Clinical practice should reflect clinical science

The Cochrane Collaboration was set up in 1992 as a world-wide network for creating and disseminating systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in healthcare. Systematic reviewing of RCTs is an essential stage, prior to the creation and dissemination of clinical guidelines, in the practice of evidence-based medicine. This paper is intended to provide the health telematics community with an introduction to the motives, aims and activities of the Cochrane Collaboration.