In this PhD, Individual Participant Data will be collected from eligible RCTs of add-on treatment in patients with refractory epilepsy. Statistical issues for the analysis of these trials will be explored and a network meta-analysis undertaken using the most efficient and statistically reliable methods. It is anticipated that the characteristics of trials and their participants will have changed over time due to the changing global nature of epilepsy research, the widening population of available AEDs, and changes in the classification and management of epilepsy. Patients within, and across, trials will also differ in the adjunctive AEDs taken alongside the experimental add-on AED or placebo. Such differences are likely to impact upon the underlying assumptions made in a network meta-analysis and the value of having IPD to thoroughly explore such issues will be fully exploited. The research would be completed with support from the Cochrane Epilepsy Group.

• You should have, or expect to hold an MSc in Statistics or relevant discipline.
• For European/UK Students only.
• The English Language Requirement for EU Students is an IELTS score of 6.5 with no band score lower than 5.5.
• The studentship would be funded for three years at Home/EU rate, with a RCUK Stipend of 14,553 per annum.

The research would be completed with support from the Cochrane Epilepsy Group. 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.

Read the full description and apply.

Thursday, June 14, 2018 Category: Jobs

Cochrane Training is pleased to announce that Cochrane Review production training materials are now available in Russian.

The materials cover essential aspects of a Cochrane Review production based on the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The training materials, translated into Russian, consist of records of fourteen Cochrane standard training modules. These modules include subjects and topics required to guide a learner or evidence-user, new to Cochrane, through the steps of a Cochrane intervention Review production; starting from defining a review question to understanding and reporting biases, analysing non-standard data and exploring heterogeneity.  

They will be especially helpful to medical and pharmacy students as well as their teachers by facilitating their way in an increasingly advancing field of health evidence synthesis.

It’s hoped that they will be instrumental in creating learning opportunities for health professionals and practitioners across Russia, contributing largely to Cochrane’s work in knowledge translation within Russian-speaking settings by creating a culture of systematic approach to search for evidence, critical appraisal and evidence synthesis, and ultimately defining research agenda.

These freely available Cochrane training materials will promote Cochrane’s mission of promoting evidence-informed health decision-making by producing high-quality, relevant, accessible systematic reviews and other synthesized research evidence.

Find out more here: Cochrane Training Resources in Russian.

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Specifications: Full Time
Salary: Competitive
Location: London
Application Closing Date: 06 July 2018

This role is an exciting opportunity to support the Editorial and Methods Department (EMD), Cochrane Library Product Manager and other Central Executive Teams in delivering on high priority projects: by developing an agreed framework for project management and reporting, supporting colleagues to manage their projects efficiently and transparently, and to provide project management services to the highest priority EMD projects, including the implementation of the Cochrane Library roadmap.

The Project Manager will lead on the transformation in relation to managing projects within Cochrane and act as the first point to contact for project management enquiries for Cochrane staff, offering support and guidance for project management methods, tools and processes.

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 candidate will also have:

• Proven strategic planning, project management and organisational skills; and the ability to coordinate the work of teams and individuals, ensuring the quality and timeliness of outputs
• Experience of managing projects, change management and risk management
• Experience of agile project management methodology
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (spoken, written and presentational) and a collaborative management style
• High level of technological competence, including the ability to evaluate and use project management software
• Proven ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Flexibility and adaptability
• Experience of strategic planning and budgeting

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 “Project  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 see the full job description.

Deadline for applications: 06 July 2018 (12 midnight GMT)

Interviews to be held on: TBC

Tuesday, June 12, 2018 Category: Jobs

This news item was orginally posted on Cochrane Australia website.

A new report published heralds an exciting development for evidence-based health care in Australia, with the promise of near real-time incorporation of research into evidence-based guideline recommendations now a step closer to reality. 

The Living Evidence for Australian Health Care report details the outcomes of forum hosted by Cochrane Australia last month which brought together leading experts in evidence synthesis and guideline development across several of Australia’s most pressing chronic diseases to explore opportunities for advancing ‘Living’ models of systematic review and guideline production.

Over the last five years, Cochrane and a number of Australian and international partners have developed the foundations of the Living Evidence model of evidence synthesis and dissemination. This world-leading approach harnesses innovations in data systems, machine learning and citizen science to enable near real-time updating of systematic reviews, evidence-based guideline recommendations and other evidence products. Importantly, the Living Evidence model fast-tracks evidence synthesis without compromising the rigorous, gold standard methods for systematic review that are needed to provide trustworthy recommendations about what works best in health based on the all of the evidence generated to date.

In what represents a world-first effort, leaders from stroke, diabetes, kidney disease and musculoskeletal conditions agreed to work together to drive the development of Living Evidence in Australia, with a shared commitment to achieving the best health outcomes for Australians by enabling consumers, health care providers and governments to access and use the best available evidence based on up-to-the minute research.

Cochrane’s Lead for Evidence Systems, Associate Professor Julian Elliott said 'For far too long, the time lag between publication of a new clinical trial and the incorporation of those results into evidence-based recommendations has been measured in years. We now have the opportunity to reduce that to weeks. We are tremendously excited to be working with such an innovative and committed consortium of partners who really are at the forefront of global development in Living Evidence.'

For more information about the Living Evidence Consortium initiative, please contact:

A/Prof Julian Elliott, Lead, Evidence Systems, Cochrane
Email: julian.elliott@monash.edu

Rhiannon Tate, Program Lead, Evidence Innovation, Cochrane Australia
Email: rhiannon.tate@monash.edu

Early work to develop and test the suite of technical tools and streamlined processes that underpin the Living Evidence model was enabled through Project Transform funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Cochrane Game Changer Initiative.

Monday, June 11, 2018

Specifications: 1.0 FTE, Fixed Term (9 months)
Salary: Competitive
Location: Flexible
Application Closing Date: 29/6/18

Cochrane is a global independent network of health practitioners, researchers, patient advocates and others, responding to the challenge of making the vast amounts of evidence generated through research useful for informing decisions about health. We do this by identifying, appraising and synthesizing individual 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. We want to be the leading advocate for evidence-informed health care across the world.

Job Description: The successful candidate will oversee the revision of Cochrane’s current financial conflict of interest policy and the development of a non-financial conflict of interest policy.  The job will include supporting a literature review of the impact of conflict of interest on systematic review results, convening a management team, running a consultation process, analysing responses and developing a feasible and appropriate policy. Successful conclusion of the project will be that policies presented to the Cochrane Governing Board are approved and implemented.

Requirements: The ideal candidate will have an understanding of Cochrane and its role within evidence synthesis and the potential of conflicting interests (financial and non-financial) to undermine the quality and impact of systematic reviews. Familiarity with how conflict of interest is managed in related organisations (e.g. scientific journals, guidelines bodies) is essential, along with  experience of survey design and analysis and conducting semi-structured interviews.

If you would like to apply for this position, please send a CV along with a supporting statement to recruitment@cochrane.org with “Editor (COI revision project)” 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.

Deadline for applications: 29/06/2018 (12 midnight GMT)

Monday, June 11, 2018 Category: Jobs

Cochrane is pleased to announce that we have re-launched training.cochrane.org with a new design – making the learning resources you need easier to find and use.

All resources are available through new curated collections built around themes or topics. The website highlights the numerous different ways that you can learn with Cochrane - online course, brief individual learning modules, webinars, or searching our database of upcoming workshops and events. You’ll also be able to find out about latest updates, upcoming learning events, and our newest resources.

What to learn about Cochrane and evidence based medicine? Take a look at Cochrane Training today – most of the resources are available free of charge for everyone!

• Visit the Cochrane Training website
• Follow Cochrane Training on Twitter

Thursday, June 7, 2018

Specifications: Full-time
Salary: Base salary $82K, plus superannuation
Location: Sydney, Australia
Application closing date: 21 June 2018

We are seeking a full-time Systematic Reviewer to contribute to Cochrane Kidney and Transplant based at the Centre for Kidney Research, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. The Systematic Reviewer will provide technical knowledge and expertise to the research team to support the development of Cochrane systematic reviews that will inform international clinical practice guidelines on all aspects of kidney disease. This includes conducting literature searches, appraising literature and meta-analysis, and preparing evidence summaries to support the development of clinical practice guidelines on all aspects of kidney disease. The role will also involve a range of other research activities relevant to systematic reviews and guideline development, disseminating systematic review findings, and providing methods support to authors conducting systematic reviews in kidney disease and transplantation.

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. The successful candidate will also have:

• tertiary qualifications, likely with Honours, in an appropriate discipline with relevant experience in a related field. May have (or be working towards completing) further studies such as a PhD or have extensive specialist experience in the field of research
• extensive experience in developing and working on research projects, including expertise in using research protocols, experimental design, ethics submissions and grant applications
• high-level knowledge and skills in statistical techniques and critical appraisal required for systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials
• experience in writing of systematic reviews and have published a Cochrane systematic review/s or similar
• excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills with sound negotiating and conflict resolution skills and a demonstrated level of tact and discretion in dealing with day-to-day operational matters

Intending applicants are welcome to seek further information about the position from A/Professor Allison Tong on allison.tong@sydney.edu.au.

Full job description and application: Research Officer Systematic Reviewer

Closing date for applications: 11.30pm, 21 June 2018 (Australian EST)

Thursday, June 7, 2018 Category: Jobs

Sara Yaron has been an active consumer’s advocate since 1982, when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer. By profession, she’s a private lawyer in Israel, engaged in medical malpractice lawsuits. After her diagnosis, she became involved with national and international organizations, all regarding health care, patient safety, patients rights to get updated medical information based on evidence, and patients rights.

She recently was re-appointed to the Cochrane Consumer Network (CCNet) Executive for a further period of three years to 2021. Below is her story on how she got involved as a consumer advocate with Cochrane and the changes she has seen. Her blog post was orginally shared on the Cochrane Consumer Network.

I met Cochrane the first time, at an international conference regarding breast cancer, in the late 90’s in Europe. There, I read a brochure, published by CCNet, and fell in love with the idea.  At that time, I was a very young woman diagnosed with breast cancer (grade 3) and a mother of three little children, with one very ill daughter, so I was “thirsty” for any certified, objective written medical information regarding my family’s diseases. I wrote a letter to Hilda Bastian, the then co-ordinator of CCNet, and became an active member of Cochrane’s consumers’ network.

As a lay person, in a paternalistic period within the medical “territory”, it was impossible to get any medical information based on evidence from an objective authority.

As my personal experience was with breast cancer, I’ll tell my story: I was diagnosed in 1983 with breast cancer. The one and only option that was given to me by the medical authorities in my country, was to have a Mastectomy! No other option was even mentioned! All my questions were responded to with contempt. For me it was a feeling of suffocation! I didn’t know where to go for information based on evidence, because all the second opinions in my country, said the same: Mastectomy (!), while in Europe and in the USA there were positive results of Lumpectomy.

When I finished my medical treatment, I joined the Israeli cancer association and the “Reach to recovery” as an advocate on a voluntary basis to help others. One of my main goals was to provide medical information. That work was outside Cochrane.

When I joined CCNet, a new world had been opened for me. I could find qualitative information based on evidence and I become much more confident when facing the medical staff about my, and my family’s, diseases.  The involvement of patients\consumers as an integral part of the process “captured my heart”. I started to help CCNet with hand searching journals, for the Cochrane Breast Cancer, and commenting on reviews and protocols.

I’m not sure that consumer activity was very democratic and transparent back then, but the opportunity existed to become an active consumer which provided a good feeling of becoming part of an important, unique and strong organisation.

Over time, consumers became much more involved in Cochrane, and participated in committees as equal members. Transparency was felt more and more, and consumers’ comments were taken under consideration, with much more sense of equality and respect than before.

I started to write comments on reviews and protocols, mostly for the breast cancer group, as an experienced consumer but also for other groups. Plain language summaries became part of Cochrane reviews, which is very significant for consumers.

CCNet as an organization became bigger, much more democratic and most of the activity, I think, is transparent, with part of the discussions involving most of the members.

• Visit the Cochrane Consumer Network website
• Learn about our Patient's Included Cochrane Colloquium

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Specifications: Part-time (0.4 FTE)
Salary: Base salary $82K p.a. prorate with superannuation
Location: Sydney, Australia
Application closing date: 18 June 2018

We are seeking an Information Specialist (part-time) to contribute to Cochrane Kidney and Transplant, based at the Centre for Kidney Research, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead. The Information Specialist has an integral role in the production of Cochrane Kidney and Transplant reviews. You will contribute to the maintenance and development of a Specialised Register of randomised controlled trials (RCT) within the scope of Cochrane Kidney and Transplant, provide comprehensive literature and editorial support to authors of systematic reviews, and provide comprehensive literature support for collaborative projects with partner organisations such as KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) and KHA-CARI (Kidney Health Australia – Caring for Australasians with Renal Impairment).

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. The successful candidate will also have:

• tertiary qualifications in librarianship or information science/management. A background or experience in health sciences is an advantage
• high level attention to detail and the capacity to maintain accurate details (especially in relation to bibliographic control and editorial assessment)
• demonstrated advanced literature searching expertise
• excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills with sound negotiating and conflict resolution skills and a demonstrated level of tact and discretion in dealing with day to day operational matters
• ability to work both independently and as part of a team, taking initiative and exercising sound judgement in resolving matters that may arise as part of normal daily work
• excellent planning, organisational and time management skills with ability to be systematic in approach to work and possess strong attention to detail
• excellent computer skills including MS word, MS excel, and MS outlook, while ability and willingness to learn new skills in this area is essential
• experience in scientific research or information sciences
• demonstrated knowledge of systematic reviews and medical terminology
• strong problem solving skills and the ability to use initiative and exercise sound judgement and ability to prioritise workload during busy periods
• working understanding and current knowledge of relevant aspects of the Work Health and Safety Policy and relevant legislation (including Safe Laboratory Practices for roles based in Laboratory)
• experience in a research-intensive environment or interest in teaching and working in academia

Intending applicants are welcome to seek further information about the position from Dr. Martin Howell on martin.howell@sydney.edu.au.

Full job description and application: Research Officer Information Specialist

Closing date for applications: 11.30pm, 18 June 2018 (Australian EST)

Wednesday, June 6, 2018 Category: Jobs

Cochrane Crowd, Cochrane’s citizen science platform, reached 2 million individual classifications on Tuesday 15th of May at 5.20pm UTC + 1, one day after the platform’s 2nd birthday!

Cochrane Crowd is our online citizen science platform that enables anyone with an interest in health to contribute to health evidence. Our volunteers make it easier for health researchers to find the latest, high-quality evidence on what treatments work and don’t work. This means health practitioners can more easily access current evidence to inform the treatments they provide. Just a few minutes each day makes a huge difference.

In the lead up to the milestone, Crowd ran a #Crowd2million campaign and around 100 people got involved, sharing screenshots and supporting this community to reach our goal. Congratulations to the ten #ShowUsYourScreen-ers who won signed copies of Iain Chalmer's book 'Testing Treatments' for capturing screenshots closest to 2 million and sharing them over Twitter - Paul Manson, Lara Killian, Danial Sayyad, Riccardo Guarise, Richard James, Rachel Playforth, Yudi Hardianto, Hebatullah Abdulazeem, Cindy Beverly, and Patricia Dwyer-Hallquist.

Thank you to everyone who has used Cochrane Crowd - we are looking forward to hitting the next milestone with our amazing community!

• Sign up to Cochrane Crowd
• Sign up for the free webinar on 11 June, 4-5pm PDT.
• Follow us on Twitter
• Contact us at crowd@cochrane.org

Support for Project Transform was provided by Cochrane and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (APP1114605). The contents of the published material are solely the responsibility of the Administering Institution, a Participating Institution or individual authors and do not reflect the views of the NHMRC.

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Specifications: Full Time
Salary: Competitive
Location: London, UK
Application Closing Date: 14th June 2018

The Special Advisor will support the Editor in Chief by overseeing the management of key projects related to our targets, managing key staff, and by ensuring that there is close co-ordination of projects and work programmes across all the Editorial and Methods Department (EMD) units, and with other groups and individuals where appropriate.

The successful candidate will provide operational input and intelligence to the Editor in Chief, ensure that challenges are addressed or escalated appropriately, and that the work of the EMD is as efficient and effective as possible. She/he will also support the Editor and Deputy Editor in Chief in preparing and managing budgets.

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 candidate will also have:

• Experience in critical projects that focus on delivering aspects of the Cochrane Strategy to 2020, improving the Cochrane Library, and delivering better products and services to end users.
• Detailed knowledge of the mission and vision of Cochrane Library and in-depth understanding of the needs of its users and the processes that underpin its production
• Significant experience of programme and/or project management
• Excellent decision making, problem solving, influencing and negotiating skills
• Proven ability to take senior-level responsibility
• IT literacy and the ability to gain an understanding of the technological aspects of the product, both in terms of its production and publication
• Very strong communication and presentation skills, and the ability to translate content deliverables to editorial, content, business and technology focussed colleagues
• Ability to analyse, pull together and present the key content, business and technology elements to inform sound strategic decisions

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 Special 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 see the full job description.

Deadline for applications: 14th June 2018 (12 midnight GMT)
 
Interviews to be held on: (TBC)

Tuesday, June 5, 2018 Category: Jobs

High-quality evidence that all forms of nicotine replacement therapy can help increase chances of successfully stopping smoking.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) aims to reduce withdrawal symptoms associated with stopping smoking by replacing the nicotine from cigarettes. NRT is available as skin patches that deliver nicotine slowly, and chewing gum, nasal and oral sprays, inhalators, and lozenges/tablets, all of which deliver nicotine to the brain more quickly than skin patches, but less rapidly than from smoking cigarettes. NRT aims to temporarily replace much of the nicotine from cigarettes to reduce motivation to smoke and nicotine withdrawal symptoms, thus easing the transition from cigarette smoking to complete abstinence.

A team of Cochrane authors based in New Zealand and the United Kingdom worked with the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group to determine the effectiveness and safety of NRT for achieving long-term smoking cessation, compared to placebo or 'no NRT' interventions.

136 trials were examined, with 64,640 people in the main analysis. All studies were conducted with people who wanted to quit smoking, mostly adults, with smokers typically having 15 cigarettes a day at the start of the study. The overall quality of the evidence was high.

The review found that all of the commercially available forms of NRT (i.e. gum, transdermal patch, nasal spray, inhalator, oral spray, lozenge and sublingual tablet) are effective as part of a strategy to promote smoking cessation. They increase the rate of long-term quitting by approximately 50% to 60%, regardless of setting. These conclusions apply to smokers who are motivated to quit. There is little evidence about the role of NRT for individuals smoking fewer than 10 to 15 cigarettes a day.

 “This updated Cochrane Review adds 18 new studies to when it was last updated in 2012”, says Professor Paul Aveyard, the Co-ordinating Editor of the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group. “The overall quality of the evidence is high, meaning that further research is very unlikely to change the conclusions.”

“This review provides those looking to quit the reassurance that nicotine replacement therapy works,” says Jamie Hartmann-Boyce from the University of Oxford and the primary author of the Review. “NRT is a safe and effective way to help people quit smoking, and taken individually all forms of delivery appear similarly effective. There is some evidence that taking a short-acting  form like gum alongside patch increases quit rates further – this is covered by a separate review which will be updated later this year.”

• Read the full Cochrane Review
• Visit the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group website

Monday, June 4, 2018

2017 was a year of organizational change and growth for Cochrane.

Find out more about Cochrane’s key achievements during 2017, and the strides being made on our major Strategy to 2020 initiatives.

“As a global community committed to producing the highest quality healthcare evidence that impacts health decision making around the world, Cochrane contributors can be immensely proud of what we achieved in 2017. In this Annual Review we report on substantial increases in the demand for and use of Cochrane evidence from our online platforms; and the successful completion or launching of major initiatives and transformational projects, including Cochrane’s new Membership scheme, our first Knowledge Translation Strategy, and wide-ranging governance reform. These are only some of the most noteworthy achievements: overall, nine of the ten organizational targets we set ourselves at the start of the year were delivered; almost every metric we use to measure our progress showed improvement; and we are on course to achieve nearly all of the objectives in Cochrane’s hugely ambitious Strategy to 2020.”
Mark Wilson, CEO

To download it as a PDF, share, and embed the 2017 Annual Review, click on the box and the options will appear at the bottom.

Friday, June 1, 2018

Cochrane UK is delighted to be hosting the 25th Cochrane Colloquium, at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre in Scotland, from 16th to 18th September 2018.

For the first time at a Cochrane Colloquium, we will be taking the conversation #BeyondTheRoom. Beyond the Room is a digital conference service, started in 2016 by André Tomlin from the Mental Elf. Its aim is to increase the reach and impact of health events by live tweeting and podcasting from them, to involve people virtually and facilitate a much more democratic conversation (www.beyondtheroom.net). 

André explains:

“Our #BeyondTheRoom service helps health events reach the right audience. All too often, conversations at conferences are dominated by just a few voices. We open up the discussion to everyone who wants to be involved, but also work hard before the event to create a buzz and start to explore some of the key conference themes.”

The #BeyondTheRoom team will include André (@Mental_Elf) and his colleague Douglas Badenoch (@DBadenoch), Sarah Chapman (@SarahChapman30; Cochrane UK's Knowledge Broker) and Selena Ryan-Vig (@CochraneUK; Cochrane UK's Communications & Engagement Officer).

Cochrane UK is also funding four individuals to join the team, including accommodation and registration for the duration of the conference as well as contributions towards travel expenses. We invited applications from patients and other healthcare consumers, students (of any discipline, with an interest in health evidence), and health professionals/allied health professionals. We were inundated with 120 excellent applications and are delighted to introduce the four successful candidates:

• Casey Quinlan (@MightyCasey)
• Jack Leahy (@TheJackLeahy)
• Kit Byatt (@Laconic_doc)
• Sally Crowe (@sally_crowe)

Congratulations! We are thrilled to bring Cochrane to a wider audience with the help of our tweeters, bloggers, and podcasters.

• Read the bios of our successful candidates
• Join in the conversation using #CochraneForAll
• Learn more about Beyond the Room

Friday, May 25, 2018

Earlier this month, the  United States Food and Drug Administration implemented a new set of rules requiring restaurants, supermarkets, and convenience stores with 20 or more locations to go public with the calorie counts for standard menu items. These food establishments must now post the calories on overhead display boards, printed menus, and electronic kiosks.

Heath Line recently examined if these rules will make an impact on obesity rates and turned to Cochrane evidence for answers. Read 'Calorie Counts Are Now on Menus Nationwide, But Do They Work?' and learn if calorie counts on menus can change the way we eat.

Related materials

• Press Release on Cochrane Review evidence about nutritional labelling on menus in restaurants and cafes
  
• The Cochrane Review on portion sizes - from publication to informing policy
• Cochrane Review: Portion, package or tableware size for changing selection and consumption of food, alcohol and tobacco

Thursday, May 24, 2018

Specifications: Full Time 12 month Fixed Term Contract
Salary: Competitive
Location: Flexible
Application Closing Date:  22 June 2018

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

The Editorial Support Officer will provide support to the Deputy Editor in Chief in achieving the strategic aims of the CRG Transformation Programme and provide editorial and communication support for the implementation of the Fast Track Services.

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 candidate will also have:

• An understanding of the importance of systematic reviews to clinical decision making.
• Ability to work alongside varied teams in different cultural and linguistic settings.
• Impressive interpersonal skills both in person and by telephone and Skype.
•  Ability to accomplish projects with little supervision.
• Knowledge of and commitment to Cochrane’s mission and values and good understanding of Cochrane’s Strategy 2020 goals and targets.
•  Strong organization and prioritization skills
• Attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Intermediate level IT skills, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• An ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with key stakeholders.

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 “Editorial Support Officer” 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 see the full job description.

Deadline for applications: 22 June 2018 (12 midnight GMT)

Interviews to be held on: (TBC)

Wednesday, May 23, 2018 Category: Jobs

Specifications: Full Time
Salary:  £20,000 - £25,000 DOE
Location: London, UK
Application Closing Date: 22 June 2018

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

This Administration Assistant will provide effective and efficient administrative support the Cochrane Editorial & Methods Department.

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 candidate will also have:

• Previous experience of providing administrative support to a team
• Intermediate level IT skills, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong organization and prioritization skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Professional telephone manner
• Ability to work methodically and accurately
• A flexible approach with the ability to respond quickly to issues as they arise
• A pro-active approach to problem-solving
• Awareness of handling confidential and sensitive information

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 'Administration Assistant' 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 see the full job description.

Deadline for applications: 22 June 2018 (12 midnight GMT)

Interviews to be held on: (TBC)

Wednesday, May 23, 2018 Category: Jobs

Cochrane Crowd is an online citizen science platform that enables anyone with an interest in health to contribute to health evidence. Our volunteers make it easier for health researchers to find the latest, high-quality evidence on what treatments work and don’t work. This means health practitioners can more easily access current evidence to inform the treatments they provide. Just a few minutes each day makes a huge difference.

This webinar introduces Cochrane Crowd and how you can get involved.

Wednesday 22nd August 1-2pm BST

crowd.cochrane.org

Support for Project Transform was provided by Cochrane and the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (APP1114605). The contents of the published material are solely the responsibility of the Administering Institution, a Participating Institution or individual authors and do not reflect the views of the NHMRC.

Thursday, July 19, 2018

Cochrane Crowd is an online citizen science platform that enables anyone with an interest in health to contribute to health evidence. Our volunteers make it easier for health researchers to find the latest, high-quality evidence on what treatments work and don’t work. This means health practitioners can more easily access current evidence to inform the treatments they provide. Just a few minutes each day makes a huge difference.

This webinar introduces Cochrane Crowd and how you can get involved.

Monday 11th June 4-5pm PDT

crowd.cochrane.org

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Wednesday, May 23, 2018

There is no RCT evidence available to guide how best to investigate the causes of stillbirth – future trials are needed.

Identification of the causes of stillbirth is critical to the primary prevention of stillbirth and to the provision of optimal care in subsequent pregnancies. A wide variety of investigations are available, but there is currently no consensus on the optimal approach. Given their cost and potential to add further emotional burden to parents, there is a need to systematically assess the effect of these interventions on outcomes for parents, including psychosocial outcomes, economic costs, and on rates of diagnosis of the causes of stillbirth.

A team of Cochrane authors based in Australia, Netherlands, and United States worked with Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth to assess the effect of different tests, protocols or guidelines for investigating and identifying the causes of stillbirth on outcomes for parents, including psychosocial outcomes, economic costs, and rates of diagnosis of the causes of stillbirth. The Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth's Trials Register, ClinicalTrials.gov, and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) were searched. There were no eligible trials for inclusion in this review.

“Searching for causes of stillbirth can be difficult emotionally for families, and financially costly to health services and sometimes to parent,” says Ms Aleena M Wojcieszek, lead author of the Cochrane Review from NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth, Mater Research Institute - The University of Queensland. “There is a need to assess systematically which approaches are most helpful in finding causes of stillbirth, how cost-effective the different approaches are, what the emotional and social effects on parents are, what impact the investigations have on future pregnancies, and the end result of future pregnancies.”

Dr. Katherine J Gold, Cochrane Review author from Deptartment of Family Medicine at the University of Michigan, added, “Future trials on this topic would be helpful, but such trials would need to be designed in a way that ensures all parents in the trial still receive the minimum standard of care in their local setting. Future trials would need to be conducted with the utmost care and consideration for the needs, concerns, and values of parents and families." Adding to this, Professor Vicki Flenady, senior author and Director of the Centre of Research Excellence in Stillbirth commented,  "Assessment of longer-term psychosocial variables, economic costs to health services, and effects on subsequent pregnancy care and outcomes should be considered in any future trials.”

 

Video from the University of Michigan Family Medicine

• Read the full Cochrane Review
• Visit the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth website

Wednesday, May 23, 2018