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The Cochrane Library: Supporting Evidence-Based Healthcare Decision-Making

To support evidence-based decision making by students and faculty in nursing, psychology and social work, the University Libraries recently added The Cochrane Library to its list of database offerings.

The Cochrane Library consists of seven closely related databases with the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews as the most frequently used source. It features basic and advanced search capabilities that return comprehensive results from the following databases:

• Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
• Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials
• Cochrane Methodology Register
• Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects
• Health Technology Assessment Database
• NHS Economic Evaluation Database
• About The Cochrane Collaboration

The Cochrane Library includes full text systematic reviews describing specific care measures for a range of illnesses. The reviews are thorough analyses of published studies and unpublished reports and guidelines which have been crafted by a team of health care professionals.

Also noteworthy, the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE) includes assessments of reviews that were conducted and released by a group other than Cochrane. The record presents a summary of the review as well as a statement of its merits. The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) includes bibliographic citations to published reports of clinical trials. The standard format used for each description includes the title of the article, publication information, and an abstract.

To access The Cochrane Library, please go to http://www.libraries.rutgers.edu/cms/indexes/descriptions/cochrane or consult the Quick Reference Guide.