What is Cochrane?
Cochrane is a global independent network of researchers, professionals, patients, carers and people interested in health. We are a not-for-profit organization with contributors from more than 130 countries working together to produce credible, accessible health information that is free from commercial sponsorship and other conflicts of interest. We do this by producing reviews that summarize the best available evidence generated through research to inform decisions about health.
What is Cochrane UK?
Cochrane is a truly global, independent network with members and supporters worldwide. There are official geographic Cochrane Groups (Centres, Associate Centres, Affiliates and Networks) in many countries worldwide and Cochrane UK is one of these. These Groups represent Cochrane in that country, promote, and support the use of Cochrane evidence in health policy and practice, and support Cochrane's members and supporters who live there. We work to support the global work of Cochrane and maximize the use and impact of Cochrane Reviews for the UK and Ireland (click here to visit the Cochrane Ireland website).
Cochrane UK is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and hosted by the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Cochrane UK supports the production of Cochrane Systematic Reviews through a Learning and Development Programme for Cochrane authors and other contributors. We aim to maximize the impact of Cochrane Reviews by disseminating the findings widely to health professionals, researchers, commissioners, the public, charities and the media, through social media, events, presentations and partnerships. Read more about our work.
See our team, our fellows and our Consumer Champions.
Our vision
To improve health by promoting the production, understanding and use of high-quality research evidence by patients, healthcare professionals and those who organize and fund our healthcare services.
Our strategy
- To raise awareness and knowledge of evidence-based decision making and systematic reviews
- To enable the production, understanding, use and dissemination of high-quality Cochrane Systematic Reviews
- To support Cochrane’s global endeavours to maintain its role as a world-leading producer of the highest quality, most relevant and up-to-date systematic reviews.
What are Cochrane Reviews?
Cochrane Reviews are systematic reviews of primary research in human health care and health policy and are internationally recognized as the highest standard in evidence-based health care. They investigate the effects of interventions for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. They also assess the accuracy of a diagnostic test for a given condition in a specific patient group and setting. The reviews are updated as needed, ensuring that treatment decisions can be based on the most up-to-date and reliable evidence. Cochrane Systematic Reviews are published online, in full text, in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews in the Cochrane Library.
Cochrane Reviews are widely used to inform healthcare guidance, best practice guidance in primary care and patient decision aids in shared decision-making initiatives. In the UK, for example, Cochrane Reviews are used to inform the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) guidelines, NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries and NHS Shared Decision Making – patient decision aids. The reviews also form an important source of knowledge within the NHS Evidence portal, supported by NICE.