A round-up of selected recent coverage citing, discussing, and presenting health evidence - updated throughout the month.
Cranberry is a popular natural treatment for urinary tract infections but does the evidence on its effectiveness stack up? ABC RN Health Report looks at the latest evidence, including the Cochrane Review on cranberries for preventing urinary tract infections. Opinion piece in The New York Times considers public perception of the relationship between scientific research, evidence, and expertise. Editorial on the Cochrane Library looks at the recent establishment of the Cochrane Nutrition Field and its objectives. To avoid waste of research, no new studies should be done without a systematic review of existing evidence. This BMJ Podcast, 'Reserach before Research', explains why the lack of reference to a systematic review before designing new studies is still a problem and how Cochrane is helping. The Conversation looks at Cochrane evidence on school-based interventions for preventing HIV, sexually transmitted infections, and pregnancy in adolescents. Cochrane Review contributes in Men’s Health list of 39 ways to stay healthy The Express cites several Cochrane Reviews in their recommendations on cold cures. Cochrane Review on timing of epidurals cited in Huffington Post blog post. The Last Tuesday Project names Cochrane as ‘one of the most reliable resources of healthcare information’ and a ‘health researcher’s dream’. In their blogpost they explain why they find Cochrane reliable and how to best use Cochrane as a resource. Struggling to explain why not all health research (or all health news) is equally credible or useful? Vox has created 'The one chart you need to understand any health study' - with systematic reviews and meta-analyses described as 'the king of all evidence' and including a mention of the Cochrane Library. Nursing Times discusses recent Cochrane Review, ‘Breastfeeding for procedural pain in infants beyond the neonatal period’.
