Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: The Cochrane Database currently provides relatively little evidence-based guidance about nutrition relevant to general practitioners. This situation could be improved by a the establishment of a new Cochrane Field to identify relevant studies, prioritize topics to include nutrition, work with Cochrane methodologists on the inclusion of observational studies, and disseminate results of Cochrane reviews to general practitioners and their patients.
Objectives: To explore the feasibility of a new Cochrane Diet and Nutrition Field and the level of support for such a field among general practitioners and nutrition scientists.
Methods: An exploratory meeting was held in conjunction with the Fourth Heelsum International Meeting in The Netherlands in December 2004. The Heelsum Workshops bring together nutritionists, general practitioners and behavioural scientists to discuss recent research and clinical issues relevant to nutrition in primary care. One half day of the meeting was devoted to the discussion of the potential formation of a Cochrane Diet and Nutrition Field.
Results: There was general enthusiasm about a Field from those in attendance. Several issues led to detailed discussion. One involved the inclusion of evidence from non-randomised studies, which are generally not included in Cochrane Reviews, but which form an important part of the evidence base for nutrition. A second issue involved the potential scope of the new entity. Options discussed include the formation of a new Field with a broad scope that would cover nutritional interventions of all sorts, in all settings. A second option was to form a subgroup of the existing Primary Health Care (PHC) Field with a focus on primary care relevant nutritional issues, with the option of converting to a full Field with a broader scope at a later time.
Conclusions: The enthusiasm at the Heelsum meeting has led us to focus current efforts on establishing a Cochrane Diet and Nutrition Sub Field under the umbrella of the existing Cochrane PHC Field and to work with the Non-Randomised Trials Methods Group on the important issue of inclusion of these studies in Cochrane Reviews of nutritional topics.
Objectives: To explore the feasibility of a new Cochrane Diet and Nutrition Field and the level of support for such a field among general practitioners and nutrition scientists.
Methods: An exploratory meeting was held in conjunction with the Fourth Heelsum International Meeting in The Netherlands in December 2004. The Heelsum Workshops bring together nutritionists, general practitioners and behavioural scientists to discuss recent research and clinical issues relevant to nutrition in primary care. One half day of the meeting was devoted to the discussion of the potential formation of a Cochrane Diet and Nutrition Field.
Results: There was general enthusiasm about a Field from those in attendance. Several issues led to detailed discussion. One involved the inclusion of evidence from non-randomised studies, which are generally not included in Cochrane Reviews, but which form an important part of the evidence base for nutrition. A second issue involved the potential scope of the new entity. Options discussed include the formation of a new Field with a broad scope that would cover nutritional interventions of all sorts, in all settings. A second option was to form a subgroup of the existing Primary Health Care (PHC) Field with a focus on primary care relevant nutritional issues, with the option of converting to a full Field with a broader scope at a later time.
Conclusions: The enthusiasm at the Heelsum meeting has led us to focus current efforts on establishing a Cochrane Diet and Nutrition Sub Field under the umbrella of the existing Cochrane PHC Field and to work with the Non-Randomised Trials Methods Group on the important issue of inclusion of these studies in Cochrane Reviews of nutritional topics.