Kristof Theys

Essentials of Statistical Thinking for Medical Affairs

How to Effectively Interpret and Translate the Statistics Of Medical Studies & Scientific Publications

With Dr Kristof Theys

Course Details

THE CONTENT

Medical Affairs professionals are expected to confidently interpret and communicate data from medical studies, yet most have never received formal statistical training.

This course offers a clear and practical introduction to statistical thinking tailored to the needs of Medical Affairs. You will learn the essential principles behind statistical analysis, develop the ability to critically assess the validity and relevance of study findings, and gain techniques to clearly communicate statistical results in a medical context.

By linking statistical thinking to real-world examples from medical research, this course helps you engage more effectively with data and extract the insights that matter.

If you want to better understand the statistics behind medical studies and contribute more effectively to internal and external discussions, this course is an essential investment!
 


THE EXPERT

Dr Kristof Theys specialises in health economic modelling, decision support tools, and real-world clinical data analyses within market access and medical affairs.

  • Health Economics and Data Science Manager at Kintiga, a consultancy focused on accelerating patient access to innovative medicines, devices, and diagnostics.

  • He holds an MSc in Bioinformatics and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from KU Leuven and has an academic background in clinical and epidemiological virology.
     


THE AUDIENCE & INTERACTIVE LEARNING FORMAT

This introductory course is designed for all Medical Affairs professionals who must read, interpret, or communicate the results of medical studies and scientific publications as part of their role.

The learning format is expert-led and highly engaging, offering direct access to a seasoned statistical specialist. Through real-time discussions and practical examples from medical affairs, you’ll explore how statistical concepts apply in everyday scenarios. You’ll also benefit from peer learning, exchanging experiences and insights with fellow participants from across the industry.
 

  1. Understanding and correctly interpreting key statistical concepts and terms used in medical studies.

  2. How to critically evaluate the statistical methodology that has been used in a medical study.

  3. Avoiding common errors and misinterpretations that could lead to flawed conclusions.

  4. Key considerations for clinical and RWE studies, including time-to-event analysis and meta-analysis.

  5. Effectively communicating statistical findings by transforming data into clear, meaningful narratives using best practices in visual data presentation.

Course agenda

 

 

 

Welcome & Introduction (~15 min)
Importance of Statistics for Medical Affairs and Key Concepts (~1 h)
  • Why critically appraising statistics in medical studies is a must (with examples)
  • Data types and their relationship with statistical methods
  • Fundamental concepts and terminology (e.g. descriptive statistics, sampling, variables, p-value….)
Assessing Study Design, Biases, Confounding, Sampling and Randomisation (~1 h)
  • Identifying the study design and what this means for the interpretation of statistical findings
  • Common types of bias and confounding, and how they are corrected for
  • The different sampling and randomisation techniques and their implications
Evaluating the Building Blocks of Statistical Significance (~1 h)
  • Making sense of distributions and their implications
  • The different statistical tests and why a particular test is used
  • Understanding p-values and error types I & II, and their corrections
Lunch Break
Interpreting Relationships, Associations, Correlations, and Predictions Correctly (~1 h)
  • Understanding association, correlation and causation
  • Introduction to the regression family and why a particular method is used in a study
  • Understanding the use and meaning of risk and odds ratios
Typical Applications and Considerations in Clinical Studies and RWE Studies (~1 h)
  • Time-to-event outcome analysis
  • Meta-analysis and indirect treatment comparisons
  • Differentiating statistical from clinical significance
Communicating Statistical Insights: Turning Numbers Into Narratives (~45 min)
  • Best practices for impactful graphs, charts, and tables
  • Common pitfalls in interpreting statistics
  • Presenting statistics in a medical context
Final Q&A (~15 min)

 

Download Brochure

 

Complete the below form to download the full course brochure. It outlines the detailed agenda, learning outcomes, expert info and some testimonials from past participants.

 

 

UPCOMING DATES & FORMATS - FEES

16 October 2025

Live online (CET timing)

Full Fee € 1 670

11 March 2026

Live online (CET timing)

Early bird € 1 570

(until 06/02/2026)

(Full fee € 1 770)

 


TIMING & LOCATION

  • Live Online (CET): Zoom sessions between 9 AM and 5 PM CET (Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris time).

  • Live Online (EST): Zoom sessions between 8 AM and 4 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time).

  • Face-to-Face: Held at the Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport (Da Vincilaan 4, 1831 Brussels), between 9 AM and 5 PM CET. Preferential hotel rates available for participants.

All practical details will be shared upon registration. For any questions, please contact Margherita Mutto or call +32 472 03 11 38 .

 

GROUP DISCOUNTS

Team discounts can be offered to 2 or more delegates from the same company.

Email Annelies Swaan, Director Business Operations, for more details. 

 

HOW TO REGISTER

  • Click the green “Register” button on your preferred course session.
    The registration wizard will guide you through the process.

  • Alternatively, download the offline registration form and send the completed form to Annelies Swaan.

 

PAYMENT OPTIONS

  • Credit Card: You’ll receive a secure payment link with your invoice (no immediate payment required).

  • Bank Transfer: Details provided with your invoice.

For help with registration, email Annelies Swaan or contact her by phone at +32 486 98 52 49.

 

INCLUDED IN THE REGISTRATION FEE

  • Access to a highly interactive, small-group online course (max 20 participants)

  • Course materials in both digital and hard copy format

  • Certificate of attendance signed by the experts and CELforPharma

 

VAT INFORMATION

Prices exclude VAT. VAT application depends on course format and your location:

  • Face-to-Face in Belgium: 21% Belgian VAT applies

  • Live online courses & self-study programme: The applicable VAT depends on your invoicing address. Contact your local VAT office for refund procedures where applicable.

 

TRANSFER & CANCELLATION POLICY

Flexible Transfer

If a registrant is unable to attend the scheduled course, they can avoid any cancellation charges by providing a suitable replacement participant.

Alternatively, the registrant may transfer once, on a 'space-available' basis and at no extra cost, to another course of the same value held within one year of the original course date, provided this is done at least three weeks prior to the event.

Registration Cancellation

  • Less than 14 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay the full invoiced registration fee.

  • Between 15 and 30 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay 50% of the invoiced registration fee.

  • More than 30 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay a cancellation fee of € 450 per registrant.

If a registrant postpones their participation to a future course and subsequently cancels again, no refund will be issued for the registration fees.
 

As this is the first session of the "Essentials of Statistical Thinking for Medical Affairs" course, there are no testimonials available yet.

People attending this course are typically also interested in the below courses. 

Need help to find the right course? Email Inge Cornelis (Director, Client & Product Projects) or call +32 473 65 15 77

Do you want to upskill your team?

We can organise this training in-company (face-to-face or live online) and customise it to your specific focus and needs.

Fill in the below form and Inge Cornelis, Director of Client & Product Projects, will contact you with further information.
 

Course Details

Dates & Locations

16 October 2025

Live online (CET timing)

Register

11 March 2026

Live online (CET timing)

Register

Upcoming Session

16 October 2025, Live online (CET timing)

Full Fee € 1 670 Prices are excl. VAT

THE CONTENT

Medical Affairs professionals are expected to confidently interpret and communicate data from medical studies, yet most have never received formal statistical training.

This course offers a clear and practical introduction to statistical thinking tailored to the needs of Medical Affairs. You will learn the essential principles behind statistical analysis, develop the ability to critically assess the validity and relevance of study findings, and gain techniques to clearly communicate statistical results in a medical context.

By linking statistical thinking to real-world examples from medical research, this course helps you engage more effectively with data and extract the insights that matter.

If you want to better understand the statistics behind medical studies and contribute more effectively to internal and external discussions, this course is an essential investment!
 


THE EXPERT

Dr Kristof Theys specialises in health economic modelling, decision support tools, and real-world clinical data analyses within market access and medical affairs.

  • Health Economics and Data Science Manager at Kintiga, a consultancy focused on accelerating patient access to innovative medicines, devices, and diagnostics.

  • He holds an MSc in Bioinformatics and a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from KU Leuven and has an academic background in clinical and epidemiological virology.
     


THE AUDIENCE & INTERACTIVE LEARNING FORMAT

This introductory course is designed for all Medical Affairs professionals who must read, interpret, or communicate the results of medical studies and scientific publications as part of their role.

The learning format is expert-led and highly engaging, offering direct access to a seasoned statistical specialist. Through real-time discussions and practical examples from medical affairs, you’ll explore how statistical concepts apply in everyday scenarios. You’ll also benefit from peer learning, exchanging experiences and insights with fellow participants from across the industry.
 

  1. Understanding and correctly interpreting key statistical concepts and terms used in medical studies.

  2. How to critically evaluate the statistical methodology that has been used in a medical study.

  3. Avoiding common errors and misinterpretations that could lead to flawed conclusions.

  4. Key considerations for clinical and RWE studies, including time-to-event analysis and meta-analysis.

  5. Effectively communicating statistical findings by transforming data into clear, meaningful narratives using best practices in visual data presentation.

Course agenda

 

 

 

Welcome & Introduction (~15 min)
Importance of Statistics for Medical Affairs and Key Concepts (~1 h)
  • Why critically appraising statistics in medical studies is a must (with examples)
  • Data types and their relationship with statistical methods
  • Fundamental concepts and terminology (e.g. descriptive statistics, sampling, variables, p-value….)
Assessing Study Design, Biases, Confounding, Sampling and Randomisation (~1 h)
  • Identifying the study design and what this means for the interpretation of statistical findings
  • Common types of bias and confounding, and how they are corrected for
  • The different sampling and randomisation techniques and their implications
Evaluating the Building Blocks of Statistical Significance (~1 h)
  • Making sense of distributions and their implications
  • The different statistical tests and why a particular test is used
  • Understanding p-values and error types I & II, and their corrections
Lunch Break
Interpreting Relationships, Associations, Correlations, and Predictions Correctly (~1 h)
  • Understanding association, correlation and causation
  • Introduction to the regression family and why a particular method is used in a study
  • Understanding the use and meaning of risk and odds ratios
Typical Applications and Considerations in Clinical Studies and RWE Studies (~1 h)
  • Time-to-event outcome analysis
  • Meta-analysis and indirect treatment comparisons
  • Differentiating statistical from clinical significance
Communicating Statistical Insights: Turning Numbers Into Narratives (~45 min)
  • Best practices for impactful graphs, charts, and tables
  • Common pitfalls in interpreting statistics
  • Presenting statistics in a medical context
Final Q&A (~15 min)

 

Download Brochure

 

Complete the below form to download the full course brochure. It outlines the detailed agenda, learning outcomes, expert info and some testimonials from past participants.

 

 

UPCOMING DATES & FORMATS - FEES

16 October 2025

Live online (CET timing)

Full Fee € 1 670

11 March 2026

Live online (CET timing)

Early bird € 1 570

(until 06/02/2026)

(Full fee € 1 770)

 


TIMING & LOCATION

  • Live Online (CET): Zoom sessions between 9 AM and 5 PM CET (Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris time).

  • Live Online (EST): Zoom sessions between 8 AM and 4 PM EST (Eastern Standard Time).

  • Face-to-Face: Held at the Crowne Plaza Brussels Airport (Da Vincilaan 4, 1831 Brussels), between 9 AM and 5 PM CET. Preferential hotel rates available for participants.

All practical details will be shared upon registration. For any questions, please contact Margherita Mutto or call +32 472 03 11 38 .

 

GROUP DISCOUNTS

Team discounts can be offered to 2 or more delegates from the same company.

Email Annelies Swaan, Director Business Operations, for more details. 

 

HOW TO REGISTER

  • Click the green “Register” button on your preferred course session.
    The registration wizard will guide you through the process.

  • Alternatively, download the offline registration form and send the completed form to Annelies Swaan.

 

PAYMENT OPTIONS

  • Credit Card: You’ll receive a secure payment link with your invoice (no immediate payment required).

  • Bank Transfer: Details provided with your invoice.

For help with registration, email Annelies Swaan or contact her by phone at +32 486 98 52 49.

 

INCLUDED IN THE REGISTRATION FEE

  • Access to a highly interactive, small-group online course (max 20 participants)

  • Course materials in both digital and hard copy format

  • Certificate of attendance signed by the experts and CELforPharma

 

VAT INFORMATION

Prices exclude VAT. VAT application depends on course format and your location:

  • Face-to-Face in Belgium: 21% Belgian VAT applies

  • Live online courses & self-study programme: The applicable VAT depends on your invoicing address. Contact your local VAT office for refund procedures where applicable.

 

TRANSFER & CANCELLATION POLICY

Flexible Transfer

If a registrant is unable to attend the scheduled course, they can avoid any cancellation charges by providing a suitable replacement participant.

Alternatively, the registrant may transfer once, on a 'space-available' basis and at no extra cost, to another course of the same value held within one year of the original course date, provided this is done at least three weeks prior to the event.

Registration Cancellation

  • Less than 14 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay the full invoiced registration fee.

  • Between 15 and 30 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay 50% of the invoiced registration fee.

  • More than 30 days prior to the course date: The registrant is liable to pay a cancellation fee of € 450 per registrant.

If a registrant postpones their participation to a future course and subsequently cancels again, no refund will be issued for the registration fees.
 

As this is the first session of the "Essentials of Statistical Thinking for Medical Affairs" course, there are no testimonials available yet.

Do you want to upskill your team?

We can organise this training in-company (face-to-face or live online) and customise it to your specific focus and needs.

Fill in the below form and Inge Cornelis, Director of Client & Product Projects, will contact you with further information.
 

Dates & Locations

16 October 2025

Live online (CET timing)

Register

11 March 2026

Live online (CET timing)

Register