[The German Network for Evidence-based Medicine -- DNEbM]

The German Network for Evidence-based Medicine (DNEbM) was founded in October 2000. A major impetus for the development of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in Germany came in the mid-1990s from the German Cochrane Initiative, which referred to the principles and activities of the international Cochrane Collaboration. The Network's primary mission is to establish a competence and reference centre for all aspects of evidence-based medicine. Central to this mission is to encourage projects that are concerned with scientific and methodological problems, aspects of professional development and the question of how to translate EBM into clinical practice. With currently more than 600 individual members the DNEbM is the most important society concerned with EBM in the German-speaking region in Europe. Until now, the DNEbM has initiated the development of curricula for EBM and health technology assessment (HTA) for undergraduate and continuing medical education. In addition, position papers regarding hot topics such as prostate cancer screening with PSA or registration of randomised controlled trials were published. The Network's HTA section comprises experts from universities, institutes, health care administration and industry. Currently, the HTA section is developing an Internet-based course for users and doers of HTA reports in Germany.