How should we write up the statistical results of meta-analyses in the text and abstract of a Cochrane systematic review?
Objectives:To give participants confidence and practical skills in taking a statistical result and ensuring the non-statistical reader understands the meaning.
Description: When we obtain the numerical result of a meta-analysis, we end up with an estimated effect size, measure of precision (confidence interval) and a P-value. How do we take those statistical results, and convey them in words in the text or the abstract of A Cochrane review, so that readers will understand what they mean? This workshop will take examples of statistically significant and non-significant results, using the common effect size measures such as odds ratio, risk ratio, mean difference and standardised mean difference, and guide participants through translating those results into meaningful text, hopefully without imparting ‘spin’ on the results! We will begin with the easier cases, such as when the result is highly significant, and easy to explain, and work our way to the more difficult cases, such as when the result is ‘almost significant’, or has a wide confidence interval, or uses standardised mean difference. The talks will be brief, and the emphasis will be on participation in the writing tasks. All examples are taken from recent systematic reviews in the Cochrane and non-Cochrane literature.