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Evidence Essentials

Welcome to Cochrane Interactive Learning

Welcome to Cochrane Evidence Essentials

Cochrane Evidence Essentials is a free online resource offering an introduction to health evidence, and how to use it to make informed health choices.

More information about this resource

Cochrane Evidence Essentials is an introduction to Evidence Based Medicine, clinical trials and Cochrane evidence. It is designed for healthcare consumers (patients, care givers, family members), policy makers and members of the healthcare team

You will be guided through the modules by the personal learning journey of ‘Eleni’, a fictional consumer. The modules are presented in the form of a story, but you are free to skip this and explore the learning in any way you choose. The learning is interactive, with things to read, film and audio, quizzes, and ways to check your learning. There are links to further resources if you wish to continue learning about a particular topic.

This learning has been co-produced by healthcare consumers, researchers and specialists from Cochrane’s Central Executive Team, with contributions from a range of experts in their fields.

Cochrane Evidence Essentials is free to use, with a Cochrane account (free to sign up).

We're pleased to hear your thoughts. If you have any questions, comments or feedback about the content of this module, please contact us at support@cochrane.org.

Module 1: Evidence-based medicine

Eleni tells us how a healthcare puzzle of her aunt’s inspires her to begin to find out about evidence-based medicine. She learns what evidence-based medicine is, why it matters and how evidence and practice are being championed and improved.

Module 2: Randomized controlled trials

Hearing that her aunt needs medical help increases Eleni’s interest in where healthcare evidence comes from. She learns how clinical trials can be controlled and randomized, and what’s needed to make sure randomized controlled trials are well run.

Module 3: Introduction to systematic reviews

Eleni wants to know where the most reliable healthcare evidence can be found and decides to explore systematic reviews. She learns about different kinds of systematic reviews, their advantages and limitations, how they’re done and what’s in each section of a finished review.

Module 4: Understanding and using systematic reviews

Eleni visits her aunt, who has a blood clot in her leg as a result of a 13-hour flight. Eleni wants to find out what she can do to avoid developing the same condition herself. She learns how to find a relevant Cochrane Review, understand its results and use it to make a shared decision with a healthcare professional.

Module 5: Consumer involvement in Cochrane

Eleni has discovered the world of evidence-based medicine, and Cochrane evidence. Now she has found out that patients and carers have a really important role in Cochrane. She wonders, what can she do? How can she understand more about Cochrane? Where should she start? Follow Eleni’s continuing journey as she finds out about how to get involved and contribute to producing and sharing Cochrane evidence.

Module 6: Critical appraisal of rapid reviews

Eleni made friends with a knowledge broker and health scientist who taught her how to critically appraise rapid reviews. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of a review proved to be useful when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out and Eleni wanted to get an evidence-based answer to her questions about vaccination.

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