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| Cochrane Review Group | |
|---|---|
| Name | Cochrane Review Group |
| Formation | 1993 |
| Type | Non-profit network |
| Headquarters | Oxford, London |
| Location | Global |
| Leader title | Coordinating Editor |
Cochrane Review Group is a collective of specialized editorial teams responsible for producing, maintaining, and disseminating systematic reviews of healthcare interventions within the Cochrane Collaboration. The groups operate across international sites and connect with academic institutions such as University of Oxford, Harvard University, University of Melbourne, University of Toronto, and McGill University while interfacing with health agencies like World Health Organization, National Institutes of Health, European Medicines Agency, NHS England, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their work intersects with major clinical trials, guideline developers such as National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, and large-scale studies including Framingham Heart Study and Randomized Controlled Trial registries.
Cochrane Review Groups emerged after the formation of the Cochrane Collaboration in 1993, influenced by figures and initiatives linked to Archie Cochrane, Iain Chalmers, Allen Newell, Donald Campbell, and networks like International Cochrane Network. Early interactions connected with institutions including University of Oxford, McMaster University, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Yale University, and University of Sydney, and with projects such as the Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials and the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials. The groups expanded through collaborations with organizations like World Health Organization, UNICEF, Gates Foundation, and national bodies such as National Health Service authorities and research councils like National Health and Medical Research Council and National Institute of Health Research. Over time they adapted to developments from landmark events and publications like the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, the rise of randomized controlled trial meta-analyses exemplified by work at Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and methodological advances promoted by Campbell Collaboration and PRISMA guidelines.
Each editorial group focuses on clinical domains related to specialties represented by institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Karolinska Institute, Imperial College London, Stanford University, and Massachusetts General Hospital. Domains include topics overlapping with trials from New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, JAMA, and specialty journals like BMJ and Annals of Internal Medicine. Functions encompass protocol development, peer review management, literature searching linked to databases including PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ClinicalTrials.gov, and liaison with guideline producers like National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and US Preventive Services Task Force. They contribute to policy dialogues involving entities such as World Health Organization, European Commission, G20, and World Bank.
Groups are based in diverse academic and clinical settings including University of Edinburgh, Queen Mary University of London, Karolinska Institute, Monash University, and University of Cape Town, and coordinate governance through editorial boards, advisory panels, and steering committees with links to funders like Wellcome Trust, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, European Research Council, and national research councils. Leadership posts reference roles analogous to chairs at Royal College of Physicians, directors at National Institutes of Health, and editors connected to journals such as The Lancet, BMJ, and JAMA. Governance frameworks interact with legal and policy instruments including International Committee of Medical Journal Editors recommendations, research ethics boards at institutions like Stanford University IRB and regulatory agencies such as Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency.
Production workflows mirror systematic review pipelines used at centers like Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and echo standards from initiatives such as PRISMA, GRADE Working Group, and CONSORT. Steps include protocol registration, comprehensive searches across databases including PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, and Scopus, study selection involving trial reports from New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, and JAMA, risk of bias assessment influenced by methods from Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool and data synthesis often employing meta-analysis techniques popularized in literature from JAMA Network Open and BMJ Open. Editorial oversight involves external peer reviewers affiliated with institutions such as Harvard Medical School, University of Toronto, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and reporting integrates with databases like ClinicalTrials.gov and trial registries overseen by International Committee of Medical Journal Editors policies.
Methodological standards are shaped by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, the GRADE approach, and reporting guidelines such as PRISMA Statement; these interact with statistical methods from authorities like Cochrane Statistical Methods Group and meta-epidemiology research emerging from groups at McMaster University, University of Oxford, and Karolinska Institute. Standards align with systematic review training offered by entities such as EPPI-Centre, Campbell Collaboration, and academic courses at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Johns Hopkins University. Methodological evolution responds to debates reflected in journals like The BMJ, Annals of Internal Medicine, and PLOS Medicine and to regulatory standards from Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency.
Review Groups maintain partnerships with universities including University of Oxford, Harvard University, McMaster University, University of Toronto, and University of Sydney; networks such as World Health Organization, UNICEF, Gates Foundation, and European Commission; and professional societies like American Medical Association, Royal College of Physicians, European Society of Cardiology, and American College of Physicians. They collaborate with data repositories and initiatives such as ClinicalTrials.gov, Cochrane Library, PubMed Central, and open science efforts exemplified by Open Science Framework and funding agencies including Wellcome Trust and National Institutes of Health.
Cochrane Review Groups have influenced clinical guidelines from bodies like National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, US Preventive Services Task Force, and World Health Organization and informed policy debates involving European Commission and health ministries of countries such as United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, and South Africa. Their systematic reviews are cited in high-impact journals including The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and BMJ. Criticisms include concerns about management and editorial independence debated in forums associated with BMJ, The Lancet, and statements from figures affiliated with Oxford University and Harvard University, and methodological critiques appearing in PLOS Medicine and BMJ Open regarding publication bias, conflicts with industry actors like Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, and challenges in updating living reviews discussed alongside initiatives such as Living Systematic Reviews and debates at conferences like World Congress of Epidemiology.
Category:Medical research organizations