Hofmeyr GJ; International Cochrane Colloquium (8th : 2000 : Cape Town, South Africa).
Evid Action Int Cochrane Colloq 8th 2000 Cape Town S Afr. 2000; 8: UNKNOWN.
for the Pregnancy and Childbirth Group*, Cecilia Makiwane/Frere Hospitals; University of the Witwatersrand
The systematic evaluation of evidence of effectiveness of interventions in pregnancy and childbirth began in the late 1970's, with the development of the Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials edited by Iain Chalmers. Today, the Pregnancy and Childbirth Group continue to face challenges that demand new strategies. One example is managing the complexity of trials of methods of labour induction. This is addressed in more detail at this Colloquium by Tony Kelly (1). Briefly, the challenge was to review over 700 trials of 25 methods of labour induction in 18 categories of women (over 5000 potential comparisons). Most trials are intervention-specific, while clinicians need the information arranged by clinical characteristics of the women. We decided to extract the data initially into a series of intervention-based primary reviews, then re-arrange the data by clinical characteristics of participants in a series of secondary reviews. For this to be feasible, the primary reviews were standardised in terms of methodology, classification of participants and definition of outcomes. This standardised format was published in the Cochrane Library as a 'generic' protocol. To avoid duplication of comparisons, the interventions were arranged in a hierarchical list. Each primary review compares one method with only those methods above it on this list. Data extraction is performed centrally by the Clinical Effectiveness Support Unit, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Another priority for the Group is making evidence more accessible to health workers and consumers, many of whom still prefer a printed to an electronic format. We have therefore revised the popular paperback publication 'A Guide to Effective Care in Pregnancy and Childbirth'. The revision process was led by Murray Enkin. A third area of concern is the inaccessibility of the Cochrane Library to health workers in developing countries. We have collaborated with the Human Reproduction Programme of the World Health Organisation, who in partnership with Update Software have produced the Reproductive ealth Library, a specialised electronic library distributed free of charge to health workers in developing countries. Relevant Cochrane reviews are supplemented by commentaries and 'practical aspects' authored by health workers with developing country experience.The Reproductive Health Library will be discussed in more detail at this Colloquium by Metin Gulmezoglu (2) and Heather Brown (3). References to related Colloquium 2000 abstracts1. Kelly Anthony J, Kavanagh J, Thomas of systematic reviews2. Gulmezoglu Metin. Reproductive Health Library3. Brown Heather, Smith Helen, Garner Paul, Nikodem V Cheryl, Hofmeyr G Justus. An evaluation of the RHL by new users in a low income setting *The Induction of labour reviews are the result of a collaboration between the Pregnancy and Childbirth Group and the Clinical Effectiveness Support Unit, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Cervical Ripening
- Clinical Trials as Topic
- Cooperative Behavior
- Female
- Humans
- Labor, Obstetric
- Parturition
- Population Groups
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Trimester, Third
- Publishing
- Thinking
- methods
- hsrmtgs
Other ID:
UI: 102273032
From Meeting Abstracts