Introduction: There is a growing enthusiasm amongst reviewers for involving consumers in the review process. Although consumer groups were eager to make use of systematic reviews when "Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth" was first published, they need to develop their skills in interpreting reviews before they are ready to contribute to the reviewing process.

Methods: A critical appraisal skills programme (CASP), originally developed for purchasers of health care and subsequently offered to practitioners and providers, was adapted, with the help of members of self-help groups and consumer health information services, for themselves and their peers. Workshops and support material focus on randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews.

Results: Members of self-help groups and consumer health information services recognised their need for training. CASP workshops offered to members of the National Childbirth Trust increased their understanding of evaluation and critical appraisal. Results will be presented describing how other members of consumer networks responded to the CASP programme.

Discussion: Offering the CASP programme to consumer groups appears to be a promising approach for raising awareness of effectiveness and improving critical appraisal skills within consumer networks. Further work is needed to establish whether this leads to self-help groups and consumer health information services providing better information to consumers about health care.