Become a Cochrane citizen scientist. Anyone can join their collaborative volunteer effort.
Around half of the clinical trials done on medicines we use today are not published; a tragic truth that needs to be changed.
The team interview panel members talking about the Novartis Access Initiative's work on NCDs.
New articles from the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM).
Professor Lang talks about doing difficult trials in difficult places - including malaria and ebola trials.
New Public Management (public sector reforms which draw on business ideology) are increasingly seen in African ministries of health. This talk concentrates on the effects of NPM reform on Ethiopian hospitals and how efforts to be 'more business-like' have many unintended consequences for hospitals and patients.
Professor Bongani M Mayosi from the Department of Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital & University of Cape Town describes the transofmation of the science cohort in South Africa.
Preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis protocols (PRISMA-P) 2015 statement
by Moher et alThe authors in this paper describe the development of a reporting guideline, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses for Protocols 2015 (PRISMA-P 2015). PRISMA-P consists of a 17-item checklist intended to facilitate the preparation and reporting of a robust protocol for the systematic review. Funders and those commissioning reviews might consider mandating the use of the checklist to facilitate the submission of relevant protocol information in funding applications. Similarly, peer reviewers and editors can use the guidance to gauge the completeness and transparency of a systematic review protocol submitted for publication in a journal or other medium.
Professor Peter Piot, LSHTM, talks about Ebola and implications for Africa and understanding future epidemics at the Martin School, University of Oxford, 16th October 2014.
Ebola PPE guidelines - urgent need to revise WHO and CDC guidelines. This video shows an excerpt from keynote address 'The fuss about face masks', Professor Raina MacIntyre from the School of Public Health and Community Medicine, UNSW Australia.
Observational Studies: Getting Clear about Transparency
by The PLOS Medicine EditorsWhen publishing observational research, what information should journals make available to the medical community before a result can be considered sufficiently reliable to inform patient care or health policy? The PLOS Medicine editors, in recent consultation with our editorial board, endorse measures in four areas to advance transparency in the analysis and reporting of observational studies.
TDR Implementation Research Toolkit
by WHO-TDRThis extensive toolkit was developed by TDR, and explains how to conduct implementation research. This toolkit was designed to help people learn a standard process that would lead to results that could be compared across regions and countries. It is designed to help identify system bottlenecks and the stakeholders to be involved, formulate appropriate research questions, conduct the research and develop a plan for implementing the study results.
This guide, developed by the WHO and released in December 2013, aims to facilitate implementation research in LMICs.
Are students kidding with health research ethics? The case of HIV/AIDS research in Cameroon
by Nchangwi S Munung, Godfrey B Tangwa, Chi P Che, Laurent Vidal, Odile Ouwe-Missi-Oukem-BoyerUniversities in Cameroon are playing an active part in HIV/AIDS research and much of this research is carried out by students, usually for the purpose of a dissertation/thesis. Student theses/dissertations present research findings in a much more comprehensive manner and have been described as the stepping-stone of a budding scientist's potential in becoming an independent researcher. It is therefore important to verify how students handle issues of research ethics.
Towards a more pragmatic approach to trial regulation
by The EditorsClinical trials in India continue to be in the news, unfortunately a fair bit being negative coverage.
A set of 4 consent templates for clinical trials, interview studies, observation studies and sampling only studies.
This article explains how an East Africa Research Group have developed and applied a highly pragmatic an effective monitoring system. This group train research staff to monitor or perform QC on studies and then implement a system of reciprocal monitoring between studies. It is cost effective and works well.
An overview on trial registration. Here you can find out why trials need to be registered and what the difference is between all the registries - and how to register your study.
What is the definition of clinical trial monitoring? Who can be a monitor? What are the monitor's roles and responsibilities? Read on for some answers.
Who should write up the results of the clinical trial? Are there guidelines on what should be included in the paper? This article answers these questions.
Considerations for pharmacovigilance and safety reporting.
Reciprocal or in-house monitoring schemes could be an alternative to expensive out-sourcing. Read on to find out more.
The site initiation process is important as it ensures that all the logistics are organised and the site is ready to begin recruiting subjects.
What is the definition of a clinical trial? Is there an international consensus? Read on to find out.