Cochrane is named in honour of Archie Cochrane, a British medical researcher who contributed greatly to the development of epidemiology as a science. 

Archie Cochrane is best known for his influential book, Effectiveness and Efficiency: Random Reflections on Health Services, published in 1972. The principles he set out in it so clearly were straightforward: he suggested that, because resources would always be limited, they should be used to provide equitably those forms of health care which had been shown in properly designed evaluations to be effective. In particular, he stressed the importance of using evidence from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) because these were likely to provide much more reliable information than other sources of evidence. Cochrane's simple propositions were soon widely recognised as seminally important - by lay people as well as by health professionals.

How can we have a rational health service if we don’t know which of the things being done in it are useful and which are useless or possibly even harmful? — Archie Cochrane

In 1979 he wrote, "It is surely a great criticism of our profession that we have not organised a critical summary, by specialty or subspecialty, adapted periodically, of all relevant randomised controlled trials." His challenge led to the establishment during the 1980s of an international collaboration to develop the Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials.

In 1987, the year before Cochrane died, he referred to a systematic review of RCTs of care during pregnancy and childbirth as "a real milestone in the history of randomized trials and in the evaluation of care", and suggested that other specialties should copy the methods used. His encouragement, and the endorsement of his views by others, led to the opening of the first Cochrane Centre (in Oxford, UK) in 1992 and the founding of  Cochrane in 1993.

Archie portrait made up of contributors pictures

Today Cochrane members and supporters come from 190 countries . We are researchers, health professionals, patients, carers, and people passionate about improving health outcomes for everyone, everywhere. Our global independent network gathers and summarizes the best evidence from research to help you make informed choices about treatment and we have been doing this for 30 years.

The 12th of January marks Archie Cochrane's birthday and it's a great opportunity to reflect on his contributions.

• Learn more about Archie Cochrane on Wikipedia
• Read BMJ Editorial 'Revisiting the value of Archie Cochrane’s contributions' by Xavier Bonfill
• Learn more about the work of Cochrane

Thursday, January 11, 2024

慢性静脉功能不全的水中疗法 关键信息 • 相较于不治疗，浸浴疗法（水中疗法）用于治疗慢性静脉功能不全（血液因无法正常回流到心脏而蓄积在脚部血管）的患者时，可能使疾病严重度轻微改善，也有机会改善疼痛与肤色改变。 • 相较于不治疗，浸浴疗法可能改善生活质量，但我们对此结果非常不确定。对于副作用、下肢溃疡或水肿（脚部浮肿）的差异很小或没有证据。 • 比较浸浴疗法和其他治疗的证据非常有限。相较于静脉药物，经历疼痛或水肿的病患数并无证据显示有差异。相较于在陆地上运动，浸浴疗法可能轻微地改善生活质量以及水肿，但针对生活质量的证据非常不确定。 什么是慢性静脉功能不全？ 慢性静脉功能不全是由血液异常输送到下肢静脉引起的疾病，这意味着静脉无法将足够的血液泵回心脏。有这个情况的人通常有弯曲且粗大的静脉，而在众多可能的症状中，最严重的就是静脉溃疡。 如何治疗慢性静脉功能不全？ 慢性静脉功能不全有多种管理选择或疗法，包括压迫（施加压力）、物理疗法、药物和手术。浸浴治疗是为慢性静脉功能不全患者提供物理治疗的一种方法。浸浴治疗是一种涉及水的传统医疗技术，通常在水疗中心进行，此疗法包括浸泡在热水、富有矿物质的矿泉水或泥浆中，它可能包括也可能不包括锻炼。 我们想知道什么？ 我们想知道浸浴治疗相对于常规照护或其他治疗方法，对患有慢性静脉功能不全的病患是否更有益 我们做了什么？ 我们对患有慢性静脉功能不全的患者，检...

比较COVID-19患者服用与未服用激素避孕药的血栓形成 综述问题 我们综述了关于激素避孕对血栓形成影响的证据，包括心脏病发作或中风，或COVID-19阳性患者发生的其他严重后果。我们想将比较使用联合形式的节育措施（含有雌激素和孕激素）的患者与不使用激素节育措施或使用仅含孕激素的避孕措施的患者进行比较。我们只找到五项符合纳入要求的研究。 研究背景 激素避孕，尤其是雌激素避孕，会增加腿部或肺部血栓形成或发生中风的几率。此外，感染COVID-19也可能造成腿部或肺部血栓。我们不确定服用激素避孕药的人如果感染COVID-19是否会增加血栓形成的几率。我们旨在进一步研究这一点，帮助使用激素避孕的人知道如果他们COVID-19阳性，他们是否应该停止或改变他们的避孕方法。 研究特征 我们纳入了截至2022年3月发表的研究。我们旨在寻找一些研究，这些研究报告了与没有使用节育措施的人相比，使用避孕药进行避孕（尤其是使用雌激素，如复方药丸）的人出现血栓、住院、亟需高水平护理（如需要呼吸管）或死于COVID-19等情况的风险。由于相关研究较少，我们还查看了一些研究，这些研究报告了一组使用节育措施的COVID-19患者出现血块的情形，但未与另一组进行比较。我们共纳入了五项研究。其中一项研究纳入18,892名受试者，该研究报告了使用联合避孕方法的COVID-19患者的死亡风险。另一项针对295,689名...

加强呼吸肌的训练对慢性阻塞性肺病患者有效吗？ 关键信息 • 运动联合呼吸肌训练可能不会改善呼吸困难、提高健康状况和生活质量。呼吸肌肌力及耐受度增加，但不足以对患者产生影响。 • 与不运动相比，呼吸肌训练可能改善呼吸困难、提高健康状况和生活质量。呼吸肌肌力及耐受度增加，但不清楚这是否对患者有益。 •对于训练了数周的呼吸肌无力的患者来说，运动或特定呼吸肌的训练，不清楚二者谁更好。 • 未来的研究应侧重于呼吸肌无力的患者以及纳入更多的受试者。 什么是慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）? 慢性阻塞性肺疾病（Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD）是一种以气道阻塞为特征的肺部疾病，它会导致呼吸急促和咳嗽。好发于长期吸入香烟烟雾、化学药品等刺激性气体的患者。训练和呼吸肌的强化被认为可以改善呼吸情况并减少空气阻塞。 COPD患者使用什么运动疗法？ 卫生专业人员使用各种训练来帮助改善患者的COPD。 • 有些患者进行一般训练和教育课程以帮助减轻症状，并提高他们的运动能力和生活质量。 • 有些患者则试图通过使用特定设备进行一系列呼吸训练来提高呼吸肌的力量和耐力。这称为“吸气肌训练”（inspiratory muscle training, IMT）。这些设备增加了呼吸阻力，以加强横膈膜和肋骨之间的肋间肌——用于呼吸的肌肉。患者可以在每次呼吸时吸入更多的空气...

帕金森病患者的体育锻炼：哪种方式更有效？ 研究背景 帕金森病（Parkinson's disease, PD）是一种进行性神经系统疾病，主要影响60岁以上的人群。症状逐渐发展并出现运动问题，例如颤抖、僵硬、运动和平衡缓慢以及协调问题。PD患者还会出现情绪、疲劳、睡眠等问题和思维困难。该疾病无法被治愈，但可以通过药物或手术等方式缓解症状。此外，PD患者可能会受益于物理疗法或其他形式的体育锻炼，例如跳舞。但目前尚不清楚种哪种锻炼方式会更有效。 我们的研究目的是什么？ 我们想找出哪种类型的体育锻炼最能改善PD患者的运动和生活质量。我们还想找出哪种运动造成的不良影响最少。 我们做了什么？ 我们检索了将进行体育锻炼与不进行体育锻炼或与其他类型的体育锻炼比较的研究。我们比较并总结了短期结果，还依据了研究方法和人群规模等因素评价了证据质量。目前，我们仅研究短期结果。 我们发现了什么？ 我们发现了156项关于PD患者不同体育锻炼类型的研究。这些研究共纳入7939人。最大型研究涉及474名受试者，最小型研究涉及10名受试者。受试者的平均年龄在60到74岁之间。这些研究在世界各国实施，其中美国的研究数量最多（34项）。在纳入的研究中，71项（3196人）提供了有关运动的信息；55 人（3283人）提供了有关生活质量的信息，85人（5192人）提供了有关不良影响的信息。 主要结果是什么？ 与没有体育锻...

Cochrane London 2023: Forward together for trusted evidence
4-6 September 2023
Central London, UK

Cochrane UK is delighted to be hosting the  Cochrane Colloquium at the Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) Centre in London, UK from the 4 to 6 of September 2023, with satellite events and meetings on the 3rd September.

Cochrane is an international non-profit network that provides evidence-based scientific knowledge to improve healthcare for all people worldwide. Cochrane Reviews summarise all available research on a specific health question. They are up-to-date, follow a rigorous scientific methodology, and are free from commercial conflicts of interest. Health professionals, patients, and policy makers trust Cochrane Reviews for their healthcare decision-making. Cochrane works with researchers, health professionals, patients, policy makers, and media representatives from around the world to make Cochrane Reviews relevant and usable.

Cochrane holds an annual conference, known as a Colloquium, that brings together Cochrane researchers, clinical professionals, early career professionals, patients and carers, policymakers, and anyone interested in evidence synthesis and evidence-based healthcare. The events are a mix of keynote speakers, training opportunities, workshops, presentations, and a lively social and networking atmosphere. They are an exciting opportunity for a community of evidence synthesis enthusiasts to share, learn, and connect.  

We invite everyone to visit the website - colloquium2023.cochrane.org - for all information related to the colloquium as it's released, including submissions for abstracts and awards/prizes, registration, stipend applications, and the event programme.

The theme of the Colloquium is 'Forward together for trusted evidence', which explores the challenges for the future around the trustworthiness of healthcare information whilst also celebrating 30 years of producing trusted evidence. Today, we have launched guidance and recommendations to help you prepare in advance for your abstract submissions. The official call for abstracts will open on the 30 January 2023.

We invite abstract submissions for the following streams: producing trusted evidence; advocating for trusted evidence; informing health and care decisions; and co-production and working together. 

• Abstract  submission guidance
  
• Workshop submission guidance 

Catherine Spencer, Cochrane CEO said, “The Cochrane Colloquium will bring people together in one place to discuss, develop and promote Cochrane’s work. I am looking forward to a packed programme at my first colloquium and encourage you to start to think about your contributions now as the call for abstracts will be open soon.”

Martin Burton, Director of Cochrane UK, said: “We are really looking forward to receiving submissions of abstracts for London 2023.  We’d like to encourage everyone to start thinking about their contributions now – whether they are planning oral presentations, workshops or posters. We have prepared this guidance to help everyone to prepare their contributions in good time before submissions are formally opened on 30 January 2023.” 

• Abstract  submission guidance
  
• Workshop submission guidance 
• Colloquium website 
• #CochraneLondon
• Press contact: Katie Abbotts, Cochrane UK

  Wednesday, January 18, 2023

痴呆症患者睡眠问题的非药物干预 痴呆症患者有哪些睡眠问题？ 患有痴呆症的人经常有睡眠问题，包括觉醒时间和次数的增加以及浅睡眠量的增加。这些会给受影响的患者、其亲属和照顾者带来许多问题，可能导致照顾者困难和痴呆症患者被送入疗养院或长期护理中心。 非药物干预有帮助吗？ 由于我们不知道药物是否可以帮助改善痴呆症患者的睡眠，因此经常推荐非药物干预。这些包括光疗、社交和身体活动、环境变化（例如减少夜间噪音和光线）或避免白天睡眠。此外，还可以使用包含不止一种组成成分的干预计划（所谓的“多模式干预”；例如，将光疗和痴呆症患者的活动结合起来）。 我们想从中发现什么？ 我们检索了测试非药物干预对患有痴呆症和睡眠问题的人的影响的临床试验。我们想了解这些干预措施或计划是否可以促进睡眠并避免对痴呆症患者及其护理人员产生副作用。 我们做了什么？ 我们检索了评估任何非药物干预以改善痴呆症患者的睡眠的随机对照临床试验（一种通常提供关于治疗效果的最可靠证据的研究设计）。比较和总结研究结果后，基于研究方法和受试者数量等因素进行了证据质量评级。 我们发现了什么？ 我们确定了19项研究，包括1335名受试者。这些研究包括13 至193名患有睡眠问题和痴呆症的受试者。所有研究都应用了一种或多种非医学干预措施（即光照疗法、身体和社会活动、照顾者干预、白天睡眠限制、慢推背部按摩或经颅电刺激（一种向头皮输送低电流以改变大脑功...

硅凝胶膜治疗瘢痕疙瘩的好处和风险是什么？ 关键信息 我们不确定硅凝胶膜是否比以下更能改善瘢痕的外观： - 无治疗； - 用不含硅的类似于硅凝膜的敷料进行治疗； - 将曲安奈德（一种药物）直接注射到病灶或皮下。 与无治疗相比，我们不确定硅凝胶膜对疼痛的影响。 我们不知道与非硅凝膜或病灶内注射曲安奈德相比，硅凝膜是否对疼痛有影响。 什么是瘢痕疙瘩？ 疤痕是伤口或损伤愈合后留在皮肤上的痕迹。有时疤痕会异常发展，形成凸起且难看的瘢痕疙瘩，这些会影响人们的身体和情绪。瘢痕疙瘩常常发生在轻微受伤之后，并可能扩散到原始伤口周围的皮肤。瘢痕疙瘩很难治疗，男女均可发生，任何年龄均可发生。 如何治疗瘢痕疙瘩？ 硅凝胶膜是柔软的伤口敷料，含有弹性形式的硅凝胶。它具有柔软的橡胶质地，可以轻松贴在皮肤上。硅凝胶膜被认为是治疗瘢痕疙瘩的最佳选择。它可用于治疗皮肤，帮助软化和平整瘢痕疙瘩。 我们想从中发现什么？ 在本Cochrane综述中，我们想了解使用硅凝胶膜治疗瘢痕疙瘩的好处和风险。 我们做了什么？ 我们检索了关于使用硅凝胶膜治疗瘢痕疙瘩的研究。我们检索了相关的随机对照临床试验，其中每名受试者接受的治疗都是随机分配的。这些研究提供了关于治疗效果的最可靠证据。 我们发现了什么？ 我们发现了两项研究，共有36名受试者（85个瘢痕）（33名受试者（76个瘢痕）完成了研究）。受试者有由手术、伤口感染或外伤引起的瘢...

成年糖尿病肾病患者的低蛋白饮食 研究问题是什么？ 对于不需要透析的糖尿病肾病（diabetic kidney disease, DKD）患者，可建议限制饮食中的蛋白质含量，以减缓慢性肾病的进展。然而，关于该类患者应该消耗多少蛋白质仍然存在不确定性。 我们做了什么？ 我们评价了关于低蛋白饮食对成年DKD患者肾脏疾病进展影响的证据，而不是对透析的影响。证据检索日期截至至2022年11月17日。所有研究进行整合，即将12个月或更长时间的低蛋白饮食（0.6至0.8 g/kg/天）与常规或无限制的蛋白质饮食（≥1.0 g/kg/天）进行了比较。 我们发现了什么? 我们纳入了八项研究，共486名处于慢性肾脏病不同阶段的DKD患者。研究包括1型和2型糖尿病。结果表明，低蛋白饮食对减缓肾小球滤过率下降的作用不确定。与正常或不受限制的蛋白质饮食相比，低蛋白饮食可能对死亡或进展为需要透析的肾衰竭的人数影响较小或无影响。绝大多数研究报告了营养状况，只有一项研究报告了低蛋白饮食组可能存在营养不良的情况。与健康有关的生活质量在试验组与对照组可能没有什么差别；然而，只有一项研究报告了这个结局。八项研究中，四项研究披露了低蛋白饮食组受试者依从性较为不乐观。 大多数纳入的研究质量较差，而且数据通常没有报告；因此，我们研究关注的结局指标的总体证据质量为低或极低。 研究结论 由于数据不足且难以坚持这种低蛋白饮食，我...

Location: Flexible location (remote working) – contract type dependent on location.
Specifications: Permanent position. Employment contract if successful applicant based in UK, Germany or Denmark. Consultancy contract in other locations.
Hours: Full-time (37.5 hours per week) or part-time (please specify desired working hours)
Salary: £30,000 per annum, prorata
Application Closing Date: Tuesday 17 January 2023 (Midnight GMT).

This role is an exciting opportunity to use your communication and problem-solving skills to make a difference in the field of healthcare research and publishing. 

Cochrane implemented Editorial Manager in 2021 as the editorial and production system for Cochrane Reviews. This role has a significant focus on supporting authors, editors and peer reviewers in using Editorial Manager for submission and peer review; and our linked system Convey for managing Declarations of Interest. Applications are particularly welcomed from candidates with experience of using these or similar systems.

The Cochrane Support team provides technical and user support to Cochrane editorial teams and review authors; and handle enquiries from members of the public about Cochrane’s work. We pride ourselves on our timely and coordinated support service, covering a broad range of areas, with a focus on Cochrane review-writing software and editorial processing and publication.

The team works closely with Cochrane’s Central Editorial Service and other related departments, to ensure accurate, consistent responses to queries on Cochrane technology, policies and methods.

Cochrane is a global, independent network of health practitioners, researchers, patient advocates and others, responding to the challenge of making vast amounts of research evidence useful for informing decisions about health. We do this by synthesizing 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.

Cochrane welcomes applications from a wide range of perspectives, experiences, locations, and backgrounds; diversity, equity and inclusion are key to their values.

How to apply: 

• For further information on the role and how to apply, please click here  
• The supporting statement should indicate why you are applying for the post, and how far you meet the requirements, using specific examples.
• If you are applying for part-time work, please specify the number of hours you are interested in working.
• Read our Recruitment Privacy Statement
• Deadline for applications: Tuesday 17 January 2023 (12 midnight GMT)

 

Thursday, December 22, 2022 Category: Jobs

Location: Remote, UK. 
Specifications: Permanent contract.
Hours: Full-time week (flexible working considered) – 37.5 hours.
Salary: £52,363 per annum.
Application Closing Date: 8 January (Midnight GMT Time)

We are a global, independent organization that strives to inform health-care decisions every day. We gather and summarize the best evidence from research to help doctors, nurses, patients, carers, researchers, funders, and policymakers. We do not accept commercial or conflicted funding, and work to minimize risk of bias, in order to generate authoritative and reliable information.

As our new IT Infrastructure Operations Manager, you will ensure the fitness-for-purpose, cost-effectiveness, availability, and security of Cochrane’s IT systems infrastructure and operations. Monitor and help manage the lifecycle of our in-house software. Set policy for, and advise on the provision of, IT for the Cochrane Central Executive team (ca. 100 people).

Cochrane welcomes applications from a wide range of perspectives, experiences, locations, and backgrounds; diversity, equity and inclusion are key to their values.

How to apply:

• For further information on the job description and how to apply, please click here. 
• The supporting statement should indicate why you are applying for the post, and how far you meet the requirements, using specific examples. 
• Note that we will assess applications as they are received, and therefore may fill the post before the deadline.
  
• Read our Recruitment Privacy Statement
• Deadline for applications: 8 January 2023 (Midnight GMT).
• Interviews to be held on: W/C 16 February 2023(times and exact dates to be confirmed).

Thursday, December 22, 2022 Category: Jobs

Specifications: Full Time (Permanent)
Salary: £51,489 per annum
Location: Ideally based in the UK, Germany or Denmark. Candidates from the rest of the world will be considered; however, Cochrane’s Central Executive Team is only able to offer consultancy contracts outside these countries (1-year fixed-term contracts)
Application Closing Date: 8th January 2023

Cochrane has established a centrally-resourced Editorial Service to support the efficient and timely publication of high-quality systematic reviews in the Cochrane Library. The reviews that are published through the Central Editorial Service address some of the research questions considered to be the most important to decision makers.

Working as part of a friendly and supportive international team, the Senior Managing Editor will be responsible for managing the efficient and timely editorial processing of a portfolio of approximately 150 publications per year.  The role holder will be expected to prioritise and delegate editorial tasks as appropriate. They will also need to be an advocate for the Editorial Service internally and externally to Cochrane and remain alert to immediate demands of delivering high-quality review content for publication in a timely fashion.      

Reporting to the Executive Editor and working with members of the Editorial Production and Methods Directorate, the role holder will need to have good awareness of Cochrane guidance for different types of standard and complex systematic reviews (intervention, qualitative, diagnostic test accuracy, prognosis, rapid and overview), plan how they will need to be handled in their team, and work to ensure that deadlines are met. The role holder will also be required to ensure that pilots aimed at innovating the editorial process can be supported as needed.  

The majority of Cochrane Central Executive staff are located in London, UK, however flexible locations are possible for the right candidate. Please note, however, that we are only able to offer consultancy contracts outside of the UK, Germany or Denmark.

We will consider extended notice periods if required for applicants who wish to honour existing contracts. We fully support remote and flexible working arrangements.  

How to apply

• For further information on the role and how to apply, please click here. 
• The deadline to receive your application is by 8th January 2023. 
• The supporting statement should indicate why you are applying for the post, and how far you meet the requirements, using specific examples.
• Note that we will assess applications as they are received, and therefore may fill the post before the deadline.
• Read our Recruitment Privacy Statement

Wednesday, December 21, 2022 Category: Jobs

Cochrane Crowd is a global community of volunteers who are helping to classify the research needed to support informed decision-making about health care. Recently Cochrane Mexico held an in-person screening challenge that helped introduce students to randomized control trials and evidence assessment while contributing to global research efforts. 

The job of the Cochrane Crowd community is to review descriptions of research studies to identify and classify randomized controlled trials (RCTs), a type of study that is considered the gold standard for clinical trials. Reports of RCTs are then fed into Cochrane’s Central Register of Controlled Trials, helping Cochrane authors and other systematic reviewers around the world quickly find the evidence they need to determine whether a treatment works, or whether a diagnostic test is accurate.

8,000 RCTs identified in 24-hour student event

The Cochrane Mexico Associated Centre at Sinaloa’s Pediatric Hospital and the Autonomous University of Sinaloa took on their second in-person Cochrane Crowd challenge. For 24 hours students from both logged into Cochrane Crowd, screened studies, and identified RCTs. In total, 579 students performed more than 250,000 classifications, which identified 8,712 RCTs. This 24-hour event topped the number of RCTs identified in Cochrane Mexico’s first Cochrane Crowd event in 2018, which lasted for 3 days.

Students who screened more than 1,000 records received their Cochrane membership . In addition, evidence-based medicine books were awarded to all those who exceeded 1,000 classifications, had a sensitivity greater than 95%, and an overall accuracy greater than 70% to identify clinical trials. 

Giordano Perez-Gaxiola, director of Cochrane Mexico and key challenge organizer, says: “Cochrane Crowd is a great introduction to systematic reviews and randomized control trials for students. Having students participate in a time-limited challenge is a fun way to engage students and was simple for us to set-up. The students exceeded all our expectations this year and we are so proud of them! Many of the students enjoyed it so much and could see results of their efforts for global health research that they are continuing to do screening on Cochrane Crowd!”

Anyone can join Cochrane Crowd and no previous experience is necessary

“Cochrane sends its thanks to all those involved in this citizen scientist challenge using Cochrane Crowd – what an amazing achievement in just 24 hours!” says Anna Noel-Storr, Head of Cochrane’s Evidence Pipeline. “We hope these students inspire everyone to give Cochrane Crowd a try. From medical students, to clinicians, to anyone with an interest in health research – being a part of Cochrane Crowd can help individuals develop skills in understanding health evidence while collectively contributing to global research efforts.” 

Has Cochrane Mexico inspired you to organise a Cochrane Crowd challenge at your workplace or university? If so, please get in contact and we will support you to get one up and running: crowd@cochrane.org.

• Join Cochrane Crowd - everyone is welcome! 
• If you teach evidence-based medicine, check out Cochrane Classmate, the platform we run challenges on.  

Thursday, January 12, 2023

Dear Cochrane Colleagues, Members and Supporters, 

Thank you to everyone across our community for your dedication and commitment to Cochrane during 2022. The last few years have at times felt tumultuous, both due to Covid and world events, but also because of the changes we are making to ensure that Cochrane is fit for a future that meets our vision of a world of better health for all people, where decisions about health and care are informed by high-quality evidence. 

We are well on our way to creating an evolved impact-driven organisation to support evidence-based health and social care. With your help we are building on your enormous achievements, over the past thirty years, to create new ways of producing the right evidence, in a timely manner, to support decision making.  

Our updated Future Cochrane micro-site demonstrates the scale of progress at Cochrane and the work under way to transition to our new model. The site is designed to be a one-stop shop for news and information on the change process.  

In November we announced Cochrane’s first seven new Thematic Groups. The first groups are: 

• Global Ageing 
• Health Equity 
• Nutrition and Physical Activity 
• Person-Centred Care, Public Health and Health Systems 
• Sexual and Reproductive Health 
• Vascular 
• Work and Health and Social Security 

Feature profiles of each Thematic Group will be published in the months ahead, with Person Centred Care, Health Systems and Public Health and Nutrition and Physical Activity kicking off the series this month. Keep an eye out for Health Equity when the series resumes in early February.  

Many of you are interested in the next steps of our transition. We will make further announcements about the process for establishing Evidence Synthesis Units next year. 

At the end of November Jimmy Volmink provided a superb Cochrane lecture focusing on equality and diversity. Many of the themes and challenges that he raised are already being threaded through our future plans.  

Open Access is of course key to that future, ensuring that more people have immediate access to our content.  Progress demonstrating our commitment was evident last month when Cochrane launched Cochrane Evidence Synthesis and Methods, our first open access journal, in which we will publish diverse types of evidence synthesis, methods research, and research on other areas vital to evidence synthesis. This new platform allows us to disseminate research beyond systematic reviews from across Cochrane groups and collaborators ­– who until now, have not been able to publish their research in a Cochrane journal.  

And of course, we have been delighted with the high-profile reviews that we’ve published in the Cochrane Library. 

• Efficacy and safety of COVID‐19 vaccines  
• Unintended consequences of measures implemented in the school setting to contain the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review 
• SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to prevent COVID-19 
• Janus kinase inhibitors for the treatment of COVID-19 
• Interleukin-1 blocking agents for the treatment of COVID-19 
• Interventions for preventing falls in Parkinson's disease 
• Interventions to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake: a scoping review 
• Inhaled corticosteroids for the treatment of COVID-19 
• Immunity after COVID-19 vaccination in people with higher risk of compromised immune status: a scoping review 
• Replacing salt with low-sodium salt substitutes (LSSS) for cardiovascular and renal health in adults, children and pregnant women 
• Fluvoxamine for the treatment of COVID-19 
• Guaiac-based faecal occult blood tests versus faecal immunochemical tests for colorectal cancer screening in average-risk individuals 

As we ramp up our fundraising efforts across the organisation it’s great to see that we have already had success in the US, with  $5 million for Cochrane Eyes & Vision US Satellite,  $1 million to Cochrane US Network and in South Africa with partners, funding for The Global Evidence, Local Adaptation project.  

Other successes include: 

• 6,100+ plain language summaries were translated in 15 different languages in 2022 so far 
• Cochrane Rehab joins World Rehab Alliance 
• Impact factor increased 
• WHO postnatal guidelines 
• WHO labour recommendations  

Diversity and Inclusion progress: 

• Diversity and inclusion report 
• Launch of Evidence Essentials 5: consumer involvement in Cochrane  
• Signed a public involvement pledge 
• Updated Cochrane Engage volunteer hub 

And there’s also great news from our Evidence Pipeline Team. Cochrane has always been a leader in innovation, and now we have demonstrated further success by introducing the ability to browse the Cochrane Library by patient/population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes, which is universally shortened to PICO. It is now possible to browse Cochrane content using themed groups of included PICOs from the Cochrane Library homepage. Users can discover Cochrane content using themed groups of included PICOs curated and maintained by Cochrane PICO ontology experts. With one click, users can see all available search results for categories with included PICOs. In addition, there is clear contextual help for those new to PICOs, with clear guidance on using PICOs and links to the relevant section of the Cochrane Handbook.  

Additional successes include: 

• Over 5200 new contributors have joined Cochrane Crowd this year, bringing total Crowd community to 28,302 people from 178 countries! 
• 1.7 million records assessed by the Crowd this year 
• Launched new Crowd task PICO Extract in August 2022. Over 4000 RCTs have now been PICO annotated.  
• We launched the Central Study Identification Service – a service that helps to identify the studies for any Cochrane Review. We are in a pilot phase at the moment but the service has been used by 7 Cochrane Intervention Reviews so far and reduced author screening by an average of 70%.  
• Cochrane Crowd hosted a huge 24-hour screening challenge in October this year: organised by Cochrane Mexico using Cochrane Classmate, nearly 600 students screened over 250,000 records in just 24 hours. 

2022 has been a busy but productive year, thank you all for the incredible work you have done. 

2023 promises to be challenging as we continue our transformation. This includes the changes to UK Review Groups as a result of the loss of NIHR funding in the UK; their contribution to the Cochrane Library and Cochrane has been immense. It is difficult to find words which adequately describe how much they have given to Cochrane. 

As we look towards a new future at Cochrane I look forward to collaborating and working with you to use the best of the past to create more impact in more locations around the world. 

Best wishes for a wonderful festive season and a happy and healthy 2023, 

Catherine Spencer, CEO 

On behalf of the Executive Leadership Team 

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Thursday, December 15, 2022

吸入类固醇治疗新生儿肺部疾病 什么是支气管肺发育不良，如何治疗？ 早产的婴儿会有很高的风险罹患一种慢性肺部疾病称为支气管肺发育不良（bronchopulmonary dysplasia, BPD）。早产儿肺部炎症似乎在BPD的发展中起着重要作用。研究表明，将抑制炎症的药物（皮质类固醇）注射到血液中可以降低BPD的风险，但也可能对身体的其他部位（例如大脑）产生严重的副作用。通过吸入给予皮质类固醇可能会减少这些不良影响，因为理论上这些药物应该主要留在肺部，而不会对身体的其他部位造成不良影响。 我们希望了解什么？ 我们想了解与模拟治疗（安慰剂）相比，给予出生7天的早产儿吸入皮质类固醇是否可以提高存活率并减少 BPD。我们还想了解吸入皮质类固醇是否会产生不良影响。 我们做了什么? 我们检索了相关研究比较吸入皮质类固醇与安慰剂在有BPD风险的早产儿群体中。我们比较和总结了纳入研究的结果，并根据研究方法和规模等因素评估了证据的质量。 我们有什么发现? 我们确定了七项研究，这些研究在218名早产儿中调查了这种疗法。与安慰剂相比，我们无法得知从出生后7天开始使用吸入性皮质类固醇是否能减少有BPD风险的早产儿罹患BPD或死亡，我们也不知道这种治疗是否有任何不良影响。需要更多的研究来调查吸入皮质类固醇在该人群中的潜在益处和伤害。 证据存在哪些局限性？ 我们无法评定相关证据等级，因为研究所纳入的病例很...

Cochrane is made up of 11,000 members and over 67,000 supporters come from more than 130 countries, worldwide. Our volunteers and contributors are researchers, health professionals, patients, carers, people passionate about improving health outcomes for everyone, everywhere.

Getting involved in Cochrane’s work means becoming part of a global community. The Cochrane International Mobility programme connects successful applicants with a placement in a host Cochrane Group, learning more about the production, use, and knowledge translation of Cochrane reviews. The prgramme offers opportunities for learning and training not only for participants but also for host staff.

In this series, we profile those that have participated in the Cochrane International Mobility Program and learn more about their experiences.

Name: Martina Albertella
Location: Italy
Cochrane International Mobility location: Cochrane Sweden

How did you first learn about Cochrane?
I first heard about Cochrane at my University (in Genoa, Italy): during lectures a lot of Professors used to mention Cochrane evidence and results, as it has such a high impact. I was interested in the paediatrics research field, so I looked for more information about the organization, I contacted Matteo at Cochrane Sweden and I started the Cochrane Interactive Learning modules before coming to Sweden. These modules were my first real learning opportunity about systematic reviews.

What was your experience with your Cochrane International Mobility?
I’ve always been interested in the research field and Cochrane is the perfect environment to learn everything about it. I also wanted to have an abroad experience so, thanks to Matteo’s help, I applied to start my Erasmus Traineeship at Cochrane Sweden for three months.

What are you doing now in relation to your Cochrane International Mobility experience?
My team and I submitted a few weeks ago our systematic review about the use of an enzyme to prevent a chronic disease in preterm infants. That was a great learning experience: Matteo and Martin have been always supportive. They explained to me very clearly how to do the work, step by step. Whenever we had a doubt, they were always there to help us! After that, I joined another team working on another systematic review, but still related to paediatrics: now I feel more confident and it’s great because I realize how much you can learn with this experience!

Do you have any words of advice to anyone considering a Cochrane International Mobility experience?
If you want to learn more about systematic reviews but also about how to read and understand a scientific text and its methodology, this is the perfect experience for you. It also gives you the opportunity to work and collaborate with people from all over the world and to improve your English skills. If you are a student like me, who didn’t have any experience in the research field before, my personal advice is: connect yourself to Cochrane! This is a chance to put into practice everything you are learning.

 

 

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

Specifications: Full Time, 37.5 hours per week
Employment Type: Permanent employment contract if in the UK, Denmark or Germany, consultancy contract if outside these three areas
Salary: £60,000 per annum full-time salary
Location: Flexible location but must have a demonstrable understanding of UK regulations
Application Closing Date: Sunday 8th January 2023 at midnight

Cochrane is a charity and a global, independent network of health practitioners, researchers, patient advocates and others, responding to the challenge of making vast amounts of research evidence useful for informing decisions about health. They do this by synthesising research findings to produce the best available evidence on what works. Their work has been recognised as the international gold standard for high quality, trusted information.

The core purpose of this role is to lead Cochrane’s governance and to support the strategic aims and operational activities of the organisation. The role will provide oversight of policy development, implementation, monitoring, and reporting to the Governing Board to ensure that Cochrane is compliant and follows the best practice.

Part of your duties will include:

• Maintaining knowledge and being well-informed of best practice and developments within charity governance and policy, advising the Board, CEO and Executive Leadership Team.
• Ensuring the appropriate support structures and processes are in place to enable Cochrane’s Governing Board to meet its responsibilities and obligations; and lead and oversee high-quality support to the Board, its Committees, the Cochrane Council, and other governance bodies.
• Contributing to Cochrane’s budget planning processes and manage the governance budget effectively.
• Working with the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Finance & Corporate Services, develop a strategy to ensure an appropriate level of assurance for the charity and wider Community with implementation, monitoring and evaluation plans.
• Working with the CEO and the ELT to establish and review policies and procedures that ensure the organisation meets constitutional, legal, and regulatory requirements relating to company administration.

Cochrane welcomes applications from a wide range of perspectives, experiences, locations, and backgrounds; diversity, equity and inclusion are key to their values.

How to apply

• For further information on the role and how to apply, please click here
• The deadline to receive your application is by 8 January 2023
• The supporting statement should indicate why you are applying for the post, and how far you meet the requirements, using specific examples
• Note that we will assess applications as they are received, and therefore may fill the post before the deadline
• Read our Recruitment Privacy Statement

Tuesday, December 13, 2022 Category: Jobs

Cochrane’s Editor in Chief, Dr Karla Soares-Weiser, has today published an editorial to mark the end of 2022 and the beginning of Cochrane's 30th anniversary year in 2023. In Looking back, looking forward: Cochrane at 30 and beyond, Karla reflects on Cochrane’s many contributions to global health, recognizes past and future challenges, and shares her deep gratitude to the Cochrane community – who for three decades have delivered the trusted evidence our rapidly changing world needs.

"As the third year of the pandemic draws to a close" Karla writes, "it seems we have reached something of an inflection point where as individuals, as an organization, and as a global community we are looking back and assessing the consequences and costs of COVID-19, and to consider what lies ahead."

In doing so, Karla looks back at the major challenges faced and achievements realized by Cochrane before and during the pandemic and looks forward as we transition to a new, sustainable model of evidence production in especially tumultuous times for health, funding and geo-political stability. She underscores the critical issue of equity following years of deepening health and wealth disparities, and restates Cochrane’s commitment to fostering diversity, tacking inequity and making a tangible contribution to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. 

Karla says:

Cochrane's values, focus on collaboration, and commitment to rigour and innovation have been vital to cementing our reputation as one of the most trusted sources of evidence in health and care decisions over three decades. We draw on these strengths now more than ever, as the shifting health landscape demands that we increase the pace of high-quality evidence production, deliver on our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion, and respond in a more focused way to the diverse needs of all our users.

The shape and output of our organization continues to adapt to the needs of the times, while together we continue to deliver the evidence the world needs at this critical juncture for humanity.

• Read Karla’s full editorial
• Find out more about the changes underway within Cochrane 

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

清除囊性纤维化患者肺部“超级细菌”耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）的治疗方法 系统综述问题 我们寻找不同方法清除囊性纤维化患者肺部耐甲氧西林金黄色葡萄球菌（MRSA）（一种称为“超级细菌”）效果的证据。 系统综述背景 MRSA是一种对某些类型的抗生素（杀死或抑制细菌的药物）具有耐药性的细菌。由于MRSA难以治疗，它有时被称为“超级细菌”。这对于感染MRSA患有囊性纤维化的患者来说尤其令人担忧，这是一种遗传性疾病，除其他外，会导致肺部粘液积聚。患有囊性纤维化的患者很难咳出这种粘稠的粘液，使其成为包括MRSA在内的细菌的理想滋生地，并使这些患者更容易发生胸部感染。人们认为MRSA会比其他对抗生素无抗性的细菌造成更多的损害。我们想找到研究证据来支持治疗MRSA感染的最佳方法，并看看这种治疗是否会改善囊性纤维化患者的生活。这是对先前发表综述的更新。 检索日期 证据截止到2022年1月31日。 主要结果 我们发现了三项研究，其中涉及135名患有囊性纤维化和诊断MRSA感染的患者。 两项研究（106名患者）比较了对一组患者的治疗与仅对第二组患者的观察。在其中一项研究中，积极治疗组的患者接受口服甲氧苄氨嘧啶和磺胺甲恶唑联合利福平（这三种药物均为抗生素药物），外加额外的去污治疗。在第二项试验中，积极治疗组的患者口服两种抗生素（复方新诺明和利福平）和一种鼻腔喷雾剂（莫匹罗星）。 这些研究的结果...