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The Cochrane Library
The Cochrane Library consists of a
regularly updated collection of evidence-based medicine
databases, including over 4000 Cochrane reviews published
in The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. These
reviews explore the evidence for and against the effectiveness
and appropriateness of treatments (medications, surgery,
education, etc) in specific circumstances.
The Cochrane Library is published four times a year.
Each issue contains all existing reviews plus an increasingly
wider range of new and updated reviews. It is published
and distributed by Wiley
InterScience. A brief introduction to The Cochrane
Library is available here.
Cochrane Library Summit
In December 2008, the Australasian Cochrane Centre hosted a summit in Melbourne with a view to improving the ‘look and feel’ of the Library, maximising its usefulness and ensuring it remains a pivotal resource in facilitating knowledge translation in Australia. The report of the summit summarises the key issues raised and recommendations for action. Many of these recommendations have been picked up by the Editor in Chief and Wiley, and will be reflected in changes to the Library that will be implemented during 2010. View the report (.pdf MB 1.3).
Access to The Cochrane Library in Australia and New
Zealand
Since October 2002 all Australians have had access
to The Cochrane Library as a result of funding by the
Australian Government. Until 2007, The National
Institute of Clinical Studies (NICS) managed the national subscription on behalf of the Government. In July 2009, national provision was renewed for a further three years.
In New Zealand, thanks to funding supplied by the Ministry
of Health along with the District Health Boards, all
New Zealand residents have had access to The Cochrane
Library since November 2005.
ACC Guide to the Cochrane Library
The ACC Guide to the Cochrane Library (previously named the NICS Guide) has
been developed to help introduce people to the
Library and provide some initial guidance on how to
find information within it.
To view the
Guide click
here.
National provision to the Cochrane Library was officially
launched by Senator the Hon Kay Patterson, Minister
for Health & Ageing, in Melbourne on 18 October
2002. Read the media release here.
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