What is the GASTROS consensus meeting?
On Sunday the 8th of March 2020, we will be holding our consensus meeting which aims to make final recommendations for a list of outcomes should be reported as a minimum by researchers studying surgery for stomach cancer. The meeting will be attended by patients, nurses and surgeons with experience of surgery for stomach cancer.
Time and Venue
The meeting will take place on Sunday the 8th of March 2020, between 9.00am and 4.00pm (Greenwich Mean Time – GMT) at the Midland Hotel, Manchester, UK and can also be attended online for those unable to travel.
What will happen on the day?
At the beginning of the day, participants will be given a short presentation to explain what will be required of them.
In summary, meeting participants will be presented with the results of a survey which was completed by over 1000 patients, nurses and surgeons from over 50 countries. Survey participants were asked to prioritise which ‘outcomes’ or ‘results’ they thought researchers should report as a minimum when studying surgery for stomach cancer. This is called a ‘core outcome set’.
After the results of the survey were analysed, it was found that there was unanimous agreement among patients, nurses and surgeons that some outcomes should be included in the ‘core outcome set’ and some should be excluded. However, there were also some outcomes on which there was no unanimous agreement.
The focus of this meeting is to discuss the outcomes for which there was no unanimous agreement to include in or exclude from the core outcome set. Each of these outcomes will be discussed separately, and you will be given the opportunity to share your personal experience or opinions if you wish. After each of these outcomes is discussed, meeting participants will be asked to vote on how important the outcome is. Online participants will be able to vote after each discussion along with those present in Manchester.
Finalising the core outcome set
At the end of the meeting, the results of all the day’s voting will be reviewed, and a final ‘core outcome set’ will be recommended for researchers to report when studying surgery for stomach cancer.
Definitions of Outcomes
If time permits, participants will also be asked to discuss some proposed definitions for the chosen core outcomes.
What do I do if I want to participate in the meeting?
If you would like to attend the meeting (in Manchester or online), please register at gastros.eventbrite.co.uk. Alternatively, please contact the study team at gastros@mft.nhs.uk.