September 20-22, 2016
Course Description:
This course provides exhaustive knowledge in the principles and practice of Diagnostic tests to comprehend reliability and validity of a new diagnostic test, the biases and the challenges in designing a study and, critically evaluate a diagnostic study article. This course will include lectures and comprise a series of practical.
Course Objectives:
- Correctly
interpret diagnostic information (sensitivity, specificity, likelihood
ratios, ROCs, accuracy) from different data sources.
- Combine diagnostic information from multiple tests, when tests are independent and not independent.
- Expose common myths about diagnostic tests.
- Accurately interpret an ROC curve and identify best cutpoints.
- Recognize
when verification bias (work-up bias) is a threat to study validity and
calculate the magnitude of error from such bias.
- Assess magnitude and direction of error when the gold standard is imperfect.
- Generate
likelihood ratios from logistic regression models, and understand
relationship between odds ratios and likelihood ratios.
- Critique and revise published articles on diagnostic tests; optimize presentation of results.
Who should apply?
This
course is tailored to medical, allied health professionals, nonmedical
faculty, and/or researchers actively involved in diagnostic test
research (validity and reliability studies), or teaching institution or
in furthering their knowledge and skills in methodology.
Benefits:
- Each
participant will be randomly allocated to a group and the group will be
assigned a research question and given background materials to develop a
protocol following STARD guidelines. Each group’s protocol development
process will be facilitated by a mentor. Each group will be asked to
present their protocol orally to the rest of the groups and faculty for
discussion.
- Course kit will be provided.
- Dx-test Software
- The participants will be Journal articles critique with the help of mentor.
Course Fee: Rs 6,500/ per person
(Course kit, Dx-test Software, Lunch, snacks and tea will be provided)
Course Fee should be paid in full by September 14, 2016. Payment can be made by Demand Draft (DD) in favour of “Christian Medical College Vellore Association Account “, payable at Vellore.
Accommodation:
Participants will have to bear their own expenses for travel, boarding and lodging. The Organizers will provide Lunch and Snacks. However, the organizers may arrange basic accommodation with A/C facility in the college campus on request. Only limited accommodation is available on campus and priority will be given to the female participants.
Dx test (Diagnostic test software)
Dx test software Developed and validated with STATA and MedCalc software by Biostatistics Resource and Training Centre (BRTC) team, will be provided free of cost for course participants.
nMaster (Sample Size calculation software)
The
cost of the nMaster software is fixed for Rs.2500/- for Academic /
Government institutions and Rs.5000/- for Commercial. However, those
who would participate in this workshop from the Academic / Government
institutions, a concession of Rs.1000/- will be offered to buy this
nMaster software (price - Rs.1500/-).
Venue
Biostatistics Resource and Training Centre (BRTC),
Department of Biostatistics,
Christian Medical College,
Bagayam,
Vellore - 632 002.
The number of participants: Limited to 45 admissions & this will be purely on first come first served basis.