Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine

Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine
Name	Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine
Formation	1995
Type	Research centre
Location	University of Oxford
Leader title	Director
Leader name	Paul Glasziou

Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine is a research and education unit based at the University of Oxford focused on promoting evidence-based approaches to clinical practice, health policy, and systematic reviews. The centre engages with a wide range of stakeholders including academic institutions, healthcare organizations, professional societies, national agencies, and international consortia to influence practice and policy. Its work intersects with clinical epidemiology, biostatistics, health technology assessment, and guideline development in disciplines such as primary care, public health, and implementation science.

History

Founded in the mid-1990s within the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, the centre emerged amid growing interest in improving clinical decision-making through systematic review methods associated with figures connected to the Cochrane Collaboration, Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine, and institutions such as McMaster University and Harvard University. Early activities aligned with initiatives like the Cochrane Library expansion, collaborations with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and contributions to debates sparked by publications in journals including the BMJ, The Lancet, and JAMA. Over time the centre developed methodological links to groups at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality while contributing to evidence syntheses for agencies such as the World Health Organization and the European Medicines Agency.

Mission and Activities

The centre's mission emphasizes rigorous appraisal of clinical interventions and diagnostic tests, advancing standards used by bodies like the National Institute for Health Research, National Health Service, and professional colleges such as the Royal College of General Practitioners. Activities include producing systematic reviews, conducting randomized trials and meta-analyses, advising guideline panels for organizations like the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network and the Royal College of Physicians, and participating in policy discussions at venues such as the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Global Health and the World Health Assembly. The centre also engages with regulatory and funding bodies including the Medical Research Council and Wellcome Trust.

Research and Methodology

Research priorities encompass methods for randomized controlled trials linked to trials coordinated by groups at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and registry efforts such as the ISRCTN registry, innovations in meta-analytic techniques paralleling work from the Campbell Collaboration and statistical advances associated with researchers from Stanford University and Imperial College London. Methodological outputs address bias reduction, trial sequential analysis, diagnostic accuracy tied to frameworks like QUADAS, and evidence grading systems influenced by the GRADE Working Group and the Oxfam Research Committee. The centre has contributed to debates on reproducibility prompted by investigations in outlets including Nature and Science and interacts with infrastructure projects such as the European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network.

Education and Training

Educational programs include postgraduate courses and workshops delivered alongside departments such as the Department of Public Health Policy, University of Oxford and partnerships with training providers like the Royal College of Surgeons and General Medical Council. The centre offers modules used by trainees from institutions including King's College London, University College London, and University of Cambridge and collaborates with continuing professional development schemes administered by bodies like the British Medical Association and the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership. It hosts visiting scholars from organizations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Publications and Resources

The centre produces systematic reviews, methodological papers, and educational materials frequently published in journals including BMJ Quality & Safety, Annals of Internal Medicine, and PLOS Medicine. It maintains resources and tools that complement platforms such as the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, databases like PubMed, and reporting standards exemplified by PRISMA and CONSORT. Outputs inform clinical guidelines issued by entities such as the World Organisation of Family Doctors and contribute to evidence summaries used by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Global Burden of Disease collaborators.

Collaborations and Impact

Collaborative networks extend to academic partners including Yale University, University of Toronto, Monash University, and University of Sydney as well as policy partners like the Department of Health and Social Care, Food and Drug Administration, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Impact is evident in citation metrics within databases such as Scopus and influence on guideline recommendations from bodies like the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors and health technology assessments by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The centre's work has shaped practice areas spanning primary care, emergency medicine, and global health programs supported by organizations such as UNICEF and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Category:Health research institutes Category:University of Oxford