Background: The abstract and plain language summaries (PLS) are the sections from Cochrane reviews most read, including many clinicians. Many, if not all, trials included in Cochrane drug reviews are conducted by drug makers. The withholding of serious adverse events data from industry-funded trials is not unusual. Such industry-related biases may be noted within the text of a Cochrane drug review; yet they rarely appear in the abstract or the PLS.

Objective: This concern was initially aired on the Cochrane Consumer Network e-discussion list. We now bring this discussion to the larger community of Cochrane contributors, many of whom were in the forefront of exposing bias in industry-funded research. Review authors should address industry-related bias in the abstract and PLS when relevant. This would be consistent with the Cochrane handbook which suggests the abstract and the PLS be written as stand-alone documents. Interventions: Our poster will come with handouts that show how two Cochrane review groups have already described industry-related biases in the abstract and PLS. During 'poster prime time’ we will be present for discussions with poster viewers and we will provide a feedback sheet to record their interest in this topic.

Conclusion: If Cochrane drug reviews fail to address industry-related bias in the abstract and PLS, consumers and physicians are denied information needed to make informed decisions. This is particularly critical now that millions of healthy people worldwide are on long-term drug therapy merely because they have a risk factor like bone loss or high cholesterol.

Investigating bias Day 21 Oct (P2B197-P2B260)