CIESAL researchers participate in production of important series of methodological reviews

25/03/2021

A collaborative team of researchers from the Evidence-Based Medicine Department of the School of Medicine at Universidad de Valparaíso, the Research Department of the University Institute of the Hospital Italiano of Buenos Aires, the Evidence Centre of the Universidad Católica de Chile, and CIESAL, is conducting a methodological series of thirteen narrative reviews to be published in the journal Medwave. The series is aimed at training undergraduate and graduate students in general topics of interest in biostatistics and clinical epidemiology and aims to communicate these relevant topics to interpret scientific literature in a user-friendly manner.

Members of CIESAL, led by Laura Vergara, are part of this comprehensive work team made up of more than 20 researchers.

The team expects to publish thirteen topics of interest during the second half of this year and the first half of 2021. The topics that will be addressed are very varied in nature. Some articles deal with types of evidence synthesis, such as rapid reviews and living systematic reviews. Other articles address the tools used by researchers when assessing the quality of the evidence and the strength of the recommendations contained in clinical practice guidelines – such as the GRADE system (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) – as well as important concepts in evidence-based medicine such as patient values ​​and preferences, gap maps and minimal clinically important difference.

The topics reviewed are highly relevant for clinical users and patients, as they will contribute to a critical analysis of the literature used for decision-making in health.