Cochrane is named after Archie Cochrane, an epidemiologist who recognised the importance of critically evaluating health care interventions to help distinguish effective treatments from those of no benefit.
Cochrane exists so that healthcare decisions get better
Cochrane is a global independent network of researchers, professionals, patients, carers, and people interested in health. Many of our contributors are world leaders in their fields - medicine, health policy, research methodology, or consumer advocacy - and our groups are situated in some of the world's most respected academic and medical institutions.
Cochrane contributors work together to produce credible, accessible health information that is free from commercial sponsorship and other conflicts of interest. This is vital for us to generate authoritative and reliable information, working freely, unconstrained by commercial and financial interests. We gather and analyze the best available evidence to help people make informed decisions about health and health care. These are called systematic reviews. Our work is recognised as representing an international gold standard for high quality, trusted information.
The need for Cochrane's work is even greater than it was when we started in 1993. As access to health evidence increases, so do the risks of misinterpreting complex content; meanwhile the likelihood of any one person getting a complete and balanced picture decreases. Our mission to provide accessible, credible information to support informed decision-making has never been more important or useful for improving global health.