Course Unit / Fundamental of Clinical Research

Fundamental of Clinical Research

Year
1
Academic year
2017-2018
Code
03017933
Subject Area
Health Sciences
Language of Instruction
Portuguese
Other Languages of Instruction
English
Mode of Delivery
Face-to-face
Duration
SEMESTRIAL
ECTS Credits
10.0
Type
Elective
Level
3rd Cycle Studies

Recommended Prerequisites

Not applicable.

Teaching Methods

Theoretical lectures will provide students with basic concepts required to develop clinical rezerach, while practical classes will give the students the opportunity to analyse and discuss concrete cases with hands-on use of computer programm that are essential to the processes under analysis.

Learning Outcomes

The main objectives of this Course is to provide students with the coincepts and competencies needed to critically appraise, plan and execute clinical research projects. Attending to the specificities of clinical reasearch in the current national context, making locally initiated interventional clinocal trials highly unlikely, the course will focus in two main areas: 1) systematic literature review and meta-analysis, and 2) observational studies - methods and analysis.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Systematic Reviews. Fundamentals. The Cochrane Collaboration

PICO approach

Preparing the protocol of a systematic review

Searching the literature (I): PubMed

Searching the literature (II): Embase, and others

Bibliographic managers. Selection of Studies

Collection & synthesis: Data collection forms. Evidence tables

Meta-analysis. Principles.

Meta-analysis and meta-regression. Examples with Stata

How to write an article on a systematic review

Critical appraisal of systematic reviews

Fundamentals of observational research

Research question

Preparing the protocol of an observational study

Basic designs

Selection of subjects

Measures and variables in observational designs

Analysis plan

Analysis of case control studies

Analysis of longitudinal studies

How to write an article on an observational study

Critical appraisal of observational studies.

Head Lecturer(s)

José António Pereira Silva

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Mini Tests: 10.0%
Project: 40.0%
Resolution Problems: 50.0%

Bibliography

Stephen B. Hulley, MD, MPH et al. Designing Clinical Research. Third Edition (2007) - Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins.

Straus SE, Richardson WS, Paul Glasziou, Haynes RB. Evidence-based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach EBM. Third Edition (2005) - Churchill Livingstone: Edinburgh.