Help make sense of evidence

Watch What are systematic reviews?What are systematic reviews?

Watch Key Steps in a Systematic Review

Cochrane learning and resources

GET-IT Glossary includes plain language definitions of health research terms.

Critical Appraisal Skills Programme includes tools to help you make sense of research.

Testing Treatments helps make sense of claims about treatments. Download your free copy by Imogen Evans, Hazel Thornton, Iain Chalmers and Paul Glasziou.

Search Cochrane's Plain Language Summaries of health evidence

Plain language summaries help people to understand and interpret research findings and are included in all Cochrane Reviews. Plain language summaries are created using standard content, structure and language to ease understanding and translation.

We have over 7000 plain language summaries that you can search here.

Watch Karen's video where she explains how she used Cochrane evidence as part of her shared decision making experience. 

Information about health conditions

World Health Organization works with Member States, united in a shared commitment to achieve better health for everyone, everywhere. Here is an A – Z of health conditions.

UK National Health Service provides an A to Z list of information about health conditions.

Patient is an independent health platform containing over 4000 health information leaflets and thousands of discussion forums.

Real life experience of ill health

Healthtalk.org provides free, reliable information about health issues, by sharing people's real-life experiences.

Healthline provides guidance for "...the best possible health outcomes for you and your family.”

Evidently Cochrane includes health evidence presented in an interesting and accessible way in English including consumers’ stories of using evidence.

The Patient Experience Library is a (UK) patient's-eye view of service quality

Help to make decisions about treatments

Patient Revolution includes resources for people who need to have conversations with their health care professional about treatments.

UK NHS Shared Decision Making shares the conversation that happens between a patient and their health professional to reach a healthcare choice together. 

There are a range of organisations that offer tools to help patients make decisions about treatment options, such as: Decision Grid, Choosing Wisley, Ottawa Personal Decision Guides and InforMED - Patient Decision Aids.