In 2019, Cochrane members published an overview review in the PAIN Journal on the efficacy of pharmacological interventions for children with chronic pain and cancer-related pain. The overview summarises the evidence from 23 systematic reviews, including several Cochrane reviews. This work also builds on a previous policy workshop focussing on this topic. The overview highlights the lack of available evidence across all drugs aimed at relieving pain in children (just 6 trials of 393 participants).

In 2020, Professor Christopher Eccleston, Dr Emma Fisher, and others produced The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health Commission’s report to address paediatric pain and recommend what more can be done to help children and young people. Also in 2020, the WHO published Guidelines on the management of chronic pain in children. Cochrane Reviews contributed to the guideline and Dr Emma Fisher led the review of effectiveness.

We thank everyone who has contributed to this important piece of work. Please do feel free to use these links and distribute them widely to help us improve the science, policy and practice of paediatric pain management.

• Open access overview in PAIN and commentary
• 2019 Cochrane Library Special Collection on reducing pain in infants, children, and adolescents
• Cochrane Library editorial: 'Clinical management in an evidence vacuum'
• WHO Guidelines on the management of chronic pain in children
• Blogs on this evidence base (or its absence)
  • Editorial: 'Pharmacotherapy for treating chronic pain in children: A need for pragmatic idealism' (download pdf here)
  • The Conversation: 'Drugs to treat chronic pain in children – perhaps the most understudied area of medicine'
  • Evidently Cochrane: 'Chronic pain in children and adolescents: is there evidence that drugs work?'
  • Press release from University of Bath: 'Researchers reveal lack of evidence for drugs prescribed to treat chronic pain in children'

• Key people to follow on Twitter 
  • @Chris_Eccleston
  • @EmmaFisher1
  • @cochranecollab
  • @CochraneUK
  • @CochraneLibrary
  • @UniofBath
  • @LancetChildAdol

Specifications: Maternity cover (12 months)
Salary:  £49,000 per annum
Location: Europe (Copenhagen office)
Directorate: Publishing and Technology
Closing date: April 06 2023
 
Cochrane is an international charity. For 30 years we have responded to the challenge of making vast amounts of research evidence useful for informing decisions about health. We do this by synthesising research findings and our work has been recognised as the international gold standard for high quality, trusted information.

Cochrane's strength is in its collaborative, global community. We have 110,000+ members and supporters from more than 220 countries. Though we are spread out across the globe, our shared passion for health evidence unites us. Our Central Executive Team supports this work and is divided into five directorates: Evidence Production and Methods, Publishing and Technology, Development, and Finance and Corporate Services.

The Product Owner (PO) ensures that the Scrum team works efficiently on stories that maximize value for Cochrane in an agile development process, and is primarily focusing on the development of the new web-based Cochrane review authoring tool RevMan.

Don’t have every single qualification? We know that some people are less likely to apply for a job unless they are a perfect match. At Cochrane, we’re not looking for “perfect matches.” We’re looking to welcome people to our diverse, inclusive, and passionate workplace. So, if you’re excited about this role but don’t have every single qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. Whether it’s this role or another one, you may be just the right candidate.

Our organization is built on four core values: Collaboration: Underpins everting we do, locally and globally. Relevant: The right evidence at the right time in the right format. Integrity: Independent and transparent. Quality: Reviewing and improving what we do, maintaining rigour and trust.  

You can expect: 

• An opportunity to truly impact health globally  
• A flexible work environment  
• A comprehensive onboarding experiences
• An environment where people feel welcome, heard, and included, regardless of their differences

Cochrane welcomes applications from a wide range of perspectives, experiences, locations and backgrounds; diversity, equity and inclusion are key to our values.

How to apply

• For further information on the role and how to apply, please click here.
• The deadline to receive your application is 6th April, 2023.
• The supporting statement should indicate why you are applying for the post, and how far you meet the requirements, using specific examples. 
• Read our Recruitment Privacy Statement

Specifications: 12-month fixed term
Salary:  £37,000 per annum
Location: Flexible; can be based anywhere
Directorate:  Evidence Pipeline and Data Curation Team, Publishing and Technology Directorate
Closing date: April 11 2023
 
Cochrane is an international charity. For 30 years we have responded to the challenge of making vast amounts of research evidence useful for informing decisions about health. We do this by synthesising research findings and our work has been recognised as the international gold standard for high quality, trusted information.

Cochrane's strength is in its collaborative, global community. We have 110,000+ members and supporters from more than 220 countries. Though we are spread out across the globe, our shared passion for health evidence unites us. Our Central Executive Team supports this work and is divided into five directorates: Evidence Production and Methods, Publishing and Technology, Development, and Finance and Corporate Services.

The purpose of this role is to support the study identification stages critical in the production of Cochrane evidence. To enable this, we have developed the Cochrane Evidence Pipeline. The Evidence Pipeline aims to combine traditional search and retrieval processes with machine learning and crowdsourcing to expedite the study identification process and better enable the recuse of data.

Don’t have every single qualification? We know that some people are less likely to apply for a job unless they are a perfect match. At Cochrane, we’re not looking for “perfect matches.” We’re looking to welcome people to our diverse, inclusive, and passionate workplace. So, if you’re excited about this role but don’t have every single qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. Whether it’s this role or another one, you may be just the right candidate.

Our organization is built on four core values: Collaboration: Underpins everting we do, locally and globally. Relevant: The right evidence at the right time in the right format. Integrity: Independent and transparent. Quality: Reviewing and improving what we do, maintaining rigour and trust.  

You can expect: 

• An opportunity to truly impact health globally  
• A flexible work environment  
• A comprehensive onboarding experiences
• An environment where people feel welcome, heard, and included, regardless of their differences

Cochrane welcomes applications from a wide range of perspectives, experiences, locations and backgrounds; diversity, equity and inclusion are key to our values.

How to apply

• For further information on the role and how to apply, please click here.
• The deadline to receive your application is 11th April, 2023.
• The supporting statement should indicate why you are applying for the post, and how far you meet the requirements, using specific examples. 
• Read our Recruitment Privacy Statement

We are delighted to share that Cochrane’s first open access journal, Cochrane Evidence Synthesis and Methods, has published its first articles.

Working in conjunction with our publisher, Wiley, this journal strengthens Cochrane’s ability to meet our stakeholders’ needs and publish different types of evidence synthesis beyond systematic reviews. It also includes methods research evaluating how evidence syntheses is planned, produced and disseminated, and research articles on critical areas for evidence synthesis, such as, priority setting, consumer involvement, and research integrity.  

With the launch Editorial New directions beyond the boundaries of evidence synthesis, Michael Brown (Editor, Cochrane Evidence Synthesis and Methods) and Ella Flemyng (Editorial Product Lead, Cochrane) discuss the scope and ethos of the journal, and how they hope the journal will contribute to the field.

Cochrane Evidence Synthesis and Methods’ first published paper is the rapid review on the effect of pharmacological interventions for the treatment of people with post-COVID-19, which is an exemplar for the types of rapid reviews we will feature. The authors, led by KM Saif-Ur-Rahman and Declan Devane (University in Galway, Ireland), worked closely with the World Health Organization, to ensure that the rapid review was relevant, timely and narrowly focused on therapeutic questions that directly apply to health care decisions.

Want to join the journal’s growing community?

• Sign up for content alerts so you never miss a new article
• Find out how to submit
• Register to be a peer reviewer (by creating an account in our Scholar 1 system)

Want to learn more about Cochrane Evidence Synthesis and Methods?

Michael Brown and Ella Flemyng recently discussed why Cochrane launched a new journal, what its aim is, and how people from across the community can get involved.

Specifications: Fixed Term – 1 Year (Full Time, Open for Part-Time Role as well)
Salary: £35K per annum  
Location: Ideally based in the UK, Germany or Denmark. Candidates from the rest of the world will be considered; however, Cochrane’s Central Executive Team is only able to offer consultancy contracts outside these countries (1-year fixed-term contracts)
Directorate: Evidence Production & Methods
Closing date: 27 March 2023
 
Cochrane is an international charity. For 30 years we have responded to the challenge of making vast amounts of research evidence useful for informing decisions about health. We do this by synthesising research findings and our work has been recognised as the international gold standard for high quality, trusted information.

Cochrane's strength is in its collaborative, global community. We have 110,000+ members and supporters from more than 220 countries. Though we are spread out across the globe, our shared passion for health evidence unites us. Our Central Executive Team supports this work and is divided into five directorates: Evidence Production and Methods, Publishing and Technology, Development, and Finance and Corporate Services.

The Future of Evidence Synthesis (FES) is a critical programme of work for Cochrane over the next 3-5 years. Successful delivery is essential for Cochrane’s future and sustainability. A core component of the new production model is the creation of Cochrane Evidence Synthesis Units (ESU) and Thematic Groups (TG). This role will work closely with the Head of Change Management, to 1) create, launch and manage the initial application process for Evidence Synthesis Units and 2) revise the application process and launch a second round for Thematic Groups and help to manage the initial stages of the ESU and TG pilots.

Don’t have every single qualification? We know that some people are less likely to apply for a job unless they are a perfect match. At Cochrane, we’re not looking for “perfect matches.” We’re looking to welcome people to our diverse, inclusive, and passionate workplace. So, if you’re excited about this role but don’t have every single qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. Whether it’s this role or another one, you may be just the right candidate.

Our organization is built on four core values: Collaboration: Underpins everting we do, locally and globally. Relevant: The right evidence at the right time in the right format. Integrity: Independent and transparent. Quality: Reviewing and improving what we do, maintaining rigour and trust.  

You can expect: 

• An opportunity to truly impact health globally  
• A flexible work environment  
• A comprehensive onboarding experiences
• An environment where people feel welcome, heard, and included, regardless of their differences

Cochrane welcomes applications from a wide range of perspectives, experiences, locations and backgrounds; diversity, equity and inclusion are key to our values.

How to apply

• For further information on the role and how to apply, please click here.
• The deadline to receive your application is 27th  March 2023.
• The supporting statement should indicate why you are applying for the post, and how far you meet the requirements, using specific examples. 
• Read our Recruitment Privacy Statement

The Cochrane Review 'Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses' was published in January 2023 and has been widely misinterpreted.

Karla Soares-Weiser, Editor-in-Chief of the Cochrane Library, has responded on behalf of Cochrane:

Many commentators have claimed that a recently-updated Cochrane Review shows that 'masks don't work', which is an inaccurate and misleading interpretation.

It would be accurate to say that the review examined whether interventions to promote mask wearing help to slow the spread of respiratory viruses, and that the results were inconclusive. Given the limitations in the primary evidence, the review is not able to address the question of whether mask-wearing itself reduces people's risk of contracting or spreading respiratory viruses. 

The review authors are clear on the limitations in the abstract: 'The high risk of bias in the trials, variation in outcome measurement, and relatively low adherence with the interventions during the studies hampers drawing firm conclusions.' Adherence in this context refers to the number of people who actually wore the provided masks when encouraged to do so as part of the intervention. For example, in the most heavily-weighted trial of interventions to promote community mask wearing, 42.3% of people in the intervention arm wore masks compared to 13.3% of those in the control arm. 

The original Plain Language Summary for this review stated that 'We are uncertain whether wearing masks or N95/P2 respirators helps to slow the spread of respiratory viruses based on the studies we assessed.' This wording was open to misinterpretation, for which we apologize. While scientific evidence is never immune to misinterpretation, we take responsibility for not making the wording clearer from the outset. We are engaging with the review authors with the aim of updating the Plain Language Summary and abstract to make clear that the review looked at whether interventions to promote mask wearing help to slow the spread of respiratory viruses.

• Read  the Cochrane Review 'Physical interventions to interrupt or reduce the spread of respiratory viruses'

Specifications: Permanent – Full Time
Salary: £55,257 (Paid in DKK, as per market exchange rate) per annum
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Directorate: Publishing & Technology
Closing date: March 24 2023
 
Cochrane is an international charity. For 30 years we have responded to the challenge of making vast amounts of research evidence useful for informing decisions about health. We do this by synthesising research findings and our work has been recognised as the international gold standard for high quality, trusted information.

Cochrane's strength is in its collaborative, global community. We have 110,000+ members and supporters from more than 220 countries. Though we are spread out across the globe, our shared passion for health evidence unites us. Our Central Executive Team supports this work and is divided into five directorates: Evidence Production and Methods, Publishing and Technology, Development, and Finance and Corporate Services.

As development team lead, you will manage an Agile/Scrum software development team (3 developers, 1 test engineer) who develop web applications that accelerate the production of systematic reviews of health evidence. You will support the team in their work, coordinate with product owners on timelines, and contribute to software testing within the team as needed to ensure sprint goals are met.

Don’t have every single qualification? We know that some people are less likely to apply for a job unless they are a perfect match. At Cochrane, we’re not looking for “perfect matches.” We’re looking to welcome people to our diverse, inclusive, and passionate workplace. So, if you’re excited about this role but don’t have every single qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. Whether it’s this role or another one, you may be just the right candidate.

Our organization is built on four core values: Collaboration: Underpins everting we do, locally and globally. Relevant: The right evidence at the right time in the right format. Integrity: Independent and transparent. Quality: Reviewing and improving what we do, maintaining rigour and trust.  

You can expect: 

• An opportunity to truly impact health globally  
• A flexible work environment  
• A comprehensive onboarding experiences
• An environment where people feel welcome, heard, and included, regardless of their differences

Cochrane welcomes applications from a wide range of perspectives, experiences, locations and backgrounds; diversity, equity and inclusion are key to our values.

How to apply

• For further information on the role and how to apply, please click here.
• The deadline to receive your application is 24 March 2023.
• The supporting statement should indicate why you are applying for the post, and how far you meet the requirements, using specific examples. 
• Read our Recruitment Privacy Statement

Specifications: Fixed Term – 1 Year
Salary: £35,000 per annum  
Location: Ideally based in the UK, Germany or Denmark. Candidates from the rest of the world will be considered; however, Cochrane’s Central Executive Team is only able to offer consultancy contracts outside these countries (1-year fixed-term contracts)
Directorate: Development
Closing date: 13 March, 2023
 
Cochrane is an international charity. For 30 years we have responded to the challenge of making vast amounts of research evidence useful for informing decisions about health. We do this by synthesising research findings and our work has been recognised as the international gold standard for high quality, trusted information.

Cochrane's strength is in its collaborative, global community. We have 110,000+ members and supporters from more than 220 countries. Though we are spread out across the globe, our shared passion for health evidence unites us. Our Central Executive Team supports this work and is divided into five directorates: Evidence Production and Methods, Publishing and Technology, Development, and Finance and Corporate Services.

The Future of Evidence Synthesis (FES) is a critical programme of work for Cochrane over the next 3-5 years. Successful delivery is essential for Cochrane's future and sustainability. A core component of the new production model is the creation of Cochrane Evidence Synthesis Units and Thematic Groups. This role will work closely with the Head of Change Management, to create, launch and manage the initial application process for Evidence Synthesis Units and a second application round for Thematic Groups and help to manage the initial stages of the pilots.

Don’t have every single qualification? We know that some people are less likely to apply for a job unless they are a perfect match. At Cochrane, we’re not looking for “perfect matches.” We’re looking to welcome people to our diverse, inclusive, and passionate workplace. So, if you’re excited about this role but don’t have every single qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. Whether it’s this role or another one, you may be just the right candidate.

Our organization is built on four core values: Collaboration: Underpins everting we do, locally and globally. Relevant: The right evidence at the right time in the right format. Integrity: Independent and transparent. Quality: Reviewing and improving what we do, maintaining rigour and trust.  

You can expect: 

• An opportunity to truly impact health globally  
• A flexible work environment  
• A comprehensive onboarding experiences
• An environment where people feel welcome, heard, and included, regardless of their differences

Cochrane welcomes applications from a wide range of perspectives, experiences, locations and backgrounds; diversity, equity and inclusion are key to our values.

How to apply

• For further information on the role and how to apply, please click here.
• The deadline to receive your application is 13th March, 2023.
• The supporting statement should indicate why you are applying for the post, and how far you meet the requirements, using specific examples. 
• Read our Recruitment Privacy Statement

Watch videos from the recent event held by Cochrane PaPaS

For 23 years the Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care (PaPaS) group has been delivering the gold standard in evidence synthesis in the field of pain management, palliative and supportive care and supporting the community towards better methods and standards in pain clinical trials and systematic reviews. As their funding comes to an end, they highlighted and celebrated their contribution with an event, called ‘Truth, Integrity and the Future of Pain Evidence’ at the Wellcome Collection in London, UK.  It was a chance to reflect on what has been discovered, where we continue to face important challenges, and how we might move toward a future of trusted evidence to guide better pain care globally.

Dr. Neil O’Connell, Cochrane PaPaS Editor explains the importance of the event; “Working in evidence synthesis we can achieve a “birds-eye” view of the evidence ecosystem in our field, including its problems. Pain in clinical practice and patient care is often poorly served by an evidence architecture containing multiple structural weaknesses. These issues span pre-clinical research, clinical trials, and systematic reviews, and impact upon developing clinical guidelines. Clinical practice in pain management frequently diverges from the evidence, or evolves in the absence of evidence, driven by individual and organisational vested interests, market forces, fashion, and demand from people with pain. In our event, we heard from a range of established and emerging leaders in the field to better understand the challenges and to consider how we create better solutions.”

Talks at the meeting highlighted a range of challenges to the quality and trustworthiness of pain evidence across the pipeline, from pre-clinical through to evidence synthesis, and focused on approaches to improving that picture through better methods, open science practices, interdisciplinary working and partnership with people with lived experience of pain. There was an exceptional range of speakers and leaders in terms of discipline, perspective, and career stage. The audience was also diverse, representing clinicians across many disciplines, researchers, people with pain, editors, and publishers. It was a great day, with comments from one attendee saying it was their most thought-provoking event of the year.

• Read about the events of the day on Twitter under #PaPaSPain2022
• Watch videos from the event

Cochrane is made up of 11,000 members and over 67,000 supporters come from more than 130 countries, worldwide. Our volunteers and contributors are researchers, health professionals, patients, carers, people passionate about improving health outcomes for everyone, everywhere.

Getting involved in Cochrane’s work means becoming part of a global community. The Cochrane International Mobility programme connects successful applicants with a placement in a host Cochrane Group, learning more about the production, use, and knowledge translation of Cochrane reviews. The prgramme offers opportunities for learning and training not only for participants but also for host staff.

In this series, we profile those that have participated in the Cochrane International Mobility Program and learn more about their experiences.

Name: Chiara Russo
Location: Italy
Cochrane International Mobility location: Cochrane Sweden

How did you first learn about Cochrane?
When I first heard about Cochrane it was a coincidence. I was studying at my University in Genoa (Italy) and I was looking for a place to go for my Erasmus Traineeship Program. As I was interested in pediatrics field, a medical doctor suggested me to contact Matteo Bruschettini and he offered me the opportunity to go to Sweden, where I worked with him at Cochrane Sweden.

What was your experience with your Cochrane International Mobility?
Actually, before going to Sweden, I’d never had any research experience. Matteo offered me the opportunity to approach systematic reviews, at first with Cochrane Interactive Learning modules, then I had the pleasure to actively work on systematic reviews.

What are you doing now in relation to your Cochrane International Mobility experience?
Once I completed my four-month placement at Cochrane Sweden, I continued to work with Matteo. Thanks to him, I’m co-author of a published Cochrane review, which has already been updated. Moreover, I completed, with Cochrane Sweden and other co-authors, another Cochrane review, which is in press, commissioned by the WHO (World Health Organization).  Even when I came back to Italy, Matteo is still supportive and available for any of my concerns.

Do you have any words of advice to anyone considering a Cochrane International Mobility experience?
I really suggest to anyone interested in research to connect to Cochrane. It will be a great experience both for a first approach to research and for the more experienced medical doctor. Not only will you probably have the opportunity to actively collaborate to a systematic review, but you will certainly learn how to read scientific text. It will also be an opportunity to meet people and other cultures from all over the world.

Meet our #CochraneLondon Social Media Ambassador volunteers who will be helping to share the content of the London Colloquium and their experience at the colloquium on social media. They will be sharing content across all your favourite social media platforms. Applications are still open until 31 July. 

Cochrane UK is hosting Cochrane’s Colloquium taking place in London, UK from 4-6 September 2023. With the theme “Forward together for trusted evidence”, the 2023 Cochrane Colloquium is set to be a groundbreaking event with a mix of learning, networking, plenary speakers, events, and more! 

The #CochraneLondon Ambassadors are attending the colloquium and will be sharing the exciting experience before, during, and after the event. They will not act as spokespersons for Cochrane but will share their own take on the experience. The Ambassadors will use their social media platforms to provide insights into the Colloquium's discussions, key takeaways, their favourite keynotes, and provide some behind-the-scenes posts about what it's like to attend and who from the Community they meet. 

You can find Cochrane on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. Follow the #CochraneLondon platform on all your favourite platforms or give your favourite ambassadors a follow.

Would you like to be a #CochraneLondon Social Media Ambassador too? Applications are open for these volunteer positions until 31 July. 

Sarah Chapman
Social Media: Twitter

Sarah Chapman is a Knowledge Broker at Cochrane UK and she is an editor a writer for the Evidently Cochrane Blog. She also has a personal blog, From Ear To Eternity, where she writes about her cochlear implant journey and about life with hearing loss. Her interests include best practices for sharing health evidence on social media and patient involvement in health research. 

This is Sarah's seventh Colloquium and the second time being part of the Local Organizing Committee. She is looking forward to welcoming everyone to London and dancing under the dinosaurs at the social night. 

Sarah will be sharing behind-the-scenes images of the Colloquium and all the extra bits beyond the main content events. Follow Sarah to also learn more about how Cochrane involves patients and advocates in their work. 

Ella Flemyng
Social Media: Twitter, LinkedIn

Ella is Cochrane's Interim Head of Editorial Policy and Research Integrity and is on the Editorial Board of Cochrane's new, open access journal, Cochrane Evidence Synthesis and Methods. She is interested in research integrity, reliability, and the methods behind evidence synthesis.

She is looking forward to immersing herself in research integrity and methodology topics and networking with experts at the Colloquium. She is particularly excited about the 2023 Cochrane Methods Symposium.

Ella shares developments in evidence synthesis methodology, research integrity and publication ethics on social media. Follow Ella and learn from all the posters and presentations she will be attending and sharing.

Toby Lasserson
Social Media: Twitter

Toby is the Deputy Editor in Chief of the Cochrane Library and Cochrane's Head of Methods & Evidence Synthesis. 

This is Toby's 18th Colloquium! He is especially excited to attend the Methods Symposium happening the day before and the Annual General Meeting.

Follow Toby as he shares witty and pun-filled tweets about Cochrane evidence, the methodology behind meta-analysis and systematic reviews, and live tweets with takeaways from plenary speakers at the Colloquium. 

Richard Morley
Social Media: Twitter, LinkedIn 

Richard works for Cochrane as the Consumer Engagement Officer, supporting the engagement and involvement of healthcare consumers (patients, carers, and the public) in Cochrane's work.  

This is Richard's fourth Colloquium experience. He is part of Cochrane London's  Local Organizing Committee and is chair of the Consumer Stiped Committee. He is especially looking forward to meeting with some of the consumer volunteers in-person and the meetings before the Colloquium begins. 

Follow Richard to learn more about how the Colloquium is a Patients Included event and what things have been done behind the scenes to make the event accessible. 

Muriah Umoquit
Social Media: Twitter, Cochrane Instagram Stories

Muriah is Cochrane's Communications and Engagement Officer and runs the social media for Cochrane and Cochrane Library. 

This is Muriah's fourth Colloquium. She is looking forward to seeing everyone use the wonderful #BetterPoster templates and connecting with the community through Colloquium social events,  such as the book exchange, the Anne Anderson Walk, and the Gala night. 

Follow Muriah for tips and best practices for making the most of attending a conference on social media. She will also be sharing short interviews and behind-the-scenes videos on Cochrane's Instagram stories during the colloquium.  

Would you like to be a #CochraneLondon Social Media Ambassador too? Applications are open for these volunteer positions until 31 July. 

Cochrane China recently hosted a virtual event for the evidence-based medicine community that brought together many of its partners, local expertise, and international speakers. Here the team provides an overview of who was involved and what was covered at the event. 

The 3rd Beijing forum of evidence-based medicine and Cochrane China Network Symposium was successfully held virtually on January 15th, 2023. The host of this conference were Cochrane China Network and Beijing GRADE Center. The organizers are Centre for Evidence-based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, affiliate of the Cochrane China Network; Beijing GRADE Center; and Institute for Excellence in Evidence-Based Chinese Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. The co-organizers are affiliates of the Cochrane China Network, including Nethersole School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong; Evidence-based Medicine Centre, Fudan University; Centre for Evidence-based and Translational Medicine, Wuhan University; Cochrane China Centre, West China Hospital, Sichuan University; Centre for Evidence-based Medicine and Clinical Research, Peking University; School of Public Health, Chongqing Medical University; Institute of Health Data Science, Lanzhou University; Evidence-based Medicine Centre, University of Nottingham Ningbo.

Professor Liu Jianping, director of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and senior research fellow Fei Yutong at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine served as the chairmen of the conference. Meanwhile, the conference invited Professor Gordon Guyatt, McMaster University, Canada, senior management of the Cochrane China Network headquarters, a total of 5 internationally renowned scholars from the United Kingdom, the United States, Hong Kong and other countries and regions, as well as speakers from 9 member units of the Cochrane China Network. In total, 25 scholars gave academic reports.

The conference conducted in-depth exchange and discussions of cutting-edge evidence-based medicine topics, which was divided into four modules: interpretation of the Cochrane review publishing policy, translational evidence, research frontiers in systematic reviews and evidence synthesis, and research methods in clinical practice.

 To start,  Liu Jianping, the chairman of the conference, Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and Chen Yingyao, Qian Huitang and Jin Yinghui, the rotating chairmen of the Cochrane China Network executive committee, delivered opening speeches, respectively.

Liu Jianping briefly introduced the origin and development of the Cochrane China Network, and hoped that everyone could communicate and exchange with each other on the progress and achievement in methodologies, as well as the opportunities and challenges faced through this conference.

Chen Yingyao, on behalf of the Cochrane China Network executive committee, warmly welcomed the presence of all experts and listeners attending the conference, and expressed heartfelt thanks to the hosts and organizers of the conference, as nine member units from eight regions could carry out academic exchanges through this cloud platform.

Qian Huitang stated that the conference invited experts and scholars from home and abroad to make academic reports, which provided a platform for communication and exchange among member units, and wished the conference a complete success. Jin Yinghui said that Cochrane China Network has been trying to participate in the production, dissemination and translation of evidence since the establishment of it two years ago, and hoped to attract more researchers and clinical workers to improve patients' health concepts based on the best evidence through the academic conference held biennially.

 On the morning of January 15th, the module of the conference was interpretation of the Cochrane review publishing policy. Catherine Spencer, the Cochrane’s chief executive officer, Gordon Guyatt, the founder of evidence-based medicine, McMaster University, Tiffany Duque, the central executive team of Cochrane, Liu Jianping, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and Liu Qin, Chongqing Medical University, were invited to explain the content Changes and New Strategies of Cochrane, GRADE for Network Meta-analysis, Communicating Science & Evidence during Health Emergencies, Cochrane Review of Traditional Chinese Medicine: Current Status and Challenges, and Interpretation of the Cochrane Review Publishing Policy in simple terms. The conference was hosted by Fei Yutong.

 On the morning of January 15th, with the module of “translational evidence–1”, Susan Wieland, director of Cochrane Complementary Medicine Department, Jin Yinghui, Wuhan University, Chen Yaolong, Lanzhou University, and Xia Jun with GRADE Center of university of Nottingham Ningbo were invited to separately report on Cochrane Complementary Medicine: The Global Benefit of Chinese Collaboration, Implementation Evaluation of Clinical Practice Guidelines, Scientificity, Transparency, Applicability and Rankings (STAR) Tool for Clinical Practice Guidelines, and Use of Cochrane's Reviews to Inform WHO Guidelines, which were focused on as a hot issue and frontier of research related to guidelines. The conference was hosted by Li Xun.

 On the afternoon of January 15th, the conference’s module was “translational evidence–2”. It invited Richard Hubbard, University of Nottingham Ningbo, Hao Yufang, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Tian Jinhui, Centre for Evidence-based Medicine of Lanzhou University, Li Xun, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and Wang Yongbo, Center for Evidence-Based and Translational Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, to reported on Using Routinely Collected Data for Clinical Research, Development and Adaptation of Nursing Guidelines for Integrative Chinese and Western Medicine, Progress and Challenges of the Research Methods on the Synthesis and Translational Evidence in Evidence Ecosystem, Enhancing Medical Students' Awareness of Evidence-based Medicine and Their Ability to Transform Knowledge Through Cochrane Evidence, Development of Clinical Practice Guideline Knowledge Graph, surrounding the key issues of interest in the process of developing and evaluating evidence-based medicine evidence. The conference was hosted by Wang Ping.

 In the module of “research frontiers in systematic reviews and evidence synthesis”, Zhan Siyan, Peking University, Nie Xiaolu, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Wu Shanshan, Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, Yang Zhirong, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mou Huanyu and Li Caixia, Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Huang Qiao, Wuhan University, were invited to introduce Progress in Evidence Synthesis, Umbrella Reviews: Strengths and Limitations, Evidence Synthesis of Predictive Models: A Case Study of Liver Cancer Risk Prediction, A New Method for Evidence Synthesis to Determine the Effectiveness of COVID-19 Vaccines, Effectiveness of Dyadic Psychoeducational Intervention for Stroke Survivors and Family Caregivers on Functional and Psychosocial Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, Effects of Nurse-led Interventions on Early Detection of Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis, and Development and Promotion of An Online Helper for Systematic Reviews of Evidence-based Medicine. The conference was co-hosted by Han Mei, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, and Sun Feng, Peking University.

 In the “research methods in clinical practice” module, Chen Shiyao, Fudan University, Shi Qiuling, Chongqing Medical University, Peng Xiaoxia, Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University, Tan Jing and Yu Jiajie, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, were invited to introduce Taking Clinical Practice to the Forefront of Research, Statistical Significance VS Clinical Significance: An Introduction to Minimum Clinically Meaningful Changes in Patient-reported Outcomes, Establishment of Reference Intervals and Clinical Decision Limits, The Development and Application of A RWD-based Method for Assessing the Effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine in Pregnant Women, and Application of IDEAL in Surgical Clinical Researches. The conference was hosted by Xing Jingli.

This forum is another grand conference of the Cochrane China network two years after the founding conference of the Cochrane China Network. It is a high-level international conference in the field of Chinese evidence-based medicine. It is expected that Cochrane China Network will have better development in the work and research of Cochrane with the deeper and further academic collision and exchange.

A warm thank you and congratulations to everyone involved!

• Learn more about Cochrane China
• Get involved with Cochrane
• Learn more about events happening at Cochrane

Writen by Wang Ping and Li Xun. Reviewed by Fei Yutong, Liu Jianping, Li Feng, and Li Chenhui.

Overall lack of evidence raises questions about the benefits

People with chronic back pain may turn to spinal cord stimulation to ease their pain, but a University of Sydney led Cochrane Review found no sustained benefits to the surgery that outweigh the costs and risks.  

Spinal cord stimulation, a medical technology suggested to treat people with chronic back pain, does not provide long-term relief and may cause harm, according to a Cochrane Review released today.

Spinal cord stimulation is thought to work by planting a device that sends electrical pulses to the spinal cord to interrupt nerve signals before they reach the brain.

The study reviewed published clinical data on spinal cord stimulation. This included randomised controlled trials, considered to be the most robust method to measure the effectiveness of a treatment in medical research.

The researchers analysed the results of 13 clinical trials, looking at data from 699 participants, comparing spinal cord stimulation treatment with placebo or no treatment for low back pain.

Cochrane reviews are trusted by researchers, medical professionals and policymakers because they use robust methodologies to combine evidence from multiple sources, reducing the impact of bias and random error that can make individual studies less reliable.

The review concluded that spinal cord stimulation is no better than a placebo for treating low back pain, with probably little to no benefits for people with low back pain or improving their quality of life.

There was little to no clinical data regarding the long-term effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation, including the risk of side effects and complications.

The researchers also found that adverse side effects to the surgery were poorly documented overall, preventing them from concluding the level of risk involved. Harms from spinal cord stimulation could include nerve damage, infection, and the electrical leads moving, all of which may need repeated surgeries.

The review findings have been submitted to the Federal Department of Health and Aged Care prosthesis list review taskforce. The taskforce is reviewing the eligibility of current prostheses subsidised by Medicare.

In Australia, the devices' long-term safety and performance are also being re-accessed by The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the country’s regulatory authority for therapeutic goods.

“Spinal cord stimulation is invasive and has a great financial cost to people who choose surgery as a last resort to alleviate their pain. Our review found that the long-term benefits and harms are essentially unknown,” said lead researcher Dr Adrian Traeger from Sydney Musculoskeletal Health, an initiative of the University of Sydney, Sydney Local Health District and Northern Sydney Local Health District.

“Our review of the clinical data suggests no sustained benefits to the surgery outweigh the costs and risks.

“Low back pain is one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. Our findings further emphasise the urgent need to review funding arrangements for chronic pain care to help patients in their search for relief. There are evidence-based physical and psychological therapies for back pain; ensuring access to these is essential.”

The review team found multiple gaps in clinical data.

There were no studies that investigated the long-term (more than 12 months) impact of spinal cord stimulation on low back pain. The longest was a single six-month trial.

The majority of clinical trials only looked at the immediate impact of the device, which is a time frame of less than a month.

The review team provided a list of recommendations, which include future spinal cord stimulation clinical trials to be at least 12 months, clearly document the number of people who experience adverse events and comparison with other pain treatment options.

Professor Chris Maher, Co-Director of Sydney Musculoskeletal Health, said,

“Our review found that the clinical benefit of adding spinal cord stimulation to treat low back pain remains unknown. When coupled with the reality that these devices are very expensive and often breakdown there is clearly a problem here that should be of concern to regulators.”

A separate Cochrane review, in which the researchers were not involved, examined the effect of spinal cord stimulation versus placebo in people with chronic pain. Similar to this review, it concluded there was a lack of evidence to suggest long-term benefits in treating chronic pain.

• Read the full review in the Cochrane Library 

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Cochrane is an international charity. For 30 years we have responded to the challenge of making vast amounts of research evidence useful for informing decisions about health. We do this by synthesising research findings and our work has been recognised as the international gold standard for high quality, trusted information.

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