a useful phrase source for academic writers

http://www.phrasebank.manchester.ac.uk/links.htm
This page has links to sources that will help you improve your academic writing. On this page, see also (on left side bar) the links to the lists of example phrases for describing research methods, results, etc.  Looks very useful!

Reporting of Patient-Reported Outcomes

Dear New Investigators,

Since you are involved in research regarding Patient Reported Outcomes(PROs) and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQL), I assume that you are all aware of the relevance of conducting this research. Therefore, I also hope that you are all aware that to forward the field of PROs and HRQL, research needs to be of the highest quality. This necessity not only applies to the design, conduct, and analysis of your study, but also applies to the reporting of your methods and findings. In the end, you want to make sure that your research provides the definitive answer to your specific research question, and you want to make sure that this message is clear and understandable to reviewers and readers alike. 

The ISOQOL Task Force has recently published a PRO extension, containing five additional items on top of the items described in the original CONSORT statement. As result, guideline developers will have a much easier time assessing the quality of the manuscript and thus the quality and relevance of PRO results. In the end, an increase in the quality of PRO reporting will likely result in an increase in the use of PRO data when discussing treatment options with patients.

To help new investigators write an impeccable report of their PRO findings, I have attached several titles of articles that might be of use to you when drafting your manuscript. Many contain tips and checklists that will help you identify which aspects are truly relevant when reporting PRO data. However, not all articles are explicitly related to HRQL outcome reporting, and I am sure that many more articles should be attached to this list as it is hardly exhaustive. 

Therefore, please feel free to update this list. The more information the merrier.

Enjoy!

Best wishes,

Marc Jacobs

 

List of articles
Reporting of Patient-Reported Outcomes in Randomized Trials The CONSORT PRO Extension
Melanie Calvert, PhD, Jane Blazeby, MD, Douglas G. Altman, DSc, Dennis A. Revicki, PhD, David Moher, PhD. Michael D. Brundage, MD

Scientific rigour in psycho-oncology trials: why and how to avoid common statistical errors. Melanie L. Bell, Jake Olivier and Madeleine T. King

Systematic review reveals limitations of studies evaluating health-related quality of life after potentially curative treatment for esophageal cancer. Marc Jacobs • Rhiannon C. Macefield • Jane M. Blazeby • Ida J. Korfage • Mark I. van Berge Henegouwen • Hanneke C. J. M. de Haes • Ellen M. Smets • Mirjam A. G. Sprangers

Analysis and interpretation of health-related quality-of-life data from clinical trials: basic approach of The National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group.
David Osoba, Andrea Bezjak, Michael Brundage, Benny Zee, Dongsheng Tu, Joseph Pater, for the Quality of Life Committee of the NCIC CTG

Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool
http://www.mrc-bsu.cam.ac.uk/cochrane/handbook/chapter_8/table_8_5_a_the_cochrane_collaborations_tool_for_assessing.htm

EQUATOR network for reporting guidelines
http://www.equator-network.org/resource-centre/library-of-health-research-reporting/reporting-guidelines-under-development/

Women in Science - Nature article

an interesting article about women in science!
http://www.nature.com/news/specials/women/index.html?WT.ec_id=NEWS-20130312

Searching for similar research, reviewers and journals

When writing a paper and a proposal, it is crucial to identify relevant research; and before submitting an article, a good search for potential reviewers and related journals is required.

Some time ago I found out that web servers can help authors with such process. I am actually using EtBlast, you might also find it helpful.

If you have other suggestions, please share! 

link for EtBlast:       http://etest.vbi.vt.edu/etblast3/

Dancing your PhD?

For the Doctoral students: Have you ever thought of dancing your PhD?!

have a look at the link below, might prove inspiring!

http://news.sciencemag.org/sciencenow/2012/10/dance-your-phd-and-the-winner-is.html

Vacancies

For the ones interested in vacancies...
don't forget to check out the Job Board of the ISOQoL site!

http://jobs.isoqol.org/home/home.cfm?site_id=14874

There are some open vacancies at the moment!

One-day course on PROs in London, June 13, 2013

For those in Europe, there is a one-day course being offered by Oxford Outcomes and ICON about the development of PROs

PATIENT REPORTED OUTCOMES 2013: DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION

13th June, 2013
Time: 08:30 - 17:30

Location: Sofitel Hotel, Heathrow, London
Timezone: (GMT) Western Europe Time, London, Lisbon, Casablanca
A new 1-day course offered to those with an interest in the construction and use of patient reported outcomes (PROs) in the development, assessment and reimbursement of medicines. This is an intermediate course suitable for novices and experienced participants alike, and will have relevance to international participants from academia, health care providers, as well as the pharmaceutical, regulatory and device development industries.

Course objectives

• Understand the scope and range of PRO measurement and ascertain how PROs support medicine and device development and approval in the EU and US.
• Understand the key considerations when selecting a PRO for a particular use and be able to evaluate a PRO accordingly.
• Develop an understanding of the steps required to develop and validate a PRO, and ensure translatability in additional language and electronic formats.
• Gain awareness of regulatory requirements from EMA/ FDA, the needs of NICE regarding PROs and the use of PRO data by other decision makers.

You can read more here: 
http://www.iconplc.com/news-events/events/workshops/patient-reported-outcomes/index.xml