Cochrane is an international network founded in 1993. It is headquartered in the UK as a non-profit organization and a member of the UK National Council for Voluntary Organizations.
Cochrane's members and supporters come from over 190 countries around the world. We are researchers, professionals, patients, caregivers, and people who work to collect and promote the best research evidence in healthcare.
Our Vision
We aspire to a world where better health conditions are guaranteed, where healthcare decisions and care are guided by high-quality scientific evidence.
Our Mission
We are an independent organization that creates evidence synthesis studies, making them accessible and understandable to everyone. Our work is a reference point for accessing high-quality information on the effectiveness and safety of different treatments and interventions.
What we do
Our Strategy for a more evidence-informed world aims to put Cochrane evidence at the heart of healthcare choices worldwide.
Our work is organized around three goals:
- Producing timely, relevant evidence for and with those who need it most.
- Save and improve lives by ensuring everyone can contribute to and benefit from trusted evidence.
- Collaborate locally and globally to strengthen our community and enhance impact.
- Building an effective sustainable organization, to be a diverse, inclusive, and transparent international organization that effectively harnesses the enthusiasm and skills of our contributors, is guided by our principles, governed accountably, managed efficiently, and makes optimal use of its resources.
How we do it
Cochrane does not have a central headquarters or a single office. Our global network of members and supporters collaborates to achieve our strategic goals and is usually affiliated with one or more Cochrane Groups based on their interests, skills and/or geographic location.
These are the characteristics that distinguish all our initiatives:
- Collaboration: It is the foundation of everything we do, both locally and globally.
- Relevance: The right evidence at the right time and in the right format.
- Integrity: Independence and transparency.
- Quality: Review and improvement of what we do, maintaining rigor and trust.
Why we do it
In the digital age, we can find a lot of health information online, but we have few ways to know if this information is accurate and unbiased. Providing accessible and reliable information is essential to educate informed choices, improving population health and healthcare.
We do not accept funding of a commercial or conflicting nature to ensure the production of independent information free from market interests.