Specifications: Full Time. Contract until 27 December 2017
Location: any Western Europe location considered, Copenhagen, Denmark or Freiburg, Germany, preferred
Application Closing Date: 18 November

This is a challenging and interesting opportunity for a front-end developer to contribute to a non-profit organisation with a social mission to improve health care for everyone.

Job description: You will be based in Cochrane’s Informatics and Knowledge Management Team, and you will have key responsibility for our browser based review writing software: a modern web application being built on AngularJS, and the centre piece to Cochrane’s new review production ecosystem.

Requirements: We are looking for a solution-focused individual with experience developing front-end web applications in JavaScript using AngularJS or similar frameworks. Experience developing performant cross-browser and cross-device applications using responsive design is strongly preferred. Our ideal candidate also has experience in unit-testing front-end code and is aware of user experience best practices.

About Cochrane: Cochrane is a global independent network of health practitioners, researchers, patient advocates and others, responding to the challenge of making the vast amounts of evidence generated through research useful for informing decisions about health. We do this by identifying, appraising and synthesizing individual research findings to produce the best available evidence on what can work, what might harm and where more research is needed.

Our work is recognised as the international gold standard for high quality, trusted information. We want to be the leading advocate for evidence-informed health care across the world.  

Applying: If you would like to apply for this position, please send a CV along with a supporting statement to recruitment@cochrane.org with “Web Applications Developer” in the subject line.  The supporting statement should indicate why you are applying for the post, and how far you meet the requirements for the post outlined in the job description using specific examples.  List your experience, achievements, knowledge, personal qualities and skills which you feel are relevant to the post.

For further information, please see the full job description, or contact Gert van Valkenhoef, gvanvalkenhoef@cochrane.org, IT Development Manager.

Thursday, October 20, 2016 Category: Jobs

Cochrane is looking for skilled and experienced methodologists, researchers, and editors to form a Scientific Committee - an independent forum providing guidance to the Editor in Chief to ensure that Cochrane Reviews always represent the best methodological practice in evidence synthesis.

Cochrane Reviews are used to inform healthcare and health policy internationally. It is therefore imperative that they consistently and reliably use the most appropriate and scientifically validated methods. In the fast-moving field of evidence synthesis, Cochrane needs to identify and assess new methods and related developments, such as the rise in the use of technology to perform core tasks. The Scientific Committee will receive the support of the Cochrane Library Editor in Chief, along with other Cochrane Groups and committees.

For further information on the role of the Scientific Committee and membership criteria, please see the application form. Deadline for applications is Friday 25th November 2016. A selection panel with both Cochrane and non-Cochrane members will choose the most appropriate people and create a balanced Committee structure to fulfil its remit.  

For further information or informal enquiries please contact Jackie Chandler (Methods Co-ordinator) jchandler@cochrane.org

Tuesday, October 18, 2016 Category: Jobs

Positive effects of educational interventions on improving patient knowledge of sickle cell disease and reducing depression

Sickle cell disease is a lifelong, inherited disorder which can cause a number of complications throughout an individual's life. It may cause a huge burden on both the patient and their family, including frequent visits to healthcare facilities. The illness causes not just physical complications such as painful crises and strokes, but may have many other effects such as depression, poor quality of life, coping issues, and poor family relationships. When people with a chronic illness have better understanding about their illness, they manage their illness better and can improve their quality of life.

A team of Cochrane authors based in Barbados and Jamaica, supported by Cochrane Caribbean,  worked with Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders to determine if any educational interventions have helped people with sickle cell disease and their caregivers to improve their understanding of the disease, recognize its complications, improve their adherence to treatment, affect how they utilize health care, and improve other social and psychological problems that they might face. Their review includes 12 trials involving a total of 563 people with the disease, aged 6-35 years of age.

Educational programs and other interventions resulted in improvements in both patients’ and their caregivers’ knowledge or understanding of sickle cell disease, and a decrease in the patients’ levels of depression. Effects on patients' knowledge were maintained for longer than for caregivers. The interventions studied showed no effect on patients' utilization of health services, relationships between families, caregiver or patient skills, coping, or health-related quality of life of the patient. No comparative data were reported for patients or caregivers (or both) recognizing signs and symptoms leading to self-management. No trials assessed adherence to treatment.

“This review identifies important positive effects of educational interventions on improving patients’ knowledge of their sickle cell disease and reducing their depression. Improvements in patients' knowledge were maintained for longer than for caregivers. The effect on knowledge was significant but small, and whether it offers any clinical benefit is uncertain,” says Dr. Monika R Asnani (an author with Cochrane Caribbean) of the Sickle Cell Unit at the Caribbean Institute for Health Research, University of the West Indies and co-lead author of the Cochrane Review. “Significant factors limiting these effects could be trials recruiting low numbers of participants and there was much variation between studies. To better study effects on outcomes, further controlled trials are needed with rigorous attention given to improving recruitment and retention and to decrease bias.”

Read the full Cochrane Review

Visit the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group website

Visit  the Cochrane Caribbean website

Monday, October 17, 2016

 The International Infection Prevention week is the 3rd full week in October every year - a good time to share some of our relevant Cochrane evidence.

Blogs

Central venous catheters: latest evidence for nursing practice on Evidently Cochrane

Replacing peripheral venous catheters: have you ditched the routine? on Evidently Cochrane

Getting evidence into nursing practice: replacing the routine on Evidently Cochrane

Vaccines for Preventing Rotavirus Diarrhoea: Vaccines in Use on  Cochrane Child Health blog

Tweetchat

There is a @WeNurses chat on Thursday 20th October at 8pm BST on the use of gloves & aprons for infection prevention & the (lack of) evidence. It’s guest hosted by two infection specialist nurses and will use the hashtag #wenurses. Details here.

Blogshots

Click on the title or image to go to the full Cochrane Review.

Vaccines for preventing rotavirus diarrhea: vacines in use

Gloves for preventing percutaneous exposure injuries in healthcare workers

Personal protective equipment for preventing infection in healthcare workers

 Hand washing for preventing diarrhoea

 Dressings for central venous catheters

 How often should central venous access device dressings be changed?

 Gloves, gowns and masks for preventing transmission of MRSA in hospital

 Pre-operative showering or bathing

Antimicrobial dressings for newborns with CVCs

When to replace peripheral venous catheters

Antimicrobial coated central venous catheters to reduce infections

Timing of IV prophylactic antibiotics for women having caesarean delivery

 Skin preparation for preventing infection following caesarean section

Antibiotic prophylaxis versus no prophylaxis for preventing infection after cesarean section

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

The 2009 Lancet series on adding value and reducing waste in research has documented that much research is wasted because its outcomes cannot be used [1]. The waste occurs during 5 stages of research production: question selection, study design, research conduct, publication, and reporting [2,3]. For each of design, publication, and reporting there is a "loss" of around 50%, which implies a total waste of at least 85%. This translates into an estimated global loss of around $170 billion per year. Much of this waste appears to be avoidable or remediable, but there is little recognition of the need to develop and implement the needed remedies.

The Cochrane-REWARD prize will highlight both underused "remedies" and the need to invest in research to identify problems and solutions to them. Cochrane is now calling for nominations for the 2017 prize.

More information on the prize and how to submit a nomination

1. Chalmers I, Glasziou P. Avoidable waste in the production and reporting of research evidence. Lancet. 2009 Jul 4;374(9683):86-9.
2. Macleod MR, Michie S, Roberts I, et al. Biomedical research: increasing value, reducing waste. Lancet. 2014 Jan 11;383(9912):101-4.
3. Glasziou P, Altman DG, Bossuyt P, et al. Reducing waste from incomplete or unusable reports of biomedical research. Lancet. 2014 Jan 18;383(9913):267-76.

Tuesday, October 18, 2016

Following the loss of funding in support of their work, Frans and Anja Helmerhorst have decided to retire from their roles as the Co-ordinating and Managing Editors of the Fertility Regulation Group. We thank them for their contribution to Cochrane over many years and wish them both well in their retirement.

We are therefore looking for a new home for the Fertility Regulation Group: covering systematic reviews of contraception and abortion. The current portfolio of the
Group includes 77 completed reviews, 13 published protocols and 4 titles. Information on the work of the group can be found on its website: http://fertility-regulation.cochrane.org. Carol Manion, who is currently the group’s Trials Search Co-ordinator is willing to stay on in support of the group.

We will accept application from within existing Cochrane groups and beyond, but applicant groups should be aware of the following requirements:

1. The group should be led by someone who has experience of authoring and editing Cochrane Reviews and also has relevant content expertise,
2. The group will need to demonstrate that it has secure funding for its activities for at least 3 years, or a high prospect of being able to secure this.
3. Core members of the team will include one or more lead editor (“Co-ordinating Editor”), Managing Editor (ME) and Trials Search Coordinator (TSC). Both the ME and TSC should either have relevant skills and expertise, or experience of working in these roles within a CRG, or preferably both (see here).  
4. The Co-ordinating Editor and her/his institution will be required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Cochrane, and will need to be able to demonstrate capacity to deliver at least 0.1 FTE availability / week, and preferably more.
5. The ME and TSC will need to be able to contribute at least 0.5 FTE availability per week each, and must both be funded for their Cochrane activities.
6. The group will need to develop an editorial board, but current members of the board may be willing to continue in the role, on request (see here).

Guidance on setting up a CRG can be found in the Cochrane Organisational Policy Manual but please note that this content is currently being updated.

Potential applicants should familiarise themselves with Cochrane’s commercial sponsorship and conflict of interest policies  and the current core activities of a Cochrane Review Group.

Individuals or groups who are interested to explore this are welcome to speak with Frans Helmerhorst, outgoing Co-ordinating Editor (f.m.helmerhorst@lumc.nl) or David Tovey, Editor in Chief (dtovey@cochrane.org).

To apply please send a cover letter detailing the responses to the numbered bullet points above, and a short Curriculum Vitae of prospective Co-ordinating Editors, Managing Editors and Trials Search Coordinators to David Tovey. The closing date for applications is 30th November 2016.

Friday, October 14, 2016 Category: Jobs

After nine years’ service as Co-ordinating Editor and Deputy Co-ordinating Editor for the Cochrane Colorectal Cancer Group (CCCG), Rick Nelson has decided to step down. We are grateful to Rick for his contribution to Cochrane over this period as an editor and author.

We are now looking to appoint one or more new Co-ordinating Editor(s) to provide leadership of the Group. This is an important opportunity to lead and shape the future development of a strategically important area of Cochrane’s healthcare evidence coverage. The appointment is timely in the context of discussions about the structure and function of Cochrane’s Review Groups. Currently the Group’s scope also covers other abdominal surgery-related topics, including hernia and appendicitis, in addition to the detection, treatment and monitoring of colorectal cancer. The scope and therefore the name of the Review Group are open for discussion with the incoming Co-ordinating Editor.

The CCCG portfolio of reviews includes 168 active reviews and 37 protocols. On average, reviews published by the Group in 2014 and 2015 were cited 7.5 times.

Applications are welcomed from individuals based in any country. We invite applications from within existing Cochrane Groups and beyond, and also individuals interested in a job share. Applicants should be aware of the following requirements:

1.    The Co-ordinating Editor(s) must have

• Experience of authoring Cochrane or alternative high quality systematic reviews
• Clinical expertise, either as a surgeon or oncologist
• Methodology expertise in the field of evidence synthesis, including risk of bias and GRADEassessments

2.    The following attributes are desirable

• Experience of editing Cochrane reviews or equivalent
• Advanced methodological skills and knowledge

3.    There is no funding available from Cochrane to support this post. Henning Keinke Andersen, the Group’s Managing Editor, and Sys Johnsen, the Information Specialist, are both based in Copenhagen, and have indicated that they are willing to continue in their roles. If the incoming Co-ordinating Editor wishes to introduce new staff members, she/he will need to demonstrate that secure funding to support these positions is available for at least 3 years, or there is a high prospect of being able to secure this.

4.    The Co-ordinating Editor(s) will be required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Cochrane, and will need to be able to demonstrate capacity to deliver at least 1 full day or equivalent availability per week, and to attend regional and international Cochrane editorial meetings. It is desirable that the Co-ordinating Editor’s host institution is also a signatory of the MOU.

5.    The current members of the Editorial Board have indicated their willingness to continue in the role. However, the incoming Co-ordinating Editor may seek to strengthen the Board through recruiting additional members (see here).

Potential applicants should familiarise themselves with Cochrane’s commercial sponsorship and conflict of interest policies and the current expectations of a Cochrane Review Group.

Individuals who are interested to explore this opportunity are welcome to speak with David Tovey, Editor-in-Chief (dtovey@cochrane.org).

To apply, please send a cover letter detailing the responses to the numbered bullet points above, and a short Curriculum Vitae to David Tovey. The closing date for applications is 30th November.

Friday, October 14, 2016 Category: Jobs

The Cochrane Library iPad edition presents the latest up-to-date evidence from the Cochrane Library in a convenient, easy to navigate format which provides you with relevant, accessible research, when you need it, from the world’s leading experts in evidence-informed health care.



Our monthly issues feature a hand-picked selection of Cochrane Systematic Reviews, specifically abridged to provide the best possible iPad reading experience. The themed sections in every issue are colour-coded throughout so that you can easily find content relevant to you. The Bookmark feature allows you to create your own special collection of Cochrane Reviews across issues. Additionally, the title page for every review includes a link to the full version of the review available on the Cochrane Library at www.cochranelibrary.com.

All content in the app is free, and new issues will download regularly to your Newsstand.

Download the app from iTunes, or contact CochraneApp@wiley.com to receive iPad edition announcements via e-mail or for technical support.

Friday, October 14, 2016

You can make a difference as a citizen scientist

Cochrane Crowd, Cochrane’s new citizen science platform, is a global community made up of volunteers who are helping to identify the research needed to support informed decision-making about healthcare treatments. Cochrane Crowd has reached 900,000 individual classifications of reports of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) eligible for Cochrane’s Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), helping Cochrane Review authors around the world to find the evidence they need for their reviews. Every contribution counts – and we’d like your help reaching one million classifications before the year is done.
 


Just 60 seconds a day can make a difference
In the last 20 years research output has grown exponentially, making it really difficult to keep up with the evidence. As a Cochrane citizen scientist, you would be helping us to identify and describe the research that may be very important in helping us to determine whether a treatment works, or whether a diagnostic test is accurate.

No previous experience required, you can start now or read some frequently asked questions.

Together we can reach 1 million classifications screened!

Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Cochrane’s Steering Group and Senior Management Team invite you to attend the Annual General Meeting (“AGM”) on Tuesday 25 October 2016. The meeting will be held at the Grand Hilton Seoul, at the 24th Cochrane Colloquium in Seoul, Republic of Korea.
 
Cochrane is a registered charity in the United Kingdom and must adhere to the legal requirements governing UK charities; one of these requirements is to hold an annual meeting of members. Currently, Cochrane’s members are its registered Groups (entities): Centres, Fields, Methods Groups, and Review Groups; and one person from each Group is expected to attend the AGM.

The full list of business to be conducted at this AGM-special session is set out in the Agenda together with the attachments to the Agenda.
 
Item 14 on the Agenda is an open discussion, during which any attendee at the AGM will have the opportunity to ask members of the Steering Group and Central Executive’s senior management any question about the organization, its strategic direction, management, and funding. To facilitate discussion, attendees are encouraged to submit their questions in advance using the designated Colloquium website form. Any member of the Cochrane community who is not attending the AGM or Colloquium is also invited to submit questions here and they will either be answered at the meeting, time permitting, or in writing following the meeting.

This is not your only opportunity to ask questions of Cochrane’s leadership. There will be an informal lunch meeting hosted by the Steering Group Co-Chairs Lisa Bero and Cindy Farquhar and CEO Mark Wilson from 13:00 -13:50 on 25 October, to which Colloquium attendees are cordially invited. This will provide another, more informal opportunity for engagement.

Thursday, October 13, 2016

Cochrane Colloquia are our annual flagship events, bringing together Cochrane contributors from around the world to discuss, develop and promote Cochrane, and help shape its future.

The 2016 Cochrane Colloquium will be held in Seoul, South Korea from 23-27 October. For full information regarding the Colloquium, please visit the website.

• Key information
• Latest news
• Plenaries, speakers and symposia

Key information:

• Programme overview: colloquium.cochrane.org/programme-overview
• Registration fees: colloquium.cochrane.org/registration-fees
• Key dates: colloquium.cochrane.org/key-dates
• Website: colloquium.cochrane.org
• Hashtag: #CochraneSeoul

Latest news:

• Sign-up for the Anne Anderson Walk
  The walk around Gyeongbokgung (Gyoengbok Palace) is a fundraising event for the Anne Anderson Award fund. The walk is on Wednesday 26 October at 14:30. The tour guides have been provided gratis. If you would like to sign-up for the walk, you can do so here. To donate to the award fund, click here.

• 2016 Annual General Meeting
  Cochrane’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Tuesday 25 October, at the Colloquium. Find out more, here.

• Sign-up now open for the full Colloquium schedule
  Sign-up for all the sessions you want to attend and create your own personal schedule for the Colloquium! You can also export the schedule to your online calendar. We'll be launching the Colloquium app in early October that will sync with your personal schedule. Details of the poster sessions are being finalised now and will be available from 21 September. 

• Very limited room availability at the Grand Hilton
  As of 25 August, we have been advised that very few rooms are available. We have removed the online reservation page - please contact the Hilton directly (via reservation.grandseoul@hilton.com 
   or T +82-2-2287-8428) to check if there are any rooms available.

Plenary 1: Overdiagnosis and overtreatment in health care

In this session, the role of evidence-based health care and systematic reviews in limiting overdiagnosis and oversue will be discussed, including realignment of disease definition; quantification and monitoring of overdiagnosis; sensitisation of health professionals and patients; provision of balanced information on risk and benefits intervention; and the implications for Cochrane.

Speakers:

• Alexandra Barratt, Professor of Public Health, School of Public Health, University of Sydney

• Rita F. Redberg, Editor, JAMA Internal Medicine. Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, San Francisco

• Jenny Doust, Professor of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond University

Plenary 2: Challenges and different approaches to improve the quality, timeliness and usability of Cochrane Reviews

The speakers in the plenary session have been asked to describe their experiences in making challenging decisions regarding the quality and usability of Cochrane reviews. Different perspectives and lively debate will be sought with particular focus on potential initiatives that are being explored and are consistent with the CEU vision for high quality and timely Cochrane Reviews that meets the needs of end-users and informs clinical care and health policy.

Speakers:

• James Thomas, Project Transform, Cochrane. Director of the EPPI-Centre’s Reviews Facility, Department of Health, England

• Karla Soares-Weiser, Deputy Editor in Chief, Cochrane Library & Cochrane Innovations

• Marguerite Koster, External Member, Cochrane Steering Group

• Harriet MacLehose, Senior Editor, Cochrane Library

• Claire Glenton, Director, Cochrane Norway

Plenary 3: Data transparency: where are we and what can we get?

Pressure to increase transparency of data in clinical research is growing as scientific academies, regulatory agencies, funders and international organisations join the call for more data transparency. In this session, recent issues in the open data movement, data access policies and its impact on health care are discussed. Some examples of the impact of lack of transparency in East Asia will highlighted.

Speakers:

• Kay Dickersin, Director, Cochrane United States. Director, Johns Hopkins Center for Clinical Trials & Evidence Synthesis

• Byung Joo Park, Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine

• Lesley Stewart, Director, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination, University of York

• Rintaro Mori, Director, Cochrane Japan. Head of Department National Center for Child Health and Department of Clinical Epidemiology

Annual Cochrane Lecture: Four challenges for EBM and Cochrane’s future

Since the term evidence based medicine (EBM) was coined over 20 years ago it has had a remarkable global influence. But EBM is not a static set of concepts, set in stone tablets in the 1990s; it is a young and evolving discipline. The fundamental concept of systematic reviews – providing a periodic summary of all controlled trials to aid clinical care – may have changed little since the birth of Cochrane. However, how to best provide and apply these in practice continues to develop.

In this year’s Cochrane Lecture, Paul Glasziou will propose four areas requiring renewed or ongoing attention:

1. Improve dialogue between “evidologists” and clinicians
2. Treatment is the patient’s decision: support and promote shared decision making
3. Take non-drug interventions as seriously as pharmaceuticals
4. Sustain investment in automating evidence synthesis 

Speaker:

• Paul Glasziou, Professor, Evidence-Based Medicine at Bond University; Chair, International Society for Evidence-Based Health Care

#CochraneTech Symposium: The new ecosystem for evidence synthesis

Cochrane’s technological innovations are set to transform the way evidence for health is created and used. Join us at the #CochraneTech Symposium in Seoul to discover first-hand the emerging Cochrane ecosystem for evidence synthesis.

We’re preparing an exciting morning of talks and discussion centred around how Cochrane is using its technology to help both prepare systematic reviews more efficiently but also better deliver outputs to our end-users. The #CochraneTech Symposium is the premier event for those interested in the application and integration of existing and emerging technologies in the production of Cochrane systematic reviews and evidence synthesis in health care.

Since the inaugural #CochraneTech Symposium in Québec City in 2013 several ambitious technological strategies have been pursued by Cochrane, and we welcome you to join us in exploring this new ecosystem for evidence synthesis.

Methods Symposium: Living Systematic Reviews: Methods, Opportunities and Challenges

Living systematic reviews, as online summaries of healthcare research that are updated as new research becomes available, offer exciting possibilities in the new evidence ecosystem. Momentum is building around the living systematic review concept: a number of approaches are being piloted and Cochrane is at the forefront of these efforts. Living systematic reviews differ from traditional systematic reviews in several ways that have important implications for review methods and processes, affecting authors, editors and publishers. 

At this interactive symposium, we will explore what living systematic reviews actually are and their implications for Cochrane. Participants will hear from those who have been piloting living systematic review methods and will be invited to contribute their expertise as we explore the implications of LSRs for review methods and review production processes, plus the enablers within Cochrane to support their introduction.

Knowledge Translation (KT) Symposium

In 2016 Cochrane is embarking on the development of a Knowledge Translation (KT) Strategy, which will inform, facilitate and coordinate KT activities within Cochrane. We hope this strategy will scope knowledge translation activities for Cochrane, build on the Strategy to 2020 goals and provide a framework and co-ordination to support those who are undertaking knowledge translation activities in Cochrane. This framework will guide our knowledge translation work and ensure quality of outputs. We hope to establish mechanisms for better coordination of knowledge translation work within Cochrane so that organisational learning in this area flows through Cochrane.

In this symposium we will be presenting the current draft of Cochrane’s KT strategy. There will be brief presentations on the work around the strategy, an opportunity for discussion and input into further development of the strategy and the implementation plans accompanying it and what it will mean for knowledge translation in Cochrane.

Look forward to seeing you in Seoul in October!

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Successful two-day workshop increases awareness of evidence-based medicine and Cochrane

The Kazan Federal University, the home of Cochrane Russia, hosted a two-day workshop on the first step of conducting a systematic review; from registering the title to drafting the protocol. The workshop was intended for health professionals, researchers, academics, and teachers, willing to commit to development of Cochrane systematic reviews as authors or peer reviewers, and to Cochrane activities in Russia.

The event was a great success, with 15 graduating the two-day course and significant media coverage of the event and Cochrane’s work. Several news and TV stations covered the event, helping to increase the profile of Cochrane in Russia and inform the general public about the importance of evidence-based medicine.

Selected news coverage:
•    В КФУ прошла уникальная для России школа доказательной медицины Кокрейн
•    В  "Прессуха Медиа Служба"
•    В новостном блоке  сайта КФУ
•    Новости КФУ от 08.09.2016
•    UniverSmotri

Tuesday, October 11, 2016

A round-up of selected recent coverage citing, discussing, and presenting health evidence - updated throughout the month.

 

 

News-Medical.Net featured an interview with Cochrane Reviewer and discusses the Cochrane approach to evidence and recent evidence on Vitamin D for asthma attacks.

Cochrane contributor Hilda Bastian blogs on PLoS in memory of longtime Cochrane contributor Andrew Herxheimer and shares the untold story of his father, Herbert Herxheimer.

En route, Air Canada’s in-flight magazine, spotlight frequent flyer Peter Tugwell, Coordinating Editor of Cochrane Musculoskeletal.

Sexually Transmitted Infections BMJ blog post focuses on recent Cochrane Review on chlamydia.

Professor Edzard Ernst draws on Cochrane Evidence in his post on homeopathy in his post in Spector Health.

 

Article on the Vox looks at project aimed at building a foundation of critical thinking skills about health in schools.

Friday, October 7, 2016

So far this year, 90% of the 2016 WHO guidelines contain Cochrane Evidence

Cochrane exists so that healthcare decisions get better. During the past 20 years, Cochrane has helped to transform the way health decisions are made. Cochrane contributors - 37,000 from more than 130 countries - work together to produce credible, accessible health information that is free from commercial sponsorship and other conflicts of interest. Many of our contributors are world leaders in their fields - medicine, health policy, research methodology, or consumer advocacy - and our groups are situated in some of the world's most respected academic and medical institutions. Our work is recognized as representing an international gold standard for high quality, trusted information.

Cochrane has been a non-governmental organization in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2011. WHO develops global health guidelines, which are of a high methodological quality and are developed through a transparent, evidence-based decision-making process. Ensuring there is an appropriate use of evidence within these guidelines, represents one of the core functions of WHO.

The percentage of Cochrane Reviews used in WHO guidelines have been steadily raising. So far for 2016, Cochrane Reviews have been included in 90% of the WHO guidelines, which surpasses last year’s 75% inclusion rate. As of 26 September 2016, 474 reviews from Cochrane Review Groups have been used to inform 160 World Health Organization accredited guidelines and other evidence-based recommendations published between 2008 and 2016. Of the 160 WHO guidelines and other evidence-based recommendations that have used Cochrane reviews to inform their guidance, 14 have used over 10 reviews in any one guideline.

Cochrane’s partnership with WHO is helping to put our high quality evidence into guidelines that will have an impact upon health policies and clinical practise worldwide. It’s also a testament to the important and hard work that many in the Cochrane community are putting forward.

Thursday, October 6, 2016

Monash University Mental Health and General Practice is seeking a Research Fellow (Evidence Review)

Closing date: 22 November

Job No: 552703
Faculty/Portfolio:
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences
School of Primary Health Care
Department of General Practice
Location: Notting Hill
Employment Type: Part-time (0.8)
Duration: 12 month fixed-term appointment
Remuneration:
Pro-rata of $62,271 - $84,513 pa Level A PhD
(plus 9.5% employer superannuation)

For complete information on the position and how to apply, please see the full posting on the Monash website.

Tuesday, November 22, 2016 Category: Jobs

Bringing you Cochrane evidence in 13 different languages
 
Making Cochrane evidence accessible to non-English speakers is a priority for us. More than 4,000 translations of Cochrane Review plain language summaries/abstracts have been published so far this year. Translation activities are led by local Cochrane groups and their translator communities, the majority of which are volunteer based. Due to the length of Cochrane Reviews, our teams focus on the abstract and or the Plain Language Summary.
 
Find Cochrane evidence in different languages: Cochrane evidence is currently translated into 13 languages: Croatian, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, Tamil and Traditional Chinese. Each language has its own version of cochrane.org; you can view translations by clicking on the languages that appear across the top of each page.

Cochrane Podcasts in different language: Cochrane podcasts offer a short summary of a recent Cochrane review and have been recorded in 33 languages.
 
Most translated Reviews: The links below will take you to the English language version of our most translated Reviews. Languages these Reviews have been translated into are listed across the top of the page. To read the Review in another language, simply click on the language and it will take you to the translation.
· Interventions for preventing obesity in children
· Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation and reduction
· Vitamin C for preventing and treating the common cold
· Continuous support for women during childbirth
 
Our translation achievements for the first half of 2016 in an infographic:

Monday, November 21, 2016

National government initiatives have the potential to achieve population-wide reduction in salt intake

In almost all countries worldwide, most people eat too much salt. This can cause high blood pressure, which can lead to health problems, such as heart disease and stroke. To reduce the amount of salt eaten, governments in many countries have developed national salt reduction initiatives. These initiatives may be individually oriented, such as providing education about salt, or structurally oriented, to improve or offset the deficiencies which prevent people from obtaining food with lower salt. As the number of population-based initiatives to reduce salt rise worldwide, it is important for policy-makers to identify which population-level intervention are impactful and cost-effective.

A team of Cochrane authors based in Australia and Canada worked with Cochrane Public Health to examine whether national salt reduction initiatives have been effective in reducing the amount of salt consumed in those populations. Fifteen national initiatives including more than 260,0000 people were included, with 10 initiatives providing sufficient date for quantitative analysis. These were mostly conducted in high-income countries. The quality of the data was rated to be very low given the nature of the interventions does not lend to using controlled study design.

Population-level interventions in government jurisdictions for dietary sodium reduction have the potential to result in population-wide reductions in salt intake from pre-intervention to post-intervention, particularly if they have more than one intervention activity and incorporate interventions of a structural nature (e.g. large-scale efforts to lower the salt content of food products at the time of production), and particularly amongst men. Implementation of future initiatives should embed more effective means of evaluation to help us better understand the variation in the effects.

This Cochrane Review excluded a larger number of national salt reduction strategies because the data lacked pre and/or post data points which are needed to examine the impact of the intervention. There were 15 included initiatives in the review but with a wide variation in the elements they included, as well as the quality of evidence in their evaluation. For these reasons, it is difficult to interpret the current evidence and warrants more research. This review provides some evidence that national sodium reduction initiatives that are multi-component and include activities of a structural nature, such as policies to lower the salt levels in food in specific settings, appear to be more effective than single-component initiatives, such as information campaigns.

Read the full Cochrane Review

Visit the Cochrane Public Health website

Friday, October 7, 2016

Cochrane podcasts deliver the latest Cochrane evidence in an easy to access audio format, allowing you to stay up to date on newly published reviews wherever you are.

Each Cochrane podcast offers a short summary of a recent Cochrane review from the authors themselves. They have been recorded in 33 languages and are brief, allowing everyone from healthcare professionals to patients and families to hear the latest Cochrane evidence in under five minutes.

You can view and search our entire catalogue of hundreds of podcasts or subscribe via iTunes for the latest updates.

Whether you listen in your office, on your daily commute or even in the bath, Cochrane podcasts offer a quick and easy way to keep up with the latest evidence from the Cochrane Library.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

 "What are systematic reviews?"

If you’re a Cochrane contributor and have ever attempted to explain Cochrane’s work to someone, chances are you’ve tried to answer this question. And if you’re reading this because you’re new to Cochrane and the work we do, you may be wondering about this too.

Thanks to a team of creative colleagues from Cochrane Consumers and Communication, we’re pleased to share a video resource which answers this question clearly and simply for people who may not be familiar with the concept of systematic reviews: what they are, how researchers prepare them, and why they’re an important part of making informed decisions about health - for everyone. You can find this video on Cochrane’s YouTube channel, and we hope you’ll share and spread the word about the importance of evidence!

• Learn more about Cochrane and our work
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Wednesday, November 7, 2018

 

"What are systematic reviews?"

If you’re a Cochrane contributor and have ever attempted to explain Cochrane’s work to someone, chances are you’ve tried to answer this question. And if you’re reading this because you’re new to Cochrane and the work we do, you may be wondering about this too.

Thanks to a team of creative colleagues from Cochrane Consumers and Communication, we’re pleased to share a video resource which answers this question clearly and simply for people who may not be familiar with the concept of systematic reviews: what they are, how researchers prepare them, and why they’re an important part of making informed decisions about health - for everyone. You can find this video on Cochrane’s YouTube channel, and we hope you’ll share and spread the word about the importance of evidence!

Tuesday, April 4, 2017