstawiania wyników) BD

  • Study populations
  • Dose finding and responder analyses
  • Kaplan-Meier analyses

15:00–15:10   

Coffee break

15:10–17:10

Workshop: statistical planning and writing (Warsztaty: planowanie i opisy statystyczne) ZS, JS

  • Planning statistics
  • Choosing tests in practice
  • Statistical descriptions

 

BD - Barry Drees PhD

JS - Justyna Stefaniak MSc

 

DAY 2 - MEDICAL WRITING

Medium of instruction: English

08.00–08.15

Morning coffee

08.15–09.00

The elements of a paper: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion (IMRAD) BD

09.00–10.00

Writing in English: Common problems, what makes text difficult/easy to read, using paragraphs effectively, jargon and technical terminology JC

10.00–10.15

Coffee break

10.15–11.00

How to write abstracts and  summaries, letters to the Editor, and covering letters  BD

11.00–11.15

Coffee break

11.15–12.00

The editorial process: How a journal treats submitted articles, the peer-review process, why papers are rejected, what to do if your article is rejected/accepted, and how to response to reviewers JC

12.00–12.30

Managing bibliographies effectively

12.30–13.30

Lunch

13.30–17.30

Workshops (including coffee breaks)

Review a manuscript, identify its faults and suggest improvements
Write an abstract, discuss the covering letter and respond to the referees’ comments

17.30–17.45

Closing remarks & certificates

 

JC - John Carpenter PhD

BD - Barry Drees PhD

 


Venue

PMW Course Venue:

Centrum Konferencyjne Adgar Plaza

ul. Postępu 17A
02-676 Warszawa
+48 22 337 40 73

Patronage:

PTT

Polish Society of Transplantation

Polskie Towarzystwo Dermatologiczne

Polish Dermatological Society


The Polish Society For Rheumatology

Testimonials

"A practical approach and professionalism of the tutor"

Rafał Zyśk, Health Economics Consulting
Statystyka praktyczna w badaniach klinicznych i publikacjach naukowych, Warszawa, 11.12.2010
translation: PMW 



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