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

Koje su prednosti NSAIL-a za liječenje nakupljanja tekućine u središnjoj mrežnici (makuli) nakon operacije katarakte? Ključne poruke • Obnovili smo dokaze o učincima nesteroidnih protuupalnih lijekova (NSAIL, poput ibuprofena) među pojedincima s akutnim ili kroničnim nakupljanjem tekućine u središnjoj mrežnici (makuli) nakon operacije katarakte. • Postoje samo vrlo nepouzdani dokazi da NSAIL-ovi mogu poboljšati vid ili smanjiti nakupljanje tekućine u makuli. • Potrebna su buduća kvalitetna istraživanja na ovu temu. Što je cistoidni makularni edem (CME)? Operacija očne mrene najčešća je...

Inhalacijski steroidi za plućne bolesti u novorođenčadi Što je bronhopulmonalna displazija i kako se liječi? Dojenčad rođena prije vremena izložena je riziku od razvoja kronične bolesti pluća koja se naziva bronhopulmonalna displazija (BPD). Čini se da upala u nerazvijenim plućima igra važnu ulogu u razvoju BPD-a. Istraživanja su pokazala da lijekovi koji suzbijaju upalu (kortikosteroidi) ubrizgani u krvotok smanjuju rizik od BPD-a, ali također mogu imati ozbiljne nuspojave u drugim dijelovima tijela, poput mozga. Kortikosteroidi koji se daju inhalacijom mogu smanjiti ove neželjene učinke,...

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

Koje su prednosti i rizici oralnih homeopatskih lijekova u sprječavanju i liječenju infekcija dišnih puteva u djece? Ključne poruke Homeopatija je vrsta komplementarne i alternativne medicine. Temelji se na dvjema glavnim idejama: da tvari koje mogu izazvati bolest ili simptome u zdrave osobe mogu, u jako malim dozama, liječiti simptome osobe koja nije zdrava; i da te molekule u jako razrijeđenim otopinama mogu zadržati sjećanje na izvornu tvar (zadržati svojstva te izvorne tvari). Zbog manjka pouzdanih dokaza, prednosti i rizici oralnih homeopatskih lijekova za sprječavanje i liječenje...

Lijekovi za uklanjanje "superbakterije" meticilin-rezistentnog Staphylococcusa aureusa (MRSA) iz pluća osoba oboljelih od cistične fibroze Istraživačko pitanje Tražili smo dokaze o učincima različitih načina uklanjanja meticilin-rezistentnog Staphylococcus aureusa (MRSA), takozvane "superbakterije" iz pluća oboljelih od cistične fibroze. Dosadašnje spoznaje MRSA je tip bakterije koja je otporna na neke vrste antibiotika (lijekovi koji uništavaju ili inhibiraju bakterije). Budući da se teško liječi, ponekad se MRSA naziva 'superbakterijom'. Infekcija MRSA-om je posebno ugrožavajuća...

Laserska terapija za liječenje retinopatije u osoba s bolešću srpastih stanica Pitanje sustavnog pregleda Koliko su učinkovite različite tehnike laserske fotokoagulacije kod proliferativne retinopatije povezane s bolešću srpastih stanica (razvoj komplikacija opasnih po vid zbog pretjeranog rasta krvnih žila u stražnjem dijelu oka)? Dosadašnje spoznaje Bolest srpastih stanica je genetski poremećaj koji zahvaća mnoge organe, uključujući oči. Na stražnjem dijelu oka (mrežnici) mogu nastati problemi zbog bolesti srpastih stanica. Kod određenog broja ljudi s bolešću srpastih stanica razviju se...

Je li navođenje ultrazvukom dobra opcija za postavljanje venskih kanila u odraslih pacijenata? Što je postavljanje venske kanile? Postavljanje venske kanile jedan je od osnovnih postupaka u medicini. Uključuje postavljanje tanke, fleksibilne cjevčice (poznate kao kateter ili kanila) u venu uz pomoć igle. Taj je postupak poznat kao „kanulacija“. Nužan je kod davanja tekućina ili lijekova, kao i kod uzimanja uzoraka krvi. Postavljanje venske kanile obično se provodi nakon pronalaženja vene na šaci ili ruci pomoću vida i opipa. To je poznato kao topografska orijentacija. Postavljanje venske...

Laparoskopsko dodavanje želučanog omotača (fundoplikacija) oko cijevi za hranu (jednjaka) za liječenje ahalazije Istraživačko pitanje 1) Smanjuje li dodavanje želučanog omotača oko cijevi za hranu (jednjaka) povrat hrane i kiseline iz želuca u cijev za hranu (regurgitaciju) kada se napravi laparoskopski za liječenje ahalazije? 2) Koja vrsta je želučanog omotača (djelomična ili potpuna) oko cijevi za hranu bolja u kontroliranju regurgitacije bez izazivanja poteškoća pri gutanju (disfagije) kada se napravi laparoskopski za liječenje ahalazije? Dosadašnje spoznaje Ahalazija je rijetka bolest...

Koje su prednosti i rizici cjepiva u prevenciji COVID-19 bolesti? Ključne poruke – Većina cjepiva smanjuje ili vjerojatno smanjuje broj oboljelih od bolesti COVID-19 kao i težeg oblika bolesti COVID-19. – Mnoga cjepiva vjerojatno povećavaju broj nuspojava kao što su groznica ili glavobolja u usporedbi s placebom (lažno cjepivo koje ne sadrži lijek, ali izgleda identično cjepivu koje se testira). To je očekivano jer su nuspojave uglavnom uzrokovane odgovorom organizma na cjepivo; obično su blage i kratkotrajne. – Mnoga cjepiva imaju malu ili nikakvu razliku u incidenciji ozbiljnih nuspojava u...

Pripravci karnitina za pacijente oboljele od kronične bubrežne bolesti kojima treba dijaliza Što je proučavano u ovom sustavnom pregledu? Nedostatak karnitina važan je problem kod bolesnika s kroničnom bubrežnom bolešću (engl. chronic kidney disease, CKD) kojima je potrebna dijaliza. Nedostatak karnitina povezan s dijalizom može pogoršati simptome tijekom dijalize (npr. mišićne simptome, uključujući grčeve i slabost mišića te hipotenziju) i kronične komplikacije zatajenja bubrega (npr. anemiju). Međutim, nije poznato može li dodatak karnitina poboljšati simptome nedostatka karnitina...

Inhalacijski lijekovi za otvaranje dišnih puteva u slučajevima akutnog sindroma prsnog koša kod osoba sa srpastom anemijom Istraživačko pitanje Mogu li inhalacijski, kratko-djelujući bronhodilatatori za akutni sindrom prsnog koša smanjiti bolest i smrtnost kod osoba s anemijom srpastih stanica i uzrokuje li ovo liječenje štetne učinke? Dosadašnje spoznaje Srpasta anemija je nasljedni poremećaj krvi. Osobe s anemijom srpastih stanica često pate od sindroma akutnog prsnog koša. Akutni sindrom prsnog koša može uzrokovati vrućicu, kašalj, bol u prsima i otežano disanje te može biti opasan po...

Operacije za dugotrajne bolesti zglobova u bolesnika s hemofilijom Koliko su učinkoviti i sigurni operativni zahvati u usporedbi s neoperativnim oblicima liječenja za bolesnike s kroničnom (dugotrajnom) bolesti zglobova zbog rijetkog poremećaja koji utječe na stvaranje krvnih ugrušaka (hemofilije)? Ključne poruke Nismo pronašli istraživanja koja se bave ovom temom. Potrebno je više istraživanja kako bi znali odgovor na ovo pitanje. Buduća istraživanja bi trebala usporediti kirurško i ne-kiruruško zbrinjavanje kronične atropatije u bolesnika s hemofilijom. Dosadašnje spoznaje Hemofilija je...

Ciljane vrijednosti krvnog tlaka za pacijente na kardiokirurškim operacijama Pitanje sustavnog pregleda Kakav učinak imaju više ciljane vrijednosti krvnog tlaka u usporedbi s nižim u osoba kod kojih se koristi tehnologija izvantjelesne cirkulacije (engl. cardiopulmonary bypass, CPB) za vrijeme kardiokirurških operacija? Ključne poruke Visoki krvni tlak, u usporedbi s nižim, ne utječe ili minimalno utječe na pojavu bubrežne ozljede, oštećenja kognitivnih funkcija ili preživljenje. Više ciljane vrijednosti krvnog tlaka mogu neznatno produljiti vrijeme boravka u bolnici. Što je operacija srca?...

Coriolus versicolor gljiva kod kolorektalnog karcinoma Istraživačko pitanje Može li dodavanje Coriolusa liječenju raka debelog crijeva smanjiti nuspojave i poboljšati preživljenje? Dosadašnje spoznaje Radioterapija i kemoterapija koriste se za liječenje raka debelog crijeva, ali nuspojave mogu biti problem u liječenju. Gljivu Coriolus versicolor (također poznata kao Trametes versicolor ili 'pureći rep') i njene ekstrakte povremeno koriste pacijenti oboljeli od raka za pomoć kod nuspojava. Datum pretraživanja literature Pretražili smo medicinske baze podataka za istraživanja koja uspoređuju...

Preventivna antifungalna terapija naspram empirijske antifungalne terapije za liječenje febrilne neutropenije u onkoloških bolesnika Intenzivna kemoterapija koju primaju onkološki bolesnici može izazvati teške i prolongirane citopenije (smanjen broj krvnih stanica), posebno neutropeniju (smanjen apsolutni broj podvrste bijelih krvnih stanica neutrofila, koji pomažu u borbi protiv infekcija), što je kritično stanje koje potencijalno može biti životno ugrožavajuće. Kada osoba ima i vrućicu i neutropeniju, to stanje se zove febrilna neutropenija (FN). Invazivna gljivična bolest (IFD; an...

Smanjenje doze antipsihotika za oboljele od shizofrenije Ključne poruke Smanjenje doze antipsihotika može biti povezano s relapsom većeg broja sudionika istraživanja i s njihovim ranim napuštanjem istraživanja. Bilo je dostupno vrlo malo podataka o kvaliteti života, funkcioniranju i nuspojavama. Uvod u temu sustavnog pregleda Shizofrenija je ozbiljna bolest koju je potrebno liječiti lijekovima (antipsihoticima). Upotreba antipsihotika povezana je s nuspojavama i čini se da su te nuspojave izraženije pri višim dozama. S druge strane, doza mora biti dovoljno visoka da djeluje na simptome. Cilj...