CIDG Visiting Fellow's Report: Dr Yotsu
Wednesday, 24 Aug 2016
In July 2016, Dr Rie Roselyne Yotsu was a visiting fellow to the Cochrane Infectious Diseases Group (CIDG) editorial base in Liverpool. In this report, she discusses the objectives and results of her visit.
Home institution (including department)
Department of Dermatology, National Suruga Sanatorium
Department of Dermatology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine
Dates and duration of visit
I visited the CIDG editorial base in Liverpool from 3 to 16 July 2016.
How did you first become involved with the CIDG?
I was a student at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (Masters in International Public Health (MIPH) and Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTM&H)). I was invited by the CIDG to do a review on my field of expertise (Buruli ulcers).
What were the objectives of this visit to the CIDG editorial base?
To obtain support for submitting a final version of the Cochrane review ‘Drugs for treating Buruli ulcer (Mycobacterium ulcerans disease)’.
Who have you met with at the CIDG/outside CIDG to help attain your objectives during your visit?
I met with the following CIDG members: Paul Garner (Co-ordinating Editor), Marty Richardson (Statistician), Anne-Marie Stephani (Managing Editor), Vittoria Lutje (Information Specialist), Philomena Hinds (Editorial Assistant and Administrative Assistant), and Christianne Esparza (Administrative Assistant).
How has visiting the CIDG editorial base helped development of your protocol/review?
They helped me to collect manuscripts, decide the studies to include in the review, develop the 'Characteristics of included studies' tables, agree the structure of the review, perform data entry and analysis, and start drafting the results section of the review.
What were the main results/outputs of your visit?
I have learnt about the process of writing a Cochrane review.
What further work will need to be undertaken?
We found additional studies that were not found from our initial search strategy, so we decided that we need to come up with a better search strategy. We will then finalize the studies to be included and the 'Characteristics of included studies' tables, complete data entry and analysis, and complete the review.
What do you like about the city of Liverpool?
Liverpool is always a welcoming city with very nice people and enjoyment/entertainment. My stay this time coincided with an art festival.
It was very nice to be back! I was in Liverpool during 2007 to 2008 (MIPH) and 2012 (DTM&H).
The CIDG editorial base is located at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in Liverpool, UK. The CIDG is led by Professor Paul Garner (Co-ordinating Editor) and Anne-Marie Stephani (Managing Editor). Over 600 authors from some 52 countries contribute to the preparation of the Cochrane Reviews. They are supported by an international team of Editors, each with topic or methodological expertise.
The CIDG’s main areas of work are on determination of the effects of interventions on the prevention or treatment infectious diseases of relevance to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly malaria, tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, and neglected tropical diseases. The aims of the CIDG are to impact on policy and research in tropical diseases through the production of high quality and relevant systematic reviews, and to lead developments in review quality improvement and effective dissemination of findings.