Before the first session, each trainee will develop a research question and do a literature search for a study the trainee would like to carry out. The course then provides guidance for creating a concise proposal that includes study design, subject recruitment and sampling plan, measurement instrument and questionnaire, consent form, budget and time-table. Trainees create and justify a set of assumptions and carry out their own sample size estimates. Each trainee reviews the work of a colleague and presents a concise critique at a mock study section. Trainees create a protocol, abstract data, and perform a meta-analysis using customized spreadsheet software.
Trainees evaluate published analyses and complete a cost-effectiveness analysis using data provided.
Structure and Materials Trainees may enroll in either the Clinical Research Workshop, the Quantitative Reviews Workshop, or both. The Clinical Research Workshop is held on Tuesday mornings, August 3 to September 14, and October 5, 1999. The Quantitative Reviews and Medical Decision Making Workshop is held on Thursday mornings July 29 to September 9, 1999. Instruction takes place on the UCSF Parnassus campus. Each morning includes a lecture that highlights key issues and structured small group discussion of exercises and drafts produced by trainees.