Of the people for the people: the development and dissemination of Cochrane work in China

Article type
Authors
xia J1
1Systematic Review Solutions, China
Abstract
Background:
Along with the boom in the Chinese economy, the number of Chinese trials has increased dramatically in the last decade. Research shows that in 2013, the number of meta-analysis published by Chinese authors exceeded the number of Chinese trials, but the qualitiy varies. Therefore, it is essential that clinicians are able to evaluate the quality of the published literature critically and judge its applicability to relevant clinical situations. Cochrane systematic reviews, as an important and reliable source of evidence, should be promoted and made accessible to clinicians in China.

Objectives:
To improve dissemination of Cochrane systematic reviews in China; to improve critical appraisal skills among clinicians and other healthcare professionals.

Methods:
Official twitter account (Chinese equivalent of twitter) was set up to disseminate Cochrane news and Cochrane Summaries in China. '60 seconds EBM' was designed to push succinct voice messages relevant to EBM to subscribers on a weekly basis. Relevant contents were translated into Chinese plain language with graphic representation to improve accessibility and dissemination. Regular workshops on conducting Cochrane Reviews were organised and offered in major Chinese cities.

Results:
Cochrane editors across a range of specialties have been offering training to Chinese clinicians since 2009 and cumulatively trained over 2000 clinicians and healthcare professionals. The workshops have produced over 10 Cochrane publications over the past years. With the aid of social networking tools, we have successfully improved dissemination of Cochrane reviews in China.