The Cochrane Eyes and Vision Group is looking to appoint one or more new Co-ordinating Editors to provide leadership of the Group. The Eyes and Vision Group is part of the Cochrane Musculoskeletal, Oral, Skin and Sensory ( MOSS) Network. This is an important opportunity to lead and shape the future development of a strategically important area of Cochrane’s healthcare evidence coverage. The Eyes and Vision Group portfolio of reviews includes 212 published reviews and 45 protocols.

We invite applications from individuals based anywhere in the world, from existing Cochrane Groups and from outside Cochrane, and also those interested in a job share arrangement. 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 review
• Clinical expertise and standing in the field of eyes and vision
• Methodology expertise in the field of evidence synthesis, including risk of bias and GRADE assessments

2. The following attributes are highly desirable

• Experience of editing Cochrane reviews or alternative high-quality systematic review
• Advanced methodological skills and knowledge

3. The new Co-ordinating Editor(s) must work within the terms of the Collaboration Agreement that defines the responsibilities of Cochrane and the Cochrane Review Group. 

4. The new Co-ordinating Editor(s) must actively engage with the MOSS Network and adhere to the Network’s strategic plan.

For further information, please see the full role description, which sets out all of the responsibilities of the role.

Potential applicants should familiarise themselves with Cochrane’s commercial sponsorship and conflict of interest policy.

Individuals who are interested in exploring this opportunity are welcome to contact Karla Soares-Weiser, Editor-in-Chief (ksoares-weiser@cochrane.org) or Peter Tugwell, Senior Editor, MOSS Network (ptugwell@uottawa.ca).

To apply, please send a cover letter detailing the responses to the numbered bullet points above, and a short Curriculum Vitae to Karla Soares-Weiser (ksoares-weiser@cochrane.org).

Friday, February 21, 2020 Category: Jobs

Cochrane Bosnia and Herzegovina second scientific symposium took place on Friday January 17th in front of the full auditorium of the University of Mostar School of Medicine.

The theme of the  symposium was 'Cochrane for everyone' and it attracted huge interest from the media, medical students, and clinicians. Below is just a sample of some of the media coverage:

• Cochrane simpozij: Bolje donošenje odluka po vlastito zdravlje i zdravstvenu politiku
• Simpozij 'Cochrane za sve' okupio stručnjake iz BiH i Hrvatske
• Međunarodni znanstveni simpozij u Mostaru
• Održan 2. znanstveni BH Cochrane simpozij
• Znanstveni BH Cochrane simpozij „Cochrane za sve“
• Održan 2. BH Cochrane simpozij

 Co-directors of Cochrane Croatia, Irena Zakarija-Grković and Tina Poklepović Peričić presented the work of Cochrane, talked about the importance of evidence in medicine, and the role of Cochrane in improving clinical practice.

 Assist. prof. Goran Poropat from Medical School in Rijeka presented the design of Cochrane systematic reviews, the Cochrane review process, including the challenges during the process and he has a longtime experience authoring Cochrane reviews, both intervention and diagnostic test accuracy and takes great part in the editorial base of the Cochrane Hepatobiliary Group.

 The symposium in Mostar was useful in terms of promoting the work of Cochrane and its influence to all stakeholders within the health system, but it also allowed an opportunity to talk about further developing Cochrane network and building future collaboration between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• Visit the Cochrane Bosnia and Herzegovina website
• Find local and online Cochrane events and training opportunities

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kadoorie Critical Care Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford

Specifications: Full-time, fixed-term (12 months)
Salary: Grade 8: £41,526 - £49,553 p.a.
Application Closing Date: Monday 16 March 2020 12:00 noon

We are seeking a Senior Systematic Reviewer to join Oxford Trauma group, within the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences (NDORMS) based at the Kadoorie Research Centre, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford. This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic team of collaborators from a number of groups.

As a Senior Systematic Reviewer, you will have an overall responsibility for the conduct and delivery of a suite of top quality, high profile Cochrane systematic reviews, working with a team of reviewers, statisticians and content experts. You will lead the reviewing component of the programme, including managing a grade 7 Systematic Reviewer and you will undertake meta-analyses and network meta-analyses, with the support from the project statistician. You will be responsible for writing and dissemination of Cochrane Reviews and Overviews, including major contribution to linked material for peer-reviewed publications.

You will hold a first degree (first or upper class second) in a health related or scientific discipline. You will have an extensive previous experience of delivering high quality systematic reviews (e.g. Cochrane Reviews or reviews for NICE or similar technology hub). Outstanding communication skills and ability to communicate results effectively to colleagues in any discipline as well as external collaborators, excellent IT literacy (RevMan, email, Microsoft Office) are essential. A higher degree in a health related or scientific discipline or equivalent professional experience, knowledge of GRAPEPro and other software for undertaking more complex meta-analyses (CMA, STATA, R, WinBugs, or SAS) are desirable.

This is a full-time, fixed-term (12 months) post.

You will be required to upload a CV and supporting statement as part of your online application.

• Contact Person HR Team, NDORMS    
• Vacancy ID 145370
• Contact Phone: 01865 737511    
• Closing Date & Time 16-Mar-2020 12:00
• Contact Email: hr@ndorms.ox.ac.uk
• Download the job description here

Wednesday, February 19, 2020 Category: Jobs

People with fibromyalgia have persistent, widespread body pain and there are more than 30 Cochrane Reviews of interventions that might help them. In September 2019, a new review was added to the Cochrane Library, studying the effects of flexibility exercise training. We asked its lead author, Soo Kim from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, to tell us about the findings.

"As well as suffering from pain across their whole body, some people with fibromyalgia also have fatigue, anxiety, depression, and sleep difficulties. Exercise training is commonly recommended for them and flexibility exercise training is one of the techniques that is frequently prescribed. This is a type of exercise that focuses on improving or maintaining the amount of motion available in muscles and joint structures by holding or stretching the body in specific positions. We’ve investigated its impact when compared to regular treatment which doesn’t include any formal exercise program; land-based aerobic training, such as treadmill walking; resistance-training, such as using weight machines to provide resistance and other interventions, such as Pilates.

Our main comparison was flexibility exercise versus land-based aerobic training and we found very low-certainty evidence that there were no clinically important benefits for flexibility exercise with regard to quality of life, pain intensity, fatigue, stiffness, and physical function.

Our review includes 12 randomized trials, involving nearly 750 people, with an average age of 49. The trials were done in seven countries, and seven of the 12 included women only. The stretching exercise programs ranged from 40 to 60 minutes, 1 to 3 times a day, with patients taking part in the trials for between 4 and 20 weeks.

The reports differed in how much detail they provided on the exercise but one of the main limitations of the trials may be that the protocols for flexibility exercise training were not set according to American College of Sports Medicine, or ACSM, guidelines, and may not have reached the necessary threshold to achieve benefits for people with fibromyalgia. None of the included studies met all the recommended FITT‐VP (frequency, intensity, time, type, volume, and progression) principles for healthy individuals outlined in the 2013 guidelines.

In conclusion therefore, although our review has shown no significant long-term benefits of flexibility exercise training, there is so much variability in how trials have been conducted that we cannot be sure if there will, or won’t, be lasting benefits for people doing this form of exercise intervention. It’s also not possible to make specific recommendations about the optimal design of flexibility exercise training protocols without a larger body of high‐quality studies with clearly outlined flexibility training protocols that meet the recommended FITT principles and ACSM guidelines. Such studies would greatly advance our understanding of the potential benefits and harms of this type of exercise.”

• Read the Cochrane Review
• Listen to more Cochrane Podcasts
• Get Cochrane Podcasts on iTunes
• Visit the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group website

Friday, February 14, 2020

Specifications: Part time (1 day per week), we anticipate this being a secondment from a Cochrane Group, but we will also consider suitably qualified independent consultants.
Salary: £35,000 FTE per annum, will be prorated for 1 day per week
Location: Remote
Application Closing Date: 09 March 2020 (Midnight GMT)

CIS Support Team members will provide both introductory and ongoing support and training to the CIS community in the areas related to Cochrane editorial processes, information technology, and study identification methods. Support and training will be guided by the needs of practicing CISs and current Cochrane policies and technology developments.

About the role
The postholder would be responsible for the following key accountabilities:

• Provide new CISs with an introduction and orientation to processes, procedures, and policies related to the production of systematic reviews and Specialised Register maintenance.
• Provide ongoing training and support to all CISs in using the Cochrane Register of Studies (CRS).
• Provide established CISs with support for processes, procedures and policies related to the production of systematic reviews relevant to their role.
• Provide help and support to all CISs in using Cochrane editorial tools, e.g. RevMan and Archie.
• Develop programmes and materials to support the training and educational needs of CISs, including the management of CRG Specialised Registers within the CRS.
• Maintain and update the CIS portal and the CIS user guide.
• Identify and advocate for professional development opportunities for CISs within Cochrane.
• Work with the Learning and Support Officer (Group Staff) to ensure training projects/support aligns with
• CET initiatives and objectives.
• Collaborate with learning team colleagues on development of learning and teaching materials.
• Consult with IRMG for input on topical methodological issues.
• Organise and/or co‐facilitate workshops and seminars relevant to the CIS community at Colloquia or regional conferences.
• Assist the Learning and Support Officer (Group Staff) to ensure that reports on the activities of the CIS Support Team are prepared for Cochrane as required.
• Maintain activity logs to assist in the assessment of the CIS Support Team programme.

About you
We are looking for a self-motivated and highly organised individual who is able to work effectively and collaboratively with a diverse range of contacts across the world. The successful candidates will also have:

• Current or very recent experience of working as a CIS in a CRG, field or Centre, preferably for at least two years.
• Library or information science qualification.
• An understanding of information retrieval methodologies, particularly as they apply to the production of systematic reviews.
• Experience of managing a Cochrane Review Group’s Specialised Register using the CRS.
• Knowledge and/or experience of the core Cochrane review production infrastructure e.g. RevMan, Archie, Task Exchange, Cochrane Crowd, etc.
• Experience in biomedical database searching, e.g. The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, trial registries, etc.
• Good written, verbal and presentation skills in English.
• Organisational and time management skills.
• Ability to work independently and in a self‐directed manner, and as part of a virtual team.
• Flexibility and willingness to undertake national and international travel on occasion.

About us
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.

If you would like to apply for this position, please send a CV along with a supporting statement to recruitment@cochrane.org with “CIS Support Team Member” 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 download the full job description from here
• Deadline for applications: 09 March 2020 (12 midnight GMT)
• Interviews to be held: Week commencing 16 March 2020

Thursday, February 13, 2020 Category: Jobs

Cochrane is pleased to announce the release of a new, eleventh module of the Cochrane Interactive Learning course on Health equity in systematic reviews. 

In it, users will learn about health equity, which is the absence of avoidable and unfair differences in health outcomes among groups, and how and when health equity can be incorporated in all steps of the systematic review process. The module also addresses how health equity should be considered in planning aspects of knowledge translation.

Improving health equity is an important goal and is recognized as a priority by the WHO and many other international organizations. Systematic reviews that incorporate health equity can help policymakers assess how interventions work for different population groups. Cochrane is committed to promoting the consideration of health equity in evidence synthesis, and the new Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions has a full chapter dedicated to this subject.

Karla Soares-Weiser, Editor in Chief of the Cochrane Library, says of the module, “We are delighted to present this new module on health equity in systematic reviews. Cochrane fully supports the methods to incorporate health equity into our systematic reviews. We hope that Cochrane authors and the broader community will use this valuable resource to learn more about how we can consider health equity in evidence synthesis.”

The eleventh module of the Cochrane Interactive Learning Course was developed by a partnership between members of the Campbell and Cochrane Equity Methods Group, the Learning Team in Cochrane’s People Services Department and world-leading e-learning designers.

With this module, Cochrane continues our commitment to providing high quality, engaging, and innovative distance learning. Some Cochrane contributors and residents of HINARI countries may access the new module (and the entire Cochrane Interactive Learning course) for free, and subscription options are available for individuals and institutions. To find out more and access the new module, please visit this page.

Wednesday, February 12, 2020

In October 2019, Cochrane announced its commitment to a full update the Cochrane Review Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome. The statement noted plans for: “a comprehensive review of the protocol, which will be developed in consultation with an independent advisory group that we intend to convene. This group will involve partners from patient-advocacy groups from different parts of the world who will help us to embed a patient-focused, contemporary perspective on the review question, methods and findings.”

Cochrane is now pleased to announce that Hilda Bastian has been appointed to lead the independent advisory group. Hilda has been a health consumer advocate and researcher, and has held many roles with healthcare bodies. She is also author of the popular PLoS blog “Absolutely Maybe”, which looks at the uncertainties in medicine, and reported on the contents and conduct of the Cochrane Review Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome. Her knowledge and understanding of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and the methodology of systematic reviews, saw broad support for her blog posts from consumers and researchers alike.

Cochrane’s Editor-in-Chief, Dr Karla Soares-Weiser, said: “Hilda’s appointment marks the first steps in Cochrane’s commitment to update the Cochrane Review on exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome. We look forward to learning from the process of involving an independent advisory group of patients, clinicians and researchers in the development of Cochrane Reviews.”

As lead of the independent advisory group, Hilda will be involved in the recruitment of members to the group, as well as facilitating group discussions and input. Hilda remarked on her new role: “It is wonderful to see this level of responsiveness to serious community concerns about a Cochrane review, and I am honoured to be involved. I look forward to learning more from the ME/CFS community and the advisory group, as well as working with the Cochrane editorial team.”

There will be further announcements as the independent advisory group, protocol and review update progress.

The independent advisory group can be contacted directly on cochrane.iag@gmail.com. When the independent advisory group finishes its work, the contents of this email account will be archived at Cochrane.

• Read the Review in full
• Find out more about the Cochrane Library

Thursday, February 13, 2020

Specifications: Full Time, permanent
Salary: c.£40,000 FTE per annum
Location: Flexible
Application Closing Date: 02 March 2020 (12 Midnight GMT)

Cochrane is seeking to appoint two full-time Associate Editors to increase the support for producing high quality reviews across its eight thematic Cochrane Review Group (CRG) Networks. The eight Networks of CRGs support the efficient and timely production of high-quality systematic reviews that address the research questions that are most important to decision makers.

The Networks are made up of between 5 and 9 CRGs, covering the areas of:

• Abdomen and Endocrine;
• Acute and Emergency Care;
• Cancer;
• Children and Families;
• Circulation and Breathing;
• Mental Health and Neuroscience;
• Musculoskeletal, Ocular, Skin and Sensory; and
• Public Health and Health Systems.

The Networks are led by eight Network Senior Editors, and currently supported by a team of four Associate Editors and eight Network Support Fellows (see https://www.cochrane.org/about-us/our-global-community/review-group-networks for more information).

About the role

The two posts will provide support for the five main objectives identified in each Network strategic plan:

• Supporting review production and capacity
• Evaluating Network scope and prioritisation of topics
• Fostering collaboration within the Network and with the wider Cochrane community
• Supporting knowledge translation to increase the impact of Cochrane reviews
• Ensuring accountability and sustainability of the Network

About you

We are looking for a self-motivated and highly organised individual who is able to work effectively and collaboratively with a diverse range of contacts across the world. The successful candidates will also have:

• An understanding of the importance of systematic reviews to clinical decision making
• Familiarity with Cochrane guidance and standards in the design, conduct, and reporting of systematic reviews, including MECIR and GRADE methods.
• Knowledge and skills relevant to the systematic review process
• Strong organization and prioritization skills
• Past or present experience of providing technical editing for systematic reviews

The assignment of the new Associate Editors to Networks will be judged on their profile and skillset.

About us

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.

If you would like to apply for this position, please send a CV along with a supporting statement to recruitment@cochrane.org with “Associate Editor” 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 download the full job description from here
• Deadline for applications: (12 midnight GMT)

Tuesday, February 11, 2020 Category: Jobs

The 2019 Coronavirus outbreak was declared a global Public Health Emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 30th January 2020.
 
The WHO is now working closely with global experts, governments and partners to rapidly expand scientific knowledge on this new virus, to track the spread and virulence of the virus, and to provide advice to countries and individuals on measures to protect health and prevent the spread of this outbreak.
 
Today Cochrane has released a Special Collection: Coronavirus (2019-nCoV): evidence relevant to critical care

 
This Cochrane Library Special Collection pulls together the Cochrane Reviews that are most relevant to the management of people hospitalized with severe acute respiratory infections. It features Cochrane Reviews from three Cochrane Groups who are part of the Acute and Emergency Care Network to inform health-decision making relevant to current WHO recommendations for the 2019 Coronavirus outbreak.
 
The collection will be reviewed as the situation changes to ensure ongoing relevance, and an additional collection of reviews addressing prevention and infection control measures will be developed separately.  

• Read Cochrane’s Special Collection: Coronavirus (2019-nCoV): evidence relevant to critical care in full
• Find about more about Cochrane Acute and Emergency Care Network
  
  

Picture credit: Stocktrek Images/Getty Images

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Specifications: Full Time, Permanent
Salary: £30,000 per annum
Location: London
Application Closing Date: Midnight 13th February 2020

This role is an exciting opportunity to use your experience in office management to make a difference in the field of health care research. 

Operating in a small, friendly office environment, we are looking for an Office Manager who can work independently in supporting the wider Cochrane team. You will undertake the administrative activities that facilitate the smooth running of the Cochrane office in London. You'll ensure the office environment and equipment is maintained to the appropriate quality and quantity, relevant records are up to date and retained appropriately and all administrative processes work effectively.

The successful candidate will also have:

• Previous office/facilities management experience
• Previous senior administration experience
• Excellent organisational and prioritization skills; with a flexible approach as needs change
• Ability to prioritise and manage own workload amid conflicting demands and busy work periods
• Excellent interpersonal skills

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.

If you would like to apply for this position, please send a CV along with a supporting statement to recruitment@cochrane.org with “Office Manager” 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 download the full job description from here
• Deadline for applications: 13 February 2020 (12 midnight GMT)
• Interviews to be held on week commencing 24 February
  
  

Thursday, February 6, 2020 Category: Jobs

Specifications: Full or Part Time considered
Salary: £38,000 FTE per annum
Location: Flexible
Application Closing Date: 27th February 2020

This role is an exciting opportunity to use your writing experience to make a difference in the field of health care research. 

This new role within Cochrane will be responsible for producing Plain Language Summaries (PLS), a vitally important part of our systematic reviews, which provides an easy-to-understand summary of the key information provided in our reviews; improving the accessibility, readability and understanding of Cochrane evidence.

We are looking for a self-motivated and highly organised individual with excellent written communication skills.  Alongside the ability to manage projects and work collaboratively with a diverse range of contracts, the successful candidate will also have:

• Experience working within a professional science or health-writing/editing environment, or in journalism and/or in a similar role.
• Familiarity with Cochrane guidance and standards on the design, conduct, and reporting of systematic reviews, including MECIR and GRADE methods.
• Ability to explain complex material to a non-expert audience, including summarizing data accurately and producing reports on systematic review outcomes.

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.

If you would like to apply for this position, please send a CV along with a supporting statement to recruitment@cochrane.org with Plain Language Summary Writer 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 download the full job description from here.
• Deadline for applications: 27th February 2020 (12 midnight GMT)
• Interviews to be held from 12th March onwards

Tuesday, February 4, 2020 Category: Jobs

The Thomas C Chalmers MD Award Committee 2019 wishes to extend its congratulations to this year’s winner for best Poster presentation, Rui Wang.

2019 Poster presentation winner - Rui Wang 

Froeks Kamminga, Methods Liaison Officer in the Editorial and Methods Department, caught up with best Poster presentation winner Rui Wang to find out a little more about him and ask what winning the award meant to him.

Rui is a research fellow from the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. He works as a methodologist in the Evidence-based Women’ Health Care Research Group. He started his career as a gynaecologist and subsequently undertook training in epidemiology and shifted his career into clinical research and research methodology. He was awarded a PhD on evidence synthesis in November 2019. His methodology interests are randomised controlled trials and evidence synthesis methods, while his main clinical research interest is women’s health.

Why did you enter the competition?
You may agree with me that research on methodology seems to be less acknowledged and more difficult to engage the audience than clinical research. I think this competition is an excellent opportunity for all early career researchers to share their research on methodology and engage with a wider community. By entering the competition, I’m also committed to do my best to prepare my presentation.

What does the award mean to you personally?
I regard Thomas Chalmers as an inspiring pioneer in evidence-based medicine and consider it a great honour to receive the award named after him, also on behalf of my co-authors. I am motivated to continue my research to improve research quality in evidence-based medicine. It was not just his work that got me the award, and I thank my co-authors, especially Lene Seidler from the University of Sydney, for their help for preparing the presentation.

What impact has the award had on your work?
This was the first time I attended the Cochrane Colloquium, but I felt very welcomed by the community. I am grateful for all the congratulatory messages from old and new friends on social media, by email or in person, and I have also received some great suggestions and feedback on my presentation from the Cochrane community, despite it being a virtual colloquium. I really appreciate the opportunity to network and establish future collaborations. I would like to thank the Cochrane team, especially the Cochrane Chile team, for their efforts to organise such an amazing virtual event.

What advice have you got for researchers considering entering for the award in 2020:
There was a famous quote “A conference poster should be readable in 3 minutes, from 3 metres away, after 3 beers.” I think the idea is that delivering a clear and concise message is important for poster presentations, as in most cases a reader would have to spend maybe less than 1 minute on a poster. Therefore, it would be worth highlighting the key message by visualising the data so that the audience can be easily engaged during the presentation. We should also embrace diversity in poster designs and therefore you may get inspired by the #betterposter design. All the best!

You can find Rui's Poster here:

 "Reporting of Cochrane systematic review protocols with network meta-analyses – a scoping review"

For further information on other prizes which are awarded at the Colloquium, please visit https://colloquium2020.cochrane.org/prizes-and-awards

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

In this interview we ask Rebecca Hodder from the National Health and Medical Research Centre Early Career Research Fellow, the University of Newcastle, Australia and Nicole Martin, Managing Editor, Cochrane Heart, University College London, London, UK to tell us more about this Living Systematic Review, which looks at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in children under five years old.

Why was this review selected to be a Living Systematic Review (LSR) originally, was it in response to a target audience need?

Rebecca: The original review was initiated by the author team, who are embedded within the Hunter New England Local Health District, to inform the delivery of healthy eating health promotion services to children. The original review identified 5 studies and little evidence of effectiveness to inform what interventions could be implemented within the Local Health District to increase the fruit and vegetable consumption of young children.

For the first update of this review, the number of studies had substantially increased from 5 to 50 studies and it was during this update that we were approached to participate in a pilot study to maintain our review as an LSR.

Our review was considered appropriate for an LSR, given it met three key criteria:

First, the review question was considered a priority for decision making. There is a growing burden of disease internationally as a result of inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption, we know that childhood is a critical period during which lifelong healthy eating behaviours are established, and evidence from this review has the potential to inform international childhood obesity prevention interventions (as well as those within our Local Health District).   

Second, the quality of the evidence for each of the comparisons from the original review was assessed as very low. This indicated there was a lack of certainty in the evidence and the results and the conclusions of the review were likely to change with the addition of new studies, if any were identified.

Third, on the basis of the identification of 45 new studies and a further 5 ongoing studies since the publication of the original review, there was new research evidence available that may change the conclusions and recommendations.

The current review update was published in November 2019. It includes 78 studies with a further 16 ongoing studies yet to be synthesised, and the quality of evidence for comparisons range from very low to moderate quality evidence. As a result it remains appropriate for an LSR and we will continued to maintain it as an LSR.

Nicole: This review meets the three criteria that make it appropriate for a review to be living (according to the Cochrane LSR Methods Guidance):

• The topic is a priority for decision making
• There is uncertainty in the existing evidence base
• Emerging evidence that may impact on the conclusions 

This review has applied living systematic review methods since September 2017. Since then monthly searches are being run and screened and three subsequent updates were published – in January 2018, May 2018 and November 2019.

The increase in included and ongoing studies over time shows that this is a very active research area. The large disease burden based on insufficient consumption of fruit and vegetables means there is a need to incorporate new evidence when it emerges to adequately inform policy makers and the public.

Is the review in partnership with any other organisations?

Rebecca: Whilst the review is not explicitly conducted in partnership with other organisations, the author team hold positions or affiliations with the University of Newcastle, Hunter New England Local Health District and Hunter Medical Research Institute (Australia.)  Author roles within Hunter New England Local Health District include delivering health promotion services, including those focused on healthy eating, to children via various settings including childcare services, hospitals and community health. Our LSR provides current evidence regarding which interventions are most likely to be effective for improving child heathy eating which can then be implemented within the Local Health District.

What does the review tell us?

Rebecca: Despite the large number of studies that have been conducted, now 78 in total, there is still limited evidence regarding effective ways to increase the fruit and vegetable consumption of young children. Of the types of approaches that have been investigated, multicomponent interventions (e.g. those that combine parent nutrition education with preschool nutrition policy changes), seem to have the most promise. The review found that multicomponent programs probably increase fruit and vegetable intake by children (by 0.36 cups per day) based on the moderate quality of the evidence from 14 studies. The review also found child feeding interventions may increase, and it was uncertain whether parent nutrition education interventions alone increased, child fruit and vegetable consumption.

How is working on/updating an LSR different to a ‘normal’ Cochrane review update, does this present any challenges/opportunities?

Rebecca: The main differences between maintaining an LSR and conducting a ‘normal’ Cochrane review update is the frequency of searching for and synthesising data from new studies.

For an LSR, database searches, screening of identified records, and data extraction from eligible studies are conducted on a monthly basis. Data from newly identified studies are then incorporated into the existing review; results and conclusions are updated; and the review update re-published. For our LSR we aim to re-publish the review every 3-4 months.

The main challenge of LSRs for an author team, is the ongoing availability of authors to undertake the required monthly and other tasks within a short time frame, and often concurrently. Early on we identified a team of authors that had expertise in child nutrition, the conduct of systematic reviews and ongoing capacity to contribute to our LSR. For the most part we have maintained this team of authors since the inception of our LSR. Additionally, we have used a number of tech-enablers to reduce the workload for authors during the screening stage, including a machine learning classifier of randomised controlled trials and Cochrane Crowd, which combined have more than halved the number of studies to be screened.

The RCT classifier (available in the CRE-Web) identifies which records from a database search are most likely to be RCTs (10-100% likely to be an RCT) and which are not (0-9% likely to be an RCT). For our LSR, those records likely to be RCTs were then screened by the author team against all review eligibility criteria, whereas those unlikely to be RCTs were sent to Cochrane Crowd to be screened. Any records identified as RCTs by Cochrane Crowd members were sent back to the author team to be screened.

Other key enablers for the conduct of LSRs includes the support and strong partnership with your Cochrane editorial team and access to LSR expertise. For our LSR, the Cochrane Heart Group have conducted the monthly database searches and facilitated an expedited timeline for editorial review and publication which has made our LSR possible. We have also had ongoing guidance and advice from many experienced members of the LSR Support team formed as part of Project Transform regarding the conduct of LSRs.

Our LSR provides an opportunity to generate the most up to date evidence for practitioners and policy-makers and inform international efforts to improve the dietary intake of young children. We are also currently investigating some other opportunities, including ways our LSR can be linked with child nutrition guidelines, and also partnering with health policy-makers to ensure the research evidence generated by our LSR is translated into policy and can achieve population wide benefits. There are also a number of other tech-enablers available or in development to assist with LSRs both within and beyond Cochrane, including Screen4Me.

Nicole: From an editorial prospective, the main challenge an LSR presents relates to time.

Our team’s Information Specialist works on compiling the latest search results on a monthly basis. While some of this is covered by search alerts, other databases have to be searched afresh each time. Deduplication of records against each month’s yield as well as all previously retrieved records also takes time. The numbers of search results to manage each month are relatively small, but the frequency of this task can be a challenge.

The time for the editorial review of LSR updates is much reduced compared to our usual processes. This requires careful planning and for everyone involved to be committed to very quick turn-around times - the editorial team, peer reviewers, editors, copy editors, sign-off editor and review authors.

For the latest update published on 7 November 2019 the first draft of the review update was submitted to us on 3 October 2019. Within just over a month, comments from everyone mentioned above were obtained and the authors addressed those in two separate rounds of revisions.

This highlights another prerequisite for an LSR – a high quality of the initial submission.

Some specific aspects are slightly different to the usual review process. We aim to involve peer reviewers repeatedly for LSR update cycles as familiarity with the review contents is thought to support a quicker response time. This was done for the publications in January and May 2018 and we aim to apply this again, with a new set of peer reviewers, to this current round of publications in November 2019 and the subsequent two during the first half of 2020.

A similar principle applies to copy editing in that the same copy editor looks at only those elements of the review that have changed compared to the previously published version.

How often will the LSR be updated?

Rebecca: During 2020 we will continue to maintain our review as an LSR. This involve ongoing monthly searches and identification of new studies, and re-publication of the review every 3-4 months. The ‘What’s new’ section of the review is updated every month to indicate how many new studies have been identified to date that will be synthesised in the next review update.

• Read the review
• Learn more about Cochrane Heart
• Learn more about Cochrane Living Systematic Reviews

Tuesday, February 11, 2020

Register before the 2 July 2020 to receive the reduced early bird rate

The 2020 Cochrane Colloquium will be held at The Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto, Canada on the October 4-7, 2020. 

This year’s theme is ‘Rapid-learning Health Systems’, exploring approaches to improving people’s experiences and health outcomes while keeping costs manageable and health care stakeholders engaged. Rapid-learning health systems apply to all levels of health care (from clinical encounter to program, organization and system) and across all parts (from home care to primary and specialty care and public health). The Colloquium will also address the role of technology in achieving Rapid-learning health systems. More information on the theme can be found here.

To ensure that all levels of health care decision-makers feel welcome and included, we were recently excited to announce that this year’s Colloquium, will now become a Patients Included Accredited Event. The choice to make the 2020 Colloquium a Patients Included event also furthers some of the key goals identified in Cochrane’s Strategy to 2020. As Cochrane prepares a new organizational strategy beyond 2020, Cochrane Canada and the 2020 Colloquium will play a key role in launching the next phase of Cochrane’s future growth and sustainability plans. This includes continuing to bring together stakeholders under the common goal of creating better health outcomes for patients.

See how the Toronto Colloquium will meet the 5 charter criteria here.

• Register today by clicking here
• Registration fees
• Registration guidelines and policies 

Further information:

Website: colloquium2020.cochrane.org
Twitter:  @CochraneCanada and #CochraneToronto

Monday, February 3, 2020

Cochrane exists so healthcare decisions get better.

Cochrane evidence provides a powerful tool to enhance your healthcare knowledge and decision making; regardless as to whether you are a doctor or nurse, patient or carer, researcher or funder. 

All of these individuals are welcome at Cochrane Colloquium in Toronto in 2020, where we gather as a community to promote evidence-informed decision making. This year’s theme ‘Rapid-learning Health Systems,’ has been chosen as approaches apply to all levels of stakeholders and health care (from clinical encounter up to program, organization and system) and across all parts of a system (from home care to primary and specialty care and public health).  

To ensure that all levels of health care decision-makers feel welcome and included, this year’s Colloquium,  being held in Toronto, Canada from October 4-7 will now become a Patients Included Accredited Event.

The choice to make the 2020 Colloquium a Patients Included event also furthers some of the key goals identified in Cochrane’s Strategy to 2020. As Cochrane prepares a new organizational strategy beyond 2020, Cochrane Canada and the 2020 Colloquium will play a key role in launching the next phase of Cochrane’s future growth and sustainability plans. This includes continuing to bring together stakeholders under the common goal of creating better health outcomes for patients.

This is not the first time Cochrane’s annual Colloquium has received the Patients Included accreditation. The 2018 Edinburgh Colloquium was designated Patients Included, with the Cochrane Consumer Network playing a leading role in the facilitation and participation of patients, carers and family members with first-hand experience of a healthcare condition (referred to as Consumers). The Cochrane Consumer Network is a large and growing community of over 1,500 people and in 89 countries worldwide. 

For more information – click here

Important Information: According to its website, The Patients Included charter provides entities with a means of demonstrating their commitment to incorporating the experience and insight of patients into their organizations by ensuring that they are neither excluded nor exploited. Conferences that successfully meet all five of the Charter’s clauses may accredit themselves as Patient Included events. These clauses can be viewed in full on the Patients Included website, but require that the active participation of patients or caregivers in the design, planning and delivery of the Colloquium, the provision of scholarships for patients and carers, and accessibility requirements (including access for virtual participants) is accommodated. 

Friday, January 31, 2020

Specifications: 0.6 FTE, 22.5 hours, permanent contract
Salary: £30,000
Location: flexible
Application closing date: 13 February 2020

This role is an exciting opportunity to make a difference in the field of healthcare research working as a Senior Copy Editor.

The Senior Copy Editor will be responsible for the copy-editing of Cochrane Reviews and other Cochrane Library content, and will support copy-editing operations, including management of the Copy Edit Support service, maintenance of the Cochrane Style Manual, supporting the EMD Editorial Service, and deputising for the Copy Editing Manager.

The mission of the Cochrane Editorial and Methods Department (EMD) is to ensure that the Cochrane Library maintains its reputation as the international source of trustworthy, independent, and relevant information to guide healthcare decisions.

The successful candidate will be responsible for the following activities:

• Undertake copy-editing of submissions to Copy Edit Support and the EMD Editorial Service, with particular responsibility for complex, high-priority, or urgent Cochrane Reviews and new types of Cochrane Review;
• Undertake copy-editing of reports for the Cochrane Library (including Editorials and Special Collections) prepared by the EMD;
• Assist with the management of the Copy Edit Support service, including holiday cover for the Copy Editing Manager and preparation of reports;
• Contribute to the maintenance and development of the Cochrane Style Manual;
• Help to develop and conduct assessments or audits of copy-editing quality and policy adherence;
• Assist with the copy-editing accreditation process;
• Help to develop and deliver training relating to copy-editing or the Style Manual;
• Participate in EMD projects, as required.

The successful candidate will also have:

• Proven experience in medical or scientific copy-editing;
• Familiarity with Cochrane Reviews;
• Good organizational, prioritization, and people skills; ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines in a timely fashion;
• The ability to work methodically and accurately with meticulous attention to detail;
• The ability to work independently or as part of a team;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English;
• An adaptable, flexible attitude, and be willing to undertake additional responsibilities/tasks;
• The ability to develop and maintain working relationships with stakeholders;
• Proficient IT skills, including – but not limited to – Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; and able to adopt quickly to editorial management and other systems being used by the organization;
• A proactive approach to problem-solving;
• Familiarity with Cochrane;
• The ability to work flexible hours;
• Availability for occasional national and international travel.

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 recognized as the international gold standard for high quality, trusted information.

If you would like to apply for this position, please send a CV along with a supporting statement to recruitment@cochrane.org with ‘Senior Copy Editor’ 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 that you feel are relevant to the post. Shortlisted candidates will be required to take Cochrane's copy-editing accreditation test (if they are not already accredited) as part of the selection process.

• For further information, please download the full job description
• Deadline for applications: 13th February 2020 (12 midnight GMT)
• Interview information: w/c 26th February 2020 (to be confirmed)

Thursday, January 30, 2020 Category: Jobs

Specifications: Permanent, Full time
Salary: £40,000
Location: London Office based
Application Closing Date: 24th February 2020

The HR team at Cochrane is currently working on a new strategy to bring Human Resources to the next stage of development within the organisation, ensuring that the wider organisation is supported and developed as it grows. Reporting to the HR Manager, this role will have responsibility for developing and embedding of a whole range of generalist HR activity from recruitment and management support, through to some organisational development initiatives. We are seeking a Senior HR Advisor  looking to use and develop further their experience in HR to work with a friendly, small team at this exciting time and make a difference in the field of health care research.  As part of this team, you will work with us in providing a high quality, responsive, efficient and effective Human Resources function for Cochrane.

Your key areas of responsibility will be:

• Responsible for our recruitment and on-boarding processes from end to end, partnering with managers to ensure that we recruit “the right people at the right time” to further Cochrane’s objectives
• Leads on developing workforce planning so that we can meet our future staffing needs
• Key responsibility for promoting equality, diversity and inclusion
• Offers a casework management service to all levels of Cochrane managers
• Develops, reviews and implements HR policies across the organisation
• Leads on ensuring an effective HR appraisal system is in operation
• Maintain effective and supportive relationships throughout the organisation

We are looking for a self-motivated and highly organised individual who can work effectively and collaboratively with a diverse range of contacts across the world.  The successful candidate must also be able to offer:

• CIPD qualification equivalent to Level 7 or working towards this
• Previous experience of HR in the not-for-profit sector with a generalist remit
• Skilled at coaching and supporting managers to build their competence
• Self-confidence, personal credibility and the ability to support and challenge others appropriately
• Good understanding and application of the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion in the workplace
• Pragmatism and problem-solving skills and the ability to think creatively when faced with new problems
• Commitment to Cochrane’s mission and values
• Although not essential, we would also welcome candidates with a working knowledge of employment legislation in Denmark and/or Germany, plus experience of supporting remote workers internationally.

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.

If you would like to apply for this position, please send a CV along with a supporting statement to recruitment@cochrane.org with “Senior Human Resources Advisor” 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 download the full job description from here
• Interviews to be held: week commencing 9th March

Thursday, January 30, 2020 Category: Jobs

Cochrane has a commitment to producing and sharing high quality health evidence to as broad an audience as possible. Cochrane partnered in 2014 with Wikipedia, with the joint goal of improving the quality and reliability of human health-related articles that people are accessing online.

Jennifer Dawson, PhD, is a Wikipedia Consultant for Cochrane . Her role includes maintaining and building further relations with Wikipedia, connecting new editors to the Wikipedia community, and supporting requests for engagement in Wikipedia work from the Cochrane community. We interviewed Jennifer to learn more about the Cochrane-Wikipedia partnership:

Why should we care about Wikipedia?
Millions of people around the world access health-related information on Wikipedia each day. Medical-related articles are available in over 286 languages on Wikipedia and often come up early on an internet search. The readership base varies broadly and includes members of the public, medical students, medical professionals, journalists, and policy makers (More info here). Given that so many people are consulting Wikipedia on a daily basis, we feel that Cochrane’s commitment to producing and sharing high quality health evidence includes sharing that evidence where people are accessing it.

How can I get involved?
Nearly half of all Cochrane Reviews are already shared on Wikipedia! Cochrane is presently the most frequently cited peer-reviewed medical journal on Wikipedia (More info here).  English Wikipedia includes over 36,000 health-related articles and there are over 3000 Cochrane reviews that are not yet shared on Wikipedia. There are two main ways you can get involved:

1.    Add new Cochrane Evidence to Wikipedia - Every three months, a new list of Cochrane Reviews to consider for Wikipedia is generated. Reviews to consider for Wikipedia are organized by Cochrane Review Group and can be access here:  Cochrane Review List (English).

2.    Ensure that the evidence already shared on Wikipedia is accurate, unbiased, and up to date. - Volunteers are needed to review what is presently shared in Wikipedia. Wikipedia articles that include out dated versions of Cochrane Reviews need to be updated. Cochrane maintains a list of Reviews that need updating. This list is refreshed monthly to include recently updated Cochrane Reviews: Cochrane-Wikipedia Update Project.

How can I edit Wikipedia in languages other than English?
Cochrane has active projects in many different languages including Spanish, French, and Dutch. Please visit the “Projects” tab project page to learn more about specific projects: Cochrane-Wikipedia Projects.

How can I learn how to edit Wikipedia?
Cochrane has developed and collated numerous training resources. Our newest resource, the Wikipedian in Training Resource, is the best place to begin. This resource shares suggested first steps, ideas for how to practice editing, and an example of the general workflow of editing Wikipedia and sharing Cochrane evidence.

Jennifer can be found on Wikipedia at: JenOttawa and by email at jdawson@cochrane.org. Please visit the Cochrane-Wikipedia Project Page for more information.

Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Depression is common after stroke yet often is not detected or inadequately treated.

Review authors from Australia, Canada, Taiwan and the UK asked, "Do pharmacological treatments, non‐invasive brain stimulation, psychological treatments, or combination treatments reduce the proportion of people with depression or the extent of depressive symptoms after stroke?"

The authors included trials that reported on the use of pharmacological, non‐invasive brain stimulation, psychological, and combination therapy interventions to treat depression after stroke. Mean age of people included in the trials ranged from 54 to 78 years. Studies were from Asia (30), Europe (11), North America (6), and Australia (2). 

The review authors included 49 trials (56 treatments) involving 3342 people. Pharmacological treatments resulted in fewer people meeting the study criteria for depression and less than 50% reduction in depression scale scores at end of treatment. Psychological therapy reduced the number of people meeting the study criteria for depression at end of treatment. More people in the pharmacological treatment group reported central nervous system (in five trials) and gastrointestinal side effects (in four trials) than in the placebo groups. Information on side effects of other treatments was not provided. 

Estimates of treatment effects were imprecise due to small numbers in most studies and recruitment of people with very different baseline characteristics. The authors rated the certainty of evidence as very low due to these and other limitations in study design.

Antidepressant drugs may benefit people with persistent depressive symptoms after stroke, but care is required in their use, as little is known about their side effects. Psychological therapy may offer a treatment option. Future research should include a broader group of people with stroke.

• Read the press release from The George Institute for Global Health
• Read the review
• Learn more about Cochrane Stroke

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Closing: Feb 29 2020

The open post-doc position is focused on meta-research in field Public Health. Czech National Centre for Evidence-Based Healthcare and Knowledge Translation (CEBHC-KT), Institute Biostatistics and Analysis, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University stands on three international pillars: Cochrane Czech Republic, Czech CEBHC: Joanna Briggs Institute Centre of Excellence, and Masaryk University GRADE Center (https://cebhckt.med.muni.cz/en/). CEBHC-KT is mainly focused on methodology and conducting Systematic Reviews (meta-analysis, meta-synthesis) and Clinical Practice Guidelines, training in Evidence-Based Healthcare approach, Evidence Synthesis, GRADE methodology, and Evidence Implementation.

Mentor Dr. Miloslav Klugar is a director and co-founder of the Czech National Centre for Evidence-Based Healthcare and Knowledge Translation and its parts (Cochrane, JBI, GRADE); also Adjunct Associate Professor of Public Health at University of Adelaide.

Postdoc fellow will become a member of CEBHC-KT and all its three international collaboration. The main aim of this postdoc fellowship is the methodology and conducting systematic reviews in Public Health. However, postdoc fellow will be involved in all activities of CEBHC-KT, including for example ongoing projects “Czech national guidelines project”, COST Action „Evidence-Based Research“, ERASMUS+ project “SPIDER”; etc.; and preparation of project proposals within Horizon 2020. Postdoc fellow will also be involved in the organization of the Global Evidence Summit.

The successful candidate should:

• be a researcher who has received a PhD or its equivalent within the last 7 years
• be a researcher who has worked at least two whole years in the last three years outside the territory of the Czech Republic in the field of research with a working time of at least 0.5 full-time equivalent, or who has been PhD student (or equivalent) abroad
• have a publishing record – in the last three years at least two publication outputs registered in the Thomson Reuters Web of Science, Scopus or ERIH PLUS databases and at the same time publications such as “articles”, “books”, “book chapters”, “letters” and “reviews”.

Specific criteria:

• experience or knowledge in the field of Public Health or Research Methods
• knowledge of EBM, Systematic reviews and Clinical Practice Guidelines is an advantage
• excellent communication skills and the ability to collaborate in teams
• English of the level C1 is a requirement, other languages (German, Russian, Portugal or Chinese) are an advantage

MU offers the opportunity to get:

• an interesting job in a dynamically-expanding university area
• diverse and challenging work in an excellent research environment
• tenure track with an initial appointment for 2 years
• a professional team and pleasant working conditions
• interaction with leading scientists in an inspiring, internationalised environment
• a welcoming service for the successful candidate and his/her family

More information and apply

Monday, January 27, 2020 Category: Jobs