WCM-Q workshop highlights growing importance of meta-analysis in healthcare

Doha, Qatar: The Division of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) at Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar (WCM Q) recently held a workshop focused on equ...

Doha, Qatar: The Division of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) at Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q) recently held a workshop focused on equipping healthcare professionals with practical skills to accurately analyse and apply research evidence in medicine.

Attended by over 30 physicians, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, allied health professionals, students, and researchers, the two-day workshop aimed to enable participants to use R and Stata to conduct meta-analyses; evaluate heterogeneity and quality of evidence (using GRADE) to ensure methodological rigour; and translate meta-analysis findings into clinical and research practice.

The first day of the workshop provided an introduction to systematic review and meta-analysis, along with theoretical and practical exercises on data extraction. 

The day concluded with a demonstration and practical exercises in R and Stata. The second day featured discussions on heterogeneity, sensitivity, publication bias, and meta-regression, followed by demonstrations and hands-on learning to solidify the content. 

Titled “Meta-Analysis in Healthcare: Advancing Evidence-based Practice for Healthcare Professionals,” the workshop was directed by Dr. Alaa Ali Abd-Alrazaq, an assistant professor at WCM-Q who has authored more than 20 systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in high-impact international journals, and who also served as a speaker.