A NETWORK OF

These Cochrane review titles were prioritised using a large online survey sent out across the world. This was a 'prioritisation project' funded by the Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group.

The * review topics were ‘Top 50 accessed reviews’ in The Cochrane Library (2007)

Priority health areas

- Cancers

- Pain, palliative and supportive care

- Heart disease

- Overweight, diabetes

- HIV/AIDS

- Mental health

- Injuries, musculoskeletal health

- Pregnancy and childbirth

 

 

Risk factors - Tobacco addiction

Communication and organisation of health services

Acute conditions - Respiratory infections

 

Oral health

Skin problems

Methodological reviews

Priority health areas (based on burden of disease, particularly in high income countries)

Cancers

Breast Cancer

What can I learn about screening for breast cancer from Cochrane reviews?

*Screening for breast cancer with mammography
Strategies for increasing the participation of women in community breast cancer screening
Regular self-examination or clinical examination for early detection of breast cancer
Methods of communicating a primary diagnosis of breast cancer to patients

What, from the reviews, would help me understand more about treatments for breast cancer?

In Early Breast Cancer:
Preoperative chemotherapy for women with operable breast cancer
Follow-up strategies for women treated for early breast cancer

In Metastatic and Advanced Breast Cancer:
Psychological interventions for women with metastatic breast cancer (support group sessions)
Chemotherapy alone versus endocrine therapy alone for metastatic breast
Systemic therapy for treating locoregional recurrence in women with breast cancer
Aromatase inhibitors for treatment of advanced breast cancer in postmenopausal women

What can I find out about dealing with side effects of treatments for breast cancer?

Exercise for women receiving adjuvant therapy for breast cancer
Chinese medicinal herbs to treat the side-effects of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients
Physical therapies for reducing and controlling lymphoedema of the limbs
Antibiotics, anti-inflammatories for reducing acute inflammatory episodes in lymphoedema of the limbs

Colorectal Cancer

What does the Cochrane review tell me about increased dietary fibre to prevent colorectal cancer?

Dietary fibre for the prevention of colorectal adenomas and carcinomas

What would help me understand more about life after removal of a length of bowel because of colorectal cancer?

Quality of life after rectal resection for cancer, with or without permanent colostomy

Ovarian Cancer

What reviews can help me understand more about treatments for ovarian cancer?

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy for the initial management of primary epithelial ovarian cancer
Chemotherapy for advanced ovarian cancer
Tamoxifen for relapse of ovarian cancer

Other cancer issues

Short versus long duration infusions of paclitaxel for any advanced adenocarcinoma
Oral anticoagulation for prolonging survival in patients with cancer

How can communication between healthcare providers and their patients be improved?

Communication skills training for health care professionals working with cancer patients, their families and/or carers

What can I find out about dealing with side effects of treatments for cancer?

Acupuncture-point stimulation for chemotherapy-induced nausea or vomiting
Selenium for alleviating the side effects of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery in cancer patients

What Cochrane reviews would help me understand more about treatments for pain caused by cancer?

NSAIDS or paracetamol, alone or combined with opioids
Oral morphine
Hydromorphone for acute and chronic pain
Opioids for the management of breakthrough (episodic) pain
Opioid switching to improve pain relief and drug tolerability
Ketamine as an adjuvant to opioids for cancer pain (additional treatment)
Comparative efficacy of epidural, subarachnoid, and intracerebroventricular opioids in patients with pain due to cancer

What reviews would help me understand more about oral health and cancer?

*Interventions for treating oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment
Screening programmes for the early detection and prevention of oral cancer
Interventions for treating oral leukoplakia (to prevent from becoming cancerous)

What is the evidence on some of the treatments that can be used for skin cancers?

Interventions for basal cell carcinoma of the skin
Statins and fibrates for preventing melanoma

Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care

What non-medication therapies help relieve pain?

Music for pain relief
Touch therapies for pain relief in adults (New)
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for chronic pain
I have been advised to use opioids for my neuropathic pain; what can I expect?
Opioids for neuropathic pain (caused by nerve damage)

Reviews about Models of Care

Patient controlled opioid analgesia versus conventional opioid analgesia for postoperative pain

Nutrition support for bone marrow transplant patients

What treatments can ease symptoms for people who are terminally ill?

Laxatives for the management of constipation
Benzodiazepines and related drugs for insomnia
Opioids for the palliation of breathlessness
Drug therapy for anxiety
Drug therapy for delirium
Radiotherapy for the palliation of painful bone metastases
Surgery for the resolution of symptoms in malignant bowel obstruction in advanced gynaecological and gastrointestinal cancer

Pleurodesis for malignant pleural effusions [explain]

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Heart Disease

What can I do to effectively reduce my chances of developing cardiovascular disease (heart pain, heart attack, stroke) from Cochrane reviews?

Dietary advice for reducing cardiovascular risk
Low glycaemic index diets for coronary heart disease
Interventions for promoting physical activity
Multiple risk factor interventions for primary prevention of coronary heart disease
Omega 3 fatty acids for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease
Reduced or modified dietary fat

What can I learn about the effective use of stents reduce my chances of developing cardiovascular disease?

For Heart Pain (angina):
Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty with stents versus coronary artery bypass grafting for people with stable angina or acute coronary syndromes
For more severe heart pain and heart attack
Early invasive versus conservative strategies for unstable angina and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction

What can I learn from Cochrane reviews about the effectiveness of medications?

For Atrial Fibrillation:
Pharmacological cardioversion for atrial fibrillation and flutter
For Cardiomyopathy (weak heart muscles)
Anticoagulation for heart failure in sinus rhythm
Antiplatelet agents versus control or anticoagulation for heart failure in sinus rhythm

Overweight and Diabetes

How effective are diet and exercise for people who are overweight or obese?

*Low glycaemic index or low glycaemic load diets
*Exercise
*Interventions for preventing obesity in children
What non-medication therapies will help me with my type-2 diabetes?
Dietary advice for treatment in adults
*Exercise
Fish oil

Models of care

Group based training for self-management strategies
Interventions for improving adherence to treatment recommendations
Self-monitoring of blood glucose in patients not using insulin
Systems for routine surveillance for people with diabetes mellitus

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HIV/AIDS

What, from Cochrane reviews, can be done to prevent HIV/AIDS?

Population based measures:
Population-based interventions for reducing sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV infection.
Mass media interventions for promoting HIV testing

For men:
Condom effectiveness in reducing heterosexual HIV transmission
Male circumcision for prevention of heterosexual acquisition of HIV in men

Work related:
Antiretroviral post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) for occupational HIV exposure

For pregnant women:
Efficacy and safety of cesarean delivery for prevention of mother-to-child transmission
Antiretrovirals for reducing the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV

What is the high level evidence on anti-virals for HIV/AIDS?

Stavudine, lamivudine and nevirapine combination therapy for treatment of HIV infection and AIDS in adults

What associated treatments can help people with HIV/AIDS?

Micronutrient supplementation in children and adults
Nutritional interventions for reducing morbidity and mortality
Treatment for anemia
Interventions for the prevention and management of oral thrush (oropharyngeal candidiasis) in adults and children

Adherence to treatment:
Patient support and education for promoting adherence to highly active antiretroviral therapy

What would help me understand more about treatments for associated (opportunistic) infections experienced by people with HIV/AIDS?

Antifungal interventions for the primary prevention of cryptococcal disease in adults
Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis for opportunistic infections in children
Cotrimoxazole prophylaxis for opportunistic infections in adults
Treatment of latent tuberculosis infection
Adjunctive corticosteroids for Pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia

Mental Health

What non-medication therapies are used for anxiety and depression?

With Children and Adolescents:
Exercise in prevention and treatment of anxiety and depression among children and young people.
Cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents
Psychological and/or educational interventions for the prevention of depression in children and adolescents

For Adults:
Meditation therapy for anxiety disorders
Psychological therapies for generalised anxiety disorder

What do Cochrane reviews say about treatments of mental health issues?

Interventions for helping people recognise early signs of recurrence in bipolar disorder

Eating disorders:
Self-help and guided self-help for eating disorders

Self harm:
Psychosocial and pharmacological treatments for deliberate self harm

What high level evidence exists for antidepressants?

Antidepressants for generalized anxiety disorder
Antidepressants plus benzodiazepines for major depression

Care Models

Primary Care:
Psychosocial interventions by general practitioners
Effectiveness and cost effectiveness of counseling in primary care

Work related:
Preventing occupational stress in healthcare workers
*Psychological treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder
Combined psychotherapy plus antidepressants for panic disorder with or without agoraphobia

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Injuries and Musculoskeletal

What is the evidence from Cochrane reviews on programs used to help people with back and neck pain?

Work-based programs:
Manual material handling advice and assistive devices for prevention and treatment
Work conditioning, work hardening and functional restoration
Back schools for non-specific low-back pain
Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for subacute low-back pain
Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for neck and shoulder pain

What non-medication treatments are useful?

As Treatment for Low-back Pain:
Massage therapy
*Exercise therapy
Spinal manipulative therapy for low-back pain
Bed rest for acute low-back pain and sciatica
Behavioural treatment for chronic pain
Neuroreflexotherapy
Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) for chronic pain

As Treatment for Neck Pain:
Acupuncture
Electrotherapy for neck disorders
Massage
Exercises
Manipulation and mobilization

What medications are used, and the evidence for them?

Medicinal and injection therapies for neck pain

Muscle relaxants for low-back pain

What can be expected with lower back (lumbar) disc surgery?

Surgery:
Surgical interventions for lumbar disc prolapse
Rehabilitation after lumbar disc surgery

What can be done for older people to prevent falls and bone fractures?

*Interventions for preventing falls
Vitamin D and vitamin D analogues for preventing fractures associated with osteoporosis

Osteoporosis:
Vitamin D and vitamin D analogues for preventing fractures
Calcium and vitamin D for corticosteroid-induced osteoporosis
Exercise for preventing and treating osteoporosis in postmenopausal women

What can be done to help people recover after breaking a hip?

Mobilisation strategies after hip fracture surgery
Co-ordinated multidisciplinary approaches for inpatient rehabilitation of older patients with hip (proximal femoral) fractures
Hip fracture aftercare

With Physical Disability:
Progressive resistance strength training for physical disability

What treatments are available for pain at the front of the knee - and the evidence on their effectiveness?

*Exercise therapy for patellofemoral pain syndrome
Medications (pharmacotherapy) for patellofemoral pain syndrome
What treatments are available for heel pain
Interventions for treating plantar heel pain
What treatments are available for work-related pain in the arm, neck or shoulder?
Ergonomic and physiotherapeutic interventions for treating work-related complaints of the arm, neck or shoulder
Biopsychosocial rehabilitation for upper limb repetitive strain
What can be done about tendon and ligament injuries?
Affecting the hand and shoulder:
Rehabilitation after surgery for flexor tendon injuries in the hand
Interventions for tears of the shoulder (rotator cuff) in adults
Affecting the ankle
Different functional treatment strategies for ankle sprains (acute lateral ankle ligament injuries) in adults
Interventions for treating long-term (chronic) ankle instability
Therapeutic ultrasound for acute ankle sprains
Affecting the knee
Exercise for treating isolated anterior cruciate ligament injuries in adults
Surgical versus conservative interventions for anterior cruciate ligament ruptures in adults
Exercise for treating anterior cruciate ligament injuries in combination with collateral ligament and meniscal damage of the knee in adults
Interventions for treating posterior cruciate ligament injuries of the knee in adults
What can be done about injuries to the cartilage in the knee?
Surgical treatment for meniscal injuries
Autologous cartilage implantation for full thickness articular cartilage defects

Other treatments in this area?

Fractures:
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for promoting fracture healing and treating fracture non-union

Amputation:
Prescription of prosthetic ankle-foot mechanisms after lower limb amputation

Joint replacement:
Pre-operative education for hip or knee replacement
Continuous passive motion following total knee arthroplasty

What high level evidence is available on treatments for fibromyalgia?

Exercise
Multidisciplinary rehabilitation in working age adults

What non-surgical treatments are available for (non-trauma) shoulder pain?

Acupuncture
Corticosteroid injections for rotator cuff disease, adhesive capsulitis or frozen shoulder
*Physiotherapy interventions

What non-medication treatments could help my osteoarthritis?

Exercise for the knee
Intensity of exercise for treatment
Braces and moulded inner soles for shoes (orthoses) for treating osteoarthritis of the knee
*Glucosamine therapy
Therapeutic ultrasound for osteoarthritis of the knee
Thermotherapy

What non-medication therapies that could improve my life with rheumatoid arthritis have been reviewed by Cochrane?

Patient education for adults
Splints and moulded inner soles for shoes (orthoses)
Occupational therapy for rheumatoid arthritis
Low level laser therapy (Classes I, II and III)
Acupuncture and electroacupuncture
Tai chi
Thermotherapy

What do Cochrane reviews say about using corticosteroids for rheumatoid arthritis?

Moderate-term, low-dose corticosteroids

What can be done to reduce the side effects of taking methotrexate for rheumatoid arthritis?

Folic acid and folinic acid for reducing side effects in patients receiving methotrexate

What high level evidence is available on treatments for psoriatic arthritis?

Interventions for treating psoriatic arthritis

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Pregnancy and Childbirth

What can be done to help women during pregnancy?

During pregnancy (antenatal):
Individual or group antenatal education for childbirth or parenthood, or both
Giving women their own case notes to carry during pregnancy
Interventions for nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy
Interventions for promoting smoking cessation during pregnancy
Interventions for preventing and treating pelvic and back pain in pregnancy
Psychosocial and psychological interventions for treating antenatal depression
Antenatal day care units versus hospital admission for women with complicated pregnancy
Ultrasound for fetal assessment in early pregnancy

Antenatal education for self-diagnosis of the onset of active labour at term
Antenatal perineal massage for reducing perineal trauma

External cephalic version for breech presentation before term
External cephalic version for breech presentation at term

What can be done to support women during childbirth?

Continuity of caregivers for care during pregnancy and childbirth
*Continuous support for women during childbirth
Traditional birth attendant training for improving health behaviours and pregnancy outcomes
Home-like versus conventional institutional settings for birth
Home versus hospital birth
Immersion in water in pregnancy, labour and birth
Acupuncture for induction of labour
Labour assessment programs to delay admission to labour wards
Management of labor:
Position in the second stage of labour for women without epidural anaesthesia
*Epidural versus non-epidural or no analgesia in labour
*Complementary and alternative therapies for pain management in labour
Early versus delayed umbilical cord clamping in preterm infants
Episiotomy for vaginal birth
*Early skin-to-skin contact for mothers and their healthy newborn infants
Induction of labour for improving birth outcomes for women at or beyond term
Active versus expectant management in the third stage of labour

From Cochrane reviews, what is good for me to know about caesarean births?

Caesarians and interventions:
Caesarean section for non-medical reasons at term
Regional versus general anaesthesia for caesarean section
Planned caesarean section for term breech delivery
Elective repeat caesarean section versus induction of labour for women with a previous caesarean birth
Planned elective repeat caesarean section versus planned vaginal birth for women with a previous caesarean birth

What is good for me to know about immediately after giving birth?

Early postnatal discharge from hospital for healthy mothers and term infants
Psychosocial and psychological interventions for preventing postpartum depression
What would help me understand more about breastfeeding?
*Interventions for promoting the initiation of breastfeeding
Interventions in the workplace to support breastfeeding for women in employment
*Support for breastfeeding mothers
Optimal duration of exclusive breastfeeding
Support for mothers, fathers and families after perinatal death

Risk factors for health problems

Tobacco Addiction – risk factor for burden of disease

What can be done in the community to prevent people smoking?

For Young People:
Community interventions for preventing smoking in young people
Family and carer smoking control programmes for reducing children's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke
School-based programmes for preventing smoking

For Adults:
Community interventions for reducing smoking among adults

How can people be helped to stop smoking?

For Young People:
Tobacco cessation interventions for young people

For Adults:
*Nicotine replacement therapy
Self-help interventions
Exercise interventions
*Antidepressants

Workplace interventions
Interventions for smokeless tobacco use cessation

Providing assistance:
Enhancing partner support to improve smoking cessation
Group behaviour therapy programmes

How can I stop smoking if I need to go to hospital?

Interventions for preoperative smoking cessation
Interventions for smoking cessation in hospitalised patients
Nursing interventions for smoking cessation

Models of care

General practice or primary care:
Training health professionals in smoking cessation

Communication and organisation of health services

What would help me understand more about models of care:

In what ways can communication between consumers or patients and health professionals be improved?

For Communication and Decision Making:
Interventions before consultations for helping patients address their information needs
Interventions for improving older patients' involvement in visits to their general physicians (primary care givers)
Interventions for providers to promote a patient-centred approach in clinical consultation
Decision aids for people facing health treatment or screening decisions
Personalised risk communication for informed decision making about taking screening tests
Contracts between patients and healthcare practitioners for improving patients' adherence to treatment prevention and health promotion activities
Interventions to support the decision-making process for older people facing the possibility of long-term residential care

Communication systems:
Interactive health communication applications for people with chronic disease

For Hospital Care and Discharge:
Written and verbal information versus verbal information only for patients being discharged from acute hospital settings to home
*Family-centred care for children in hospital
Telephone follow-up, initiated by a hospital-based health professional, for postdischarge problems in patients discharged from hospital to home

Policy:
Methods of consumer involvement in developing healthcare policy and research, clinical practice guidelines and patient information material

Effective Practice and Organisation of Care

What high level evidence is there on how healthcare is delivered and models of care?

Effectiveness of shared care across the interface between primary and specialty care in chronic disease management
Guidelines in professions allied to medicine
*Substitution of doctors by nurses in primary care
*Interventions to improve hand hygiene compliance in patient care
Mass media interventions for influencing the use of health services

What types of ongoing training and feedback are given to health professionals?

Interprofessional education: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes
Audit and feedback: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes
Tailored interventions to overcome identified barriers to change: effects on professional practice and healthcare outcomes
Continuing education meetings and workshops: effects on professional practice and health care outcomes
Teaching critical appraisal skills in health care settings

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Acute conditions

Respiratory Infections

From Cochrane reviews, when are antibiotics useful for infections in the upper part of the body?

For Children:
*Antibiotics for acute otitis media (inner ear infections)
Antibiotics for bronchiolitis (infections in the chest)
Antibiotics for community acquired lower respiratory tract infections secondary to mycoplasma pneumoniae
Antibiotics for community acquired pneumonia

What other treatments might help, and for other infections?

Humidified air inhalation for treating croup
Advising patients to increase fluid intake for treating acute respiratory infections
Bronchodilators for infants with bronchiolitis (infections in the chest)

Corticosteroids for acute bacterial meningitis

For Adults:
Antibiotics for acute laryngitis (losing your voice)
Antibiotics for acute maxillary sinusitis
Antibiotics for community-acquired pneumonia in adult outpatients
Antibiotic prophylaxis to reduce respiratory tract infections and deaths in intensive care

How effective are flu shots?

For Elderly People:
Vaccines for preventing influenza in the elderly

Other Health Areas

Oral Health

Are the different types of fluoride application effective in preventing tooth decay?

For children and Adolescents:
Fluoride toothpastes
Fluoride mouthrinses
Topical fluoride (toothpastes, mouthrinses, gels or varnishes)
Fluoride gels
Fluoride varnishes
One topical fluoride (toothpastes, or mouthrinses, or gels, or varnishes) versus another

Are sealants effective in preventing tooth decay?

For children and adolescents:
Pit and fissure sealants versus fluoride varnishes
Pit and fissure sealants for permanent teeth

What can I learn about general dental care from Cochrane reviews?

General dental care:
Manual versus powered toothbrushing for oral health
Tongue scraping for treating bad breath (halitosis)
Mouthrinses for bad breathis
Routine scale and polish for periodontal health in adults
Recall intervals for oral health in primary care patients
Complete or ultraconservative removal of decayed tissue in unfilled teeth

What can I learn about wisdom teeth?

Interventions for treating asymptomatic impacted wisdom teeth in adolescents and adults

What Cochrane reviews would help me understand more about replacing missing teeth with dental implants?

Maintaining health around dental implants
Treatment of perimplantitis
Preprosthetic surgery versus dental implants

What would help me understand more about oral health and cancer?

*Interventions for treating oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment
Screening programmes for the early detection and prevention of oral cancer
Interventions for treating oral leukoplakia (to prevent from becoming cancerous)

Skin problems

What treatments are used for fungal infections on the foot?

Topical treatments for fungal infections of the skin and nails of the foot
Oral treatments for fungal infections of the skin of the foot

What are some of the treatments that can be used for skin conditions?

Eczema:
Psychological and educational interventions for atopic eczema in children
Chinese herbal medicine for atopic eczema

- and skin infections?

Impetigo:
Interventions for impetigo

What are some of the treatments that can be used for skin cancers?

Interventions for basal cell carcinoma of the skin
Statins and fibrates for preventing melanoma

Methodological Reviews

What Cochrane reviews would help me understand more about participating in clinical trials?

Outcomes of patients who participate in randomised controlled trials compared to similar patients receiving similar interventions who do not participate
Randomisation to protect against selection bias in healthcare trials
Strategies to improve recruitment to research studies
Incentives and disincentives to participation by clinicians in randomised controlled trials

What would help me understand more about peer review and reporting of clinical studies and grant applications?

Editorial peer review for improving the quality of reports of biomedical studies
Full publication of results initially presented in abstracts
Peer review for improving the quality of grant applications

A database of Cochrane review topics - prioritised by consumers
http://cochrane.org/ccnet/prioritisedgroups.html (password - consumers)

The web area lists reviews under health areas and the themes identified by consumers. A short statement about the review, obtained from the Plain language summary or abstract of the review (and with input from consumers), is also provided.