The need to have easy access to authentic and concise information about health care interventions has long been recognised among medical professionals as well as the general public. With the rise of the Internet as an important source of information today, the issues of availability and access to information have largely been resolved. At the same time, problems of credibility, quality, and the need to sift through large amounts of information to find what is relevant have emerged.

Dr Prathap Tharyan, Chair of Psychiatry, Christian Medical College Vellore, and coordinator of the South Asian ochrane Network was the main facilitator.

The Cochrane Collaboration is an international non-profit organisation that promotes evidence-based medicine in clinical practice. It was established in 1993 to provide high-quality synthesised information about developments in health care across a broad range of topics. Comprehensive information related to preventive and clinical interventions is compiled, systematically analysed, and made readily available for dissemination via the Internet to various user groups including consumers, clinicians, policy makers, researchers, educators, students and others.

The main goal of joining the Cochrane Collaboration is to improve decision-making about healthcare interventions related to health problems faced by people in less developed countries. Dr Anita Zaidi, Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, has been coordinating activities of the AKU Cochrane Group since October 2005. AKU Cochrane Group has wide representation from other clinical departments, and organised the first Cochrane Collaboration Training Workshop on Protocol Development at the university in April 2006. The workshop was facilitated by the Research Office.

The objectives of the workshop were to train clinical researchers in Pakistan in formulating a research question in their area of interest for which a systematic review of evidence was needed, searching medical databases, critical appraisal of medical literature, and an introduction to Cochrane research methodology (protocol development and meta-analysis).

The event received enthusiastic participation of faculty and trainees from all clinical departments at AKU. Other institutions whose representatives participated included College of Physicians and Surgeons'  Research Training Unit; Pakistan Medical Research Council; National Institute of Child Health, Karachi; Civil Hospital, Karachi; Baqai University and Lady Reading Hospital, Peshawar. AKU Cochrane Group plans to organise more training sessions and workshops in the future.

Further information on the Cochrane Collaboration and Cochrane Reviews are available at:

www.cochrane.org/docs/newcomersguide.htm. Online access to the Cochrane Library and database at AKU is now available at http://www.mrw.interscience.wiley.com/cochrane