Dr Andrea Darzi from the American University of Beirut has spent a month in the Unit working with Shaun Treweek, Graeme MacLennan, Beatriz Goulao and Cynthia Fraser on a Cochrane review of methods used to handle missing data in randomised trials. The review is now registered with Cochrane and Andrea has drafted a full protocol, which we intend to submit in October/early November.
Collaboration on the review will continue despite Andrea having returned to Lebanon. The search has found more relevant articles than we (or at least Shaun..) expected, meaning we are even more optimistic of being able to say something meaningful about comparisons of the various methods by which trial teams handle missing data.
While in Aberdeen, Andrea also helped Shaun with an Explorathon public engagement event on the 25th September linked to the EU-funded DECIDE project. Andrea and Shaun, together with Heather Morgan from the Unit and Bill Slater from the University of Dundee spent six hours talking with the public in Union Square about trials, guidelines and how to present research information to the public. We also did some evaluation work with the public linked to running a future online trial comparing different ways of presenting summary of findings tables. Another online trial linked to DECIDE is currently ongoing at http://bit.ly/1OxLvyc
Andrea was awarded a Daniel Turnberg UK/Middle East Travel Fellowship and is a medical doctor, an experienced systematic reviewer and very active in the field of clinical guidelines. She is also interested in improving trial efficiency and the Trial Forge initiative.