Background: The Australian Satellite of the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group (CMSG), located at the Cabrini Hospital in Melbourne and funded by the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, with support from the Cabrini Education and Research Institute, was launched in 2005.

Objectives:

- Increase capacity in Australia to prepare and maintain Cochrane reviews;

- Facilitate the dissemination of the results of relevant reviews to the Australian community;

- Identify and facilitate priority reviews relevant to arthritis needed to inform practice and policy in Australia;

- Promote the use of The Cochrane Library in Australia;

- Collaborate with Australian-based Cochrane entities to further the work of The Cochrane Collaboration in this region; and

- Support the CMSG editorial base in Ottawa.


Structure of the Satellite: The Satellite has an Australian CMSG Co-ordinating Editor, Co-ordinator and Advisory Board made up of key clinical, consumer, policy maker and Cochrane stakeholders. The Board advises on the Satellite's activities and helps promote and disseminate the Satellite's work.

The first year - achievements:

- One new review and five new protocols completed;

- Two updated reviews in progress;

- Supervision of two fellows and a PhD student in performance of reviews;

- Training workshop for rheumatology advanced trainees in Victoria and at the Australian Rheumatology Association (ARA) Annual Meeting;

- Review in collaboration with the Cochrane Consumers and Communication Group;

- Provision of assistance to the CMSG, e.g. co-ordination of Australian-based reviews (two new titles, six review updates), location of peer reviewers;

- Consumer summaries made available on the Arthritis Victoria website;

- Initiation of discussion with the ARA Education committee to have performance of a Cochrane review made part of the training programme for rheumatology;

- Provision of assistance and advice in formulating Australian guidelines for management of osteoarthritis in primary care;


Conclusions: Although still in its infancy, the early achievements of the Australian Satellite of the CMSG are encouraging, and suggest that this may be a useful model for other Cochrane groups.