EBMtalks: Level 2 - Essential analytical skills for evidence-based practice

EBMtalks level 2 is a lecture-based course in nurturing the skills and knowledge needed to build an evidence-based nutrition practice. The aim is to help practitioners "think like a researcher" so that they can understand the choices have influenced the design and analysis of the studies that are commonly read in clinical practice. This facilitates the development of critical appraisal skills needed to ensure carefully considered application of evidence to clinical recommendations. 

In the level 1 EBMtalks and EBMplay courses, the philosophical underpinnings of evidence-based practice, the common types of studies that are relevant to nutrition research and the factors that limit them, such as biases and confounding. Some basic statistical models were introduced non-mathematically, in order to understand how to interpret and use the information in the results section. 

In the level 2 EBMtalks course, a deeper look at specific study design features not introduced in the level 1 course, will allow more of a nuanced appreciation of research. The course will also look at implementation and communication of research to clients and wider non-medical audiences, to cultivate awareness of the issues and threshold of transparent evidence-based recommendations. Research ethics, biases, sampling and reporting standards will also be explored in more depth.

EBMtalks is not a biostatistical course, though one important difference between level 2 EBMtalks and EBMplay versus level 1 is the stronger focus on building confidence with basic statistical skills needed to be able to read research independently. All calculations will be simple to perform with a standard calculator (a free downloadable tool will be suggested) and free statistical software will also be recommended. The level 2 EBMplay and EBMtalks course will run concurrently as the concepts will be best appreciated through direct application and practical activities. It is advisable to attend both but not essential. The EBMtalks level 2 course will also be recorded and available to stream for 5 days after each live lecture, to make it easier to digest and review information. The videos will not be available to download. 

Practitioners will learn how to calculate:

- Measures of effect, such as relative risk, absolute risk, odds ratio, interaction ratio, number needed to treat/harm. 

- Measures of the precision, such as confidence intervals, p-values and power.

- Sample sizes.

- Margins of non-inferiority and equivalence. 

- Statistical tests variations used for handling different types of data eg. continuous vs binary. 

- Basic introduction to correlation and regression. 

EBMtalks level 2 will also take a deeper look at meta-analysis and some of the issues that need to be considered when reading and interpreting these, especially in network meta-analyses. The concepts introduced will be explored thoroughly in the level 3 course for those who want to understand these further. Meta-analyses are undoubtedly the most important type of research to get to grips with since they have one of the biggest influences on clinical decision-making.

If you enjoyed EBMtalks level 1 but found that you still had lots of unanswered questions and anxieties, you're not alone. The learning curve when learning to read research is not linear; vocabulary and concepts, though individually are not always complex, the volume of terminology and methodologies to become familiar with can feel a little overwhelming. Like any new language though, once its rules understood in more detail and broken down into step by step processes, the terms become clearer and easier to reinforce; it starts to feel more intuitive and logical. That's where the fun begins. 

Practitioners often suffer from imposter syndrome as it can take time develop research skills.  This level 2 course will not build expertise, but it will, especially alongside the play series, help to cultivate independence and provide a solid grounding for the Level 3 course which will develop more advanced skills for fluid engagement in the subject.  

Each lecture will last 3 hours for a total of 30 CPD points, subject to recognition by the professional body that practitioners are members of. The course of the course is £350. The course will be video-streamed 10 sessions will be required for CPD certification. Video recordings can be viewed online throughout the duration of the course. 

The subjects we will cover each lecture include:

Lecture 1: Available from 15th October 2022

Research ethics, transparency, and reporting standards. Risk of bias analysis tools, their use and interpretation. 

Lecture 2: Available from 12th November 2022

Building foundations in statistics: how to calculate measures of effect and rules about their use. 

Lecture 3: Available from 10th December 2022

Building foundations in statistics: an introduction to confidence interval, p-value and power calculation. 

Lecture 4: Available from 14th January 2023

A deeper dive into sampling, recruitment and randomisation methods in research. 

Lecture 5: Available from 11th February 2023

Sample-size estimation in controlled trials. Unique controlled trial designs and their appraisal. Missing data handling.

Lecture 6: Available from 11th March 2023

Sample-size estimation in observational studies. Unique variants of observational studies and their appraisal.

Lecture 7: Available from 22nd April 2023

An introduction to regression, correlation and analysis of variance. Relevance to research types and problems. 

Lecture 8: Available from 20th May 2023

Making sense of genetic, prognostic, diagnostic and pharmacokinetic research. Calculating sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve.

Lecture 9: Available from June 17th 2023

Types of meta-analytic methods; their uses and limitations. Missing information management. Understanding network meta-analysis. 

Lecture 10: Available from July 15th 2023

Use of GRADE in research implementation into practice. Critical considerations and communicating research effectively.

EBMtalks slides, resources and video recordings will be included in the cost of the course, but video recordings will not be available as permanent downloadable resources. All of these will be subject to copyright and sharing of resources without explicit written consent, in part or in full, will result in non-refundable barring from remaining and future courses purchased.