Background: Critical appraisal is a set of skills which allows those concerned with equitable health care to judge the quality of healthcare research and to apply high quality information in their work. One important resource that uses Cochrane reviews to help teach critical appraisal is the Evidence-Based Health Care CD-ROM and Workbook, developed within the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) at the Public Health Resource Unit (Supporting Public Health) in Oxford, UK. Teaching critical appraisal: The multi-media CD-ROM and workbook, which can be used for self-instruction or as part of a formal course, includes screen shots and examples from The Cochrane Library in sections on finding evidence, and uses Cochrane reviews in tutorials on critically appraising randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, qualitative research and economic evaluations. It also incorporates video clips featuring contributors to the Collaboration, such as Professor Alastair Gray, Professor John Geddes and Sir Muir Gray. Other sources of evidence discussed in the course include Clinical Evidence and EBMR (the OVID interface for Cochrane reviews). Critical appraisal and Cochrane reviews: Although critical appraisal skills are essential for authors of systematic reviews, they are also needed by those using reviews. As reviews become more commonplace, practitioners and others will need to assess the validity and conclusions of systematic reviews. Awareness of critical appraisal by policy makers and the public heightens their appreciation of The Cochrane Collaboration and the rigorous methods it uses.

Conclusions: The Cochrane Library is being used not only to inform practice but also to teach the skills of critically appraising evidence. The Evidence-Based Health Care CD-ROM and Workbook is one example of a course incorporating Cochrane material, and is a valuable resource for those interested in appraising the quality of healthcare research.