This workshop is given on behalf of the Bias Methods Group and the Statistical Methods Group.

Workshop type: Training.

Objective: To describe and explain the new risk-of-bias tables in RevMan 5, which offer a consistent way of assessing methodological quality of included studies.

Summary:
An essential component of a Cochrane review is assessment of the methodological quality of included studies. At present, the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions contains specific guidance on the assessment of concealment of allocation (as ‘adequate’, ‘inadequate’ or ‘unclear’) and these assessments can be entered directly into RevMan 4. However, other aspects of quality, such as blinding and use of intention-to-treat analyses, are covered in different ways by different Review Groups.

A new tool has been developed and is recommended for new and updated Cochrane reviews. A corresponding new ‘Risk of bias’ table is available in RevMan 5 as an extension of the table of Characteristics of Included Studies.

Aimed primarily at people responsible for training review authors about review methods, the workshop will introduce the new ‘risk-of-bias’ tool and offer the opportunity to try it out on a selection of reports of clinical trials. Participants are welcome to bring their own trial reports.

Intended audience: (i) People involved in training review authors in review methods; (ii) editors.

Technical level expected of participants: Intermediate.