LSUHSC Library Newsletter v43(2)--Cochrane Library

The Cochrane Library

The Cochrane Library (CL) consists of a collection of unbiased electronic databases of reliable evidence about the effects of health care. The LSUHSC Library is pleased to offer this new full-text resource to its users. The CL is the product of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international not-for-profit organization, whose aim is to make up-to-date, accurate information about the effects of healthcare readily available worldwide. The Collaboration was formally launched in Oxford, England, in October 1993, and has expanded to centers in 15 countries (3 in the United States), with 50 topic-based review groups and over 6000 contributing members. The Cochrane Collaboration was named after Archie Cochrane, a British epidemiologist, who championed the importance of systematic, up-to-date reviews of all relevant randomized controlled trials of health care.

The Cochrane Library includes:

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews - The core of The Cochrane Library - It contains 1,081 full-text records reviewing the effects of healthcare and is based on the best available information from worldwide sources about healthcare interventions. The reviews explore the evidence for and against the effectiveness and appropriateness of treatments, medications, surgery, education, etc., in specific circumstances. Also included are 866 protocols of reviews in preparation.
Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness - Critical assessments and structured abstracts of good systematic reviews published elsewhere.
The Cochrane Controlled Trials Register - Bibliographic information on controlled trials.
Other sources of information including the Cochrane Database of Methodology Reviews, The Cochrane Methodology Register, and other resources.

Using the Cochrane Library

The Cochrance Library is accessed from the Library's homepage, and is available to patrons within the LSUHSC domain in the New Orleans area. Press enter to begin; no userid and password are necessary.

Note: Cochrane Reviews are indexed in MEDLINE and in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL). To obtain the full-text of the cited review, a user must then do a search of the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.

The Library's Fall Newsletter will contain a search tips article on the Cochrane Library. For further information and assistance, please contact the Library's Reference link removed Department at 568-6102 or 568-8339, or the Dental link removed Library at 619-8507.

-- Pauline Fulda
pfulda@lsuhsc.edu link removed