Description of Collaborative Activity: |
The Office of Disease Prevention coordinates the development of Evidence-based Methodology Workshops (EbMW) that seek to identify methodological and scientific weaknesses in a scientific area and move the field forward through an unbiased and evidence-based assessment of a complex clinical issue. The first workshop in this program focused on polycystic ovary syndrome, a common hormone disorder that affects approximately 5 million reproductive-aged women in the United States. The workshop was designed to clarify: 1) benefits and drawbacks of using the Rotterdam Criteria, 2) the condition’s causes, predictors, and long-term consequences, and 3) optimal prevention and treatment strategies. The workshop was sponsored by the Office of Disease Prevention and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. A multidisciplinary steering committee developed the workshop agenda. The NIH Library created an extensive, descriptive bibliography on PCOS to facilitate workshop discussion. During the 2½-day workshop, invited experts discussed the body of evidence and attendees provided comments during open discussion periods. After weighing the evidence, an unbiased, independent panel prepared a report that summarized the workshop and identified future research priorities. The workshop was held on December 3-5, 2012. |
