What does Cochrane do?
Cochrane exists so that healthcare decisions get better. During the past 20 years, Cochrane has helped to transform the way health decisions are made.
We gather and summarize the best evidence from research to help you make informed choices about treatment.
Who is Cochrane for?
Cochrane is for anyone who is interested in using high-quality information to make health decisions. Whether you are a doctor or nurse, patient or carer, researcher or funder, Cochrane evidence provides a powerful tool to enhance your healthcare knowledge and decision making.
Everyone has a role to play so please get involved.
Who are we?
Cochrane contributors 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.
Cochrane's contributors are affiliated to the organization through Cochrane groups: healthcare subject-related review groups, thematic networks, groups concerned with the methodology of systematic reviews, and regional centres.
Why do we do this?
The need for Cochrane's work is even greater than it was when we started 20 years ago. As access to health evidence increases, so do the risks of misinterpreting complex content; meanwhile the likelihood of any one person getting a complete and balanced picture decreases.
Our mission to provide accessible, credible information to support informed decision-making has never been more important or useful for improving global health.
Cochrane Italy subscribes to the operating principles of Cochrane, as adapted from the Strategy to 2020:
1 | Collaboration | by fostering global co-operation, teamwork, and open and transparent communication and decision-making. |
2 | Building on the enthusiasm of individuals | by involving, supporting and training people of different skills and backgrounds. |
3 | Avoiding duplication of effort | by good management, co-ordination and effective internal communications to maximize economy of effort. |
4 | Minimizing bias | through a variety of approaches such as scientific rigour, ensuring broad participation, and avoiding conflicts of interest. |
5 | Keeping up-to-date | by a commitment to ensure that Cochrane Systematic Reviews are maintained through identification and incorporation of new evidence. |
6 | Striving for relevance | by promoting the assessment of health questions using outcomes that matter to people making choices in health and health care. |
7 | Promoting access | by wide dissemination of our outputs, taking advantage of strategic alliances, and by promoting appropriate access models and delivery solutions to meet the needs of users worldwide. |
8 | Ensuring quality | by applying advances in methodology, developing systems for quality improvement, and being open and responsive to criticism. |
9 | Continuity | by ensuring that responsibility for reviews, editorial processes, and key functions is maintained and renewed. |
10 | Enabling wide participation | in our work by reducing barriers to contributing and by encouraging diversity. |