An intensive, high-level course on TB diagnostic research methods, will be conducted at McGill University Montreal, Canada, from July 8-12, 2013. A maximum of 40 participants with prior TB diagnostic research experience or advanced training will be eligible to participate.
The advanced course will cover the principles behind diagnostic research, diagnostic study designs, sources of bias, and value chain for TB diagnostics development. Also, conventional and advanced methods for systematic reviews (meta-analyses) of diagnostic tests will be presented, along with the GRADE approach to diagnostic policies.
The course will introduce multi-variable approaches to diagnostic research, and cover alternative designs which evaluate patient outcomes, including the diagnostic RCT, and implementation research. The course will also cover latent class analysis, mathematical modelling, costing and cost-effectiveness studies. Panel discussions will cover topics such as market analyses, market dynamics, regulatory issues, target product profiles, and industry engagement in TB diagnostics development.
Participants will be able to get an idea about the the value chain for TB diagnostics development, current pipeline of diagnostics, market dynamics, WHO policies on new diagnostics, and challenges for scale-up; Principles of multi-variable approaches to diagnostic research, and adjustment for imperfect reference standards; Principles of meta-analyses of diagnostic accuracy studies and GRADE approach to diagnostic policies; Principles of alternative designs to evaluate impact of new tests on clinical decision-making, therapeutic choices, and patient-important outcomes; Principles of implementation research, collecting evidence for scale-up, cost-effectiveness analyses and modeling studies in TB diagnostics.
EP News Bureau