Begin here! A non-scientist’s guide to Evidence-Based Medicine, Cochrane and getting involved

Workshop category: 

  • Patient or healthcare consumers involvement and shared decision-making
Date and Location

Date: 

Sunday 16 September 2018 - 11:00 to 12:30

Location: 

Lennox 1
Contact persons and facilitators

Contact person:

Richard Morley

Facilitators:

Morley R1, Ryan-Vig S2, Ware L1, Watts C3
1 Cochrane UK, United Kingdom
2 Cochrane UK; Beyond the Room, United Kingdom
3 Cochrane Central Executive Team, United Kingdom
Target audience

Target audience: 

Non-scientists and in particular health-care consumers, patients, carers and others with an interest in finding the best evidence to make healthcare choices

Level of difficulty: 

Basic
Type of workshop

Type of workshop : 

Training
Abstract

Abstract:

Background:
Cochrane evidence is produced and disseminated by an amazing global network, which includes 37,000 volunteer collaborators – patients, care-givers, researchers and healthcare professionals – bound together by a shared vision for better health. The Colloquium is a place where these users of, and contributors to, Cochrane evidence meet to learn, share and plan. Non-scientists have an important role to play at the Colloquium, but it can feel a baffling place. This interactive workshop is an introduction for non-scientists, healthcare consumers, patients, carers, family members and others attending the conference.

Objectives:
The aims of this workshop are, in an interactive workshop format:
- to introduce the concept of evidence-based medicine, its history and why it is important;
- to introduce finding and using Cochrane evidence;
- to learn about Cochrane, its work and the way that that it is organised;
- to explore how non-scientists can get involved.

Description:
The workshop will consist of:
- an introduction to Evidence Based Medicine, its history and why it is important;
- an introduction to Cochrane evidence, how to find and use it;
- a guide to Cochrane, its work and how it is organised, including presentations from senior contributors to Cochrane;
- how to get involved, including demonstrations about Cochrane Crowd, the Consumer Network, Task Exchange, and translation;
- a contribution from a Cochrane consumer about their involvement;
- question and answer session.

Relevance to patients and consumers: 

This engaging and interactive workshop is an introduction to evidence-based medicine (EBM), Cochrane, and how to get involved, for non-scientists and, particularly, healthcare consumers, patients, carers and others with an interest in finding the best evidence to make healthcare choices. This workshop was requested by healthcare consumers who helped to plan the Colloquium.