Introduction: Cochrane reviews should inform and underpin decisions both about healthcare practice and delivery, and about topics for future primary research. Evaluation of the effectiveness and potential impact of reviews should address these two key issues. The 'lead time' between generation of good evidence of clinical and cost-effectiveness of healthcare interventions and its uptake in clinical practice can be long. It is thus unlikely that the impacts of Cochrane reviews on healthcare delivery and, especially outcomes, can yet be measured. However, it is possible to make projections about potential impacts using health economic modelling. It is also possible to identify the influence of reviews on selection of topics for new primary research commissioned by the UK NHS R&D Programme.

Objective: (1) To determine the potential impact of a group of reviews about the management of asthma, which has hospital admission as a common outcome, on heath outcomes and healthcare COSB. (2) To determine the actual influence of a set of Cochrane Airways reviews on topics identified and prioritised for new commissioned primary research by the UK NHS R&D Programme.

Methods: (1) Health economic modelling to determine potential impacts on health outcomes and healthcare costs. (2)Survey and analysis of commissioned UK NHS R&D Programmes.

Results/Discussion: The results will be presented at the Colloquium in October.