BMJ partners with Cochrane Clinical Answers to boost knowledge at the point of care

Evidence reviews now incorporated into BMJ Best Practice to better inform decision making

HOBOKEN, N.J., Jan. 17, 2017 /CNW/ -- BMJ, one of the world's leading medical knowledge providers, has teamed up with Cochrane Clinical Answers, a new resource from the Cochrane Library, to better deliver evidence and inform decision making at the point of care.

The collaboration means that Cochrane Clinical Answers will be incorporated into BMJ Best Practice topics to give health professionals instant access to the highest-quality evidence for use in their daily practice.

Cochrane Clinical Answers, an evidence tool produced and published by Wiley, are based on the results of Cochrane systematic reviews. They provide evidence-based answers to clinical questions to inform decision making at the point of care, focusing on outcomes that matter most to patients.

BMJ Best Practice gives doctors fast and easy access to the latest information when making diagnosis and treatment decisions. Updated daily, it draws on the latest evidence-based research, guidelines and expert opinion to offer step-by-step guidance on diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and prevention.

Systematic reviews are the cornerstones of evidence based medicine. They bring together evidence from existing research to help answer important clinical questions, identify harms, and inform clinical guidelines, practice and policies worldwide.

Without them, decision makers, students and researchers would be at the mercy of often conflicting studies or expert opinion.

BMJ Best Practice already has a strong evidence base, but by incorporating Cochrane Clinical Answers, it will give health professionals the confidence to make the best decisions in partnership with patients, even in areas of clinical uncertainty.

In fact, a recent independent review of clinical decision support tools published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research¹ ranked BMJ Best Practice equal first for breadth of disease coverage, editorial quality, and evidence-based methodology.

Sharon Cooper, Chief Digital Officer, BMJ said: "Both BMJ and Cochrane have been at the forefront of the evidence based medicine movement since it began, and the goals of our two organizations are closely aligned. We look forward to working together to help busy health professionals make decisions that are linked as firmly as possible to the highest quality evidence available for the benefit of patients."

Cochrane Editor in Chief, David Tovey said, "I am delighted Cochrane will be working together with BMJ and health professionals globally to make better, more informed health decisions. Cochrane Clinical Answers is an important evidence-based tool that provides decision-makers with the best available evidence so that they can make informed decisions at the point of care."

Notes to Editors:
¹ Providing Doctors With High-Quality Information: An Updated Evaluation of Web-Based Point-of-Care Information Summaries Journal of Medical Internet Research Vol 18, No 1 (2016): January

About BMJ
BMJ is a healthcare knowledge provider that aims to advance healthcare worldwide by sharing knowledge and expertise to improve experiences, outcomes and value. For a full list of BMJ products and services, please visit bmj.com

About Cochrane
Cochrane is a global independent network of researchers, professionals, patients, carers and people interested in health. Cochrane produces reviews which study all of the best available evidence generated through research and make it easier to inform decisions about health. These are called systematic reviews.  Cochrane is a not-for profit organisation with collaborators from more than 130 countries working together to produce credible, accessible health information that is free from commercial sponsorship and other conflicts of interest. Our work is recognised as representing an international gold standard for high quality, trusted information. Find out more at cochrane.org Follow us on twitter @cochranecollab

About Wiley
Wiley, a global company, helps people and organizations develop the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. Our online scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, combined with our digital learning, assessment and certification solutions help universities, learned societies, businesses, governments and individuals increase the academic and professional impact of their work. For more than 200 years, we have delivered consistent performance to our stakeholders. The company's website can be accessed at www.wiley.com.

SOURCE BMJ