CCInfo: Electronic news bulletin of The Cochrane Collaboration 12 July 2007 Contents: A. Smoking cessation reviews highlighted B. Reviews of diagnostic test accuracy – New website C. New Convenor of Feedback Management Advisory Group D. Cochrane Prioritisation Fund - Funded projects E. Qualitative systematic reviews workshop F. Guidelines International Network Meeting G. Systematic reviews course H. Workshop about systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy I. Canadian Cochrane Symposium – hold the date J. Annual Meeting of UK and Irish Contriubtors – Hold the date K. Job Ad: Research Associate L. Next Issue of CCInfo XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX A. Sender: Fabienne Reynolds [FReynold@wiley.co.uk] Subject: Smoking cessation reviews highlighted Do you know someone interested in public health and the challenges of smoking cessation? You can draw their attention to a list that Wiley has prepared of currently available systematic reviews that assess different ways of helping people quit smoking. Wiley press room: www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/mrwhome/106568753/pressroom.html Press release: www3.interscience.wiley.com/homepages/106568753/PR_Smoking_ban.pdf XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX B. Sender: Mariska Leeflang [m.m.leeflang@amc.uva.nl] Subject: Reviews of diagnostic test accuracy - New website The UK and Continental Europe Support Units (UKSU and CESU) for systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) have the pleasure to announce that our website has been launched. Please visit http://srdta.cochrane.org for the latest news and updates regarding Cochrane DTA reviews. For additional information, the CESU can be reached by sending an e-mail to cesu@amc.uva.nl. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX C. Sender: Lorne Becker [lornebecker@tampabay.rr.com] Subject: New Convenor of Feedback Management Advisory Group Dr John Carlisle will assume the role of Convenor of the Feedback Management Advisory Group, as successor to Dr. Sherri Sheinfeld Gorin whose term has come to an end. This change will take effect from 1 July 2007. The Steering Group would like to thank Dr Sheinfeld Gorin for the leadership and guidance she has provided to the FMAG during her time as Convenor. Dr Carlisle is a Cochrane author and Feedback Editor for the Cochrane Anaesthesia Review Group (CARG). XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX D. Sender: Lorne Becker [lornebecker@tampabay.rr.com] Subject: Cochrane Prioritisation Fund – Funded projects In April 2006, the Steering Group convened a joint meeting with Centre Directors and Co-ordinating Editors to discuss ways that The Cochrane Collaboration could prioritize our ever-increasing workload and identify key topics for which new reviews or updates were needed. One result of that discussion was the allocation of £100,000 to a Cochrane Prioritisation Fund, to which all entities could apply for funding to complete projects that would address the issues raised at the meeting. Six proposals were received and five of these have been selected for funding. We would like to thank Steve McDonald and Cindy Farquhar for their assistance in reviewing these proposals. The selected projects are: 1. Delivering on priorities: developing and implementing effective collaboration between a Cochrane Review Group and a Cochrane Field, led by Rajan Madhok of the Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group. 2. Using practice guidelines to determine review priorities: a pilot project, led by Kay Dickersin of the United States Cochrane Center. 3. Prioritisation of Cochrane reviews for consumers and the public in low and high- income countries as a way of promoting evidence-based health care, led by Janet Wale of the Cochrane Consumer Network. 4. Prioritising Cochrane review topics to reduce the know-do gap in low and middle income countries led by Peter Tugwell of the Cochrane Health Equity Field. 5. Piloting and evaluation of a patient-professional partnership approach to prioritising Cochrane reviews and other research, led by Adrian Grant of the Cochrane Incontinence Group. The proposals will use a number of different approaches to prioritise reviews, and should produce valuable insights that can guide similar activities by other entities throughout The Cochrane Collaboration. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX E. Sender: Sarah Knaggs [sarah.knaggs@conted.ox.ac.uk] Subject: Qualitative systematic reviews workshop Event: Qualitative Systematic Reviews in Health & Social Care: 2-day workshop Host: University of Oxford Dates: 26-27 July 2007 Location: Oxford University, UK Full details can be found at www.conted.ox.ac.uk/CPD/healthsciences/courses/short_courses/QSR and a registration form can be downloaded from www.conted.ox.ac.uk/CPD/healthsciences/courses/short_courses/QSR/register.asp. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX F. Sender: David Davis [ddavis@aamc.org] Subject: Guidelines International Network Meeting Event: Guidelines International Network Meeting Host: University of Toronto; Guidelines Advisory Committee, OMA, MOHLTC, Ontario Date: 22-25 August 2007 Location: Toronto, Canada Details: Program now available, please visit www.gin2007.org for more details. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX G. Sender: Sender: Sarah Knaggs [sarah.knaggs@conted.ox.ac.uk] Subject: Systematic reviews course Event: Systematic Reviews - 5-day course Dates: 9-10, 12, 16, 18 October 2007 Location: Oxford University Course Director: Mike Clarke, Director of the UK Cochrane Centre This course focuses on the practice, more than the theory, of systematic reviews. It tackles practical issues that are often encountered in such research. It is an extremely popular course and places are very limited. The course will run several times in 2008 so if you can't make the above dates, please email cpdhealth@conted.ox.ac.uk to register your interest on a future course. Details, and an application form, can be found at www.conted.ox.ac.uk/cpd/healthsciences/courses/short_courses/SR. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX H. Sender: Mariska Leeflang [m.m.leeflang@amc.uva.nl] Subject: Workshop about systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy Event: Cochrane Reviews of Diagnostic Test Accuracy Workshop for Co-ordinating editors Host: the UK and Continental Europe Support Units (UKSU and CESU) of systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) Date: 22 to 23 November, 2007 Location: Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands Details: The workshop is set to serve as a primer for those who are not familiar with DTA reviews. The programme will include framing the question, identifying studies, assessment of methodological quality, data-extraction, the principles of meta-analysis and methods of presenting the results. In addition, practical aspects of the editorial process regarding DTA reviews will be addressed. The complete program and additional information about subscription procedures will be available soon on our website: http://srdta.cochrane.org. Target group: Co-ordinating editors of Cochrane Review Groups will be given priority. Other interested people from Cochrane Review Groups and other Cochrane entities are welcome spaces permitting. Accommodation: To be arranged by the participants themselves. Suggestions for hotels will be provided. Contact: For more information: Regularly consult our website http://srdta.cochrane.org or send an e-mail to Mariska Leeflang at CESU@amc.uva.nl XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX I. Sender: Krystal Harvey [krystal.harvey@ualberta.ca] Subject: Canadian Cochrane Symposium – hold the date Event: 6th Canadian Cochrane Symposium 2008 - Big Sky: New Horizons for Systematic Reviews in Health Care Date: 6-7 March 2008 Location: The Sutton Place Hotel, Edmonton, Canada Contact: Krystal Harvey, Child Health Field; Krystal.Harvey@ualberta.ca , Tel: 780-492-9521. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX J. Sender: Caroline Rouse [CRouse@cochrane.co.uk] Subject: Annual Meeting of UK and Irish Contriubtors – Hold the date Event: 13th Annual Meeting of UK and Irish Contributors to The Cochrane Collaboration Date: 11-12 March 2008 Location: Park Inn Hotel, York, UK Details: Further details will be available at www.cochrane.co.uk towards the end of the year. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX K. Sender: Kelly Bird [Kelly.Bird@mkpct.nhs.uk] Subject: Job Ad – Research Associate Position: Research Associate Organisation: UK Cochrane Centre Location: Oxford, UK We are seeking a part-time research associate to take a lead role in the design, implementation and dissemination of a one-year project to develop and validate a set of criteria that can be used to assess whether, and when, to update a Cochrane Review. This project is an international collaboration involving researchers from four different centres (UK, Netherlands, Canada and Australia). The project involves close collaboration with a number of Cochrane Review Groups and review authors in the UK and in other parts of the world. Experience and knowledge of The Cochrane Collaboration and its editorial processes would therefore be highly advantageous. Application deadline: 20 July 2007 Contact: For an informal discussion about this post please contact: Sally Hopewell, Research Scientist, UK Cochrane Centre: (01865) 516300 or contact the recruitment answerphone on (01908) 243528 quoting REF: PHU1913 Web: For application and job description please visit WWW.MKPCT.ORG.UK XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX L. Sender: Cheryl Arratoon [cochrane@uottawa.ca] Subject: Next Issue of CCInfo The next issue of CCInfo will be published 26 July 2007. Please submit your items to cochrane@uottawa.ca and please include "CCInfo" in the subject line. Unless you request otherwise, your submissions to the CCInfo may be duplicated in other regular Cochrane Collaboration news channels such as Cochrane News and the Cochrane Collaboration web site, at the discretion of the editors. regards, Cheryl Cheryl Arratoon Knowledge Broker Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre 1 Stewart St (227) Ottawa, ON, Canada K1N 6N5 Email: cochrane@uottawa.ca Web: www.ccnc.cochrane.org XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX To subscribe to or unsubscribe from the CCInfo list, please go to http://lists.cochrane.org/mailman/listinfo/ccinfo, or contact the Editor at cochrane@uottawa.ca