This is a great video of a talk given at the Oxford Martin School by Professor Kevin Marsh.

10th March 2017 • comment

In this podcast Dr Jacob McKnight talks about his experiences in neonatal nursing delivery and research in Kenya.

20th February 2017 • comment

Become a Cochrane citizen scientist. Anyone can join their collaborative volunteer effort.

23rd December 2016 • comment

Authors conducted a systematic survey of the methodological literature to identify recommended approaches for how and what randomised clinical trial (RCT) authors should report on missing participant data and, on the basis of these approaches, to propose guidance for RCT authors. Most identified approaches invite trial authors to report the extent of MPD and the underlying reasons. Fewer approaches focus on reporting missingness patterns, methods for handling MPD and implications of MPD on results. 

4th January 2016 • comment

Dr Iveta Seimer, Deputy Director of the UK EQUATOR Centre, discusses research waste, reproducibility, and how to use reporting guidelines to make an impact. Poor reporting seriously affects the integrity of health research literature and critically limits the use and impact of published studies.

27th November 2015 • comment
22nd September 2015 • comment

In celebration of Global Health Trials' fifth birthday (May 11th 2015) Professor Trudie Lang, Principal Investigator of the programme, talks to us about why Global Health Trials was started, why people should share their experience, and what the future holds.

8th May 2015 • comment

To prioritise the many possible research questions on infant <6m malnutrition, this paper used the systematic, transparent, well-established Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative (CHNRI) approach. Sixty-four experts scored 60 research questions on the basis of their answerability, likelihood of intervention efficacy, effectiveness, deliverability, sustainability, impact on disease burden, and impact on equity.      

28th April 2015 • comment

The authors in this paper describe the development of a reporting guideline, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses for Protocols 2015 (PRISMA-P 2015). PRISMA-P consists of a 17-item checklist intended to facilitate the preparation and reporting of a robust protocol for the systematic review. Funders and those commissioning reviews might consider mandating the use of the checklist to facilitate the submission of relevant protocol information in funding applications. Similarly, peer reviewers and editors can use the guidance to gauge the completeness and transparency of a systematic review protocol submitted for publication in a journal or other medium.      

4th February 2015 • comment

This resource was used to train health professionals on how to record key data on pregnancies and deliveries for women participating in the Fetal Growth Longitudinal Study (FGLS) and Newborn Cross Sectional Study (NCSS). http://www.medscinet.net/Intergrowth/patientinfodocs/Pregnancy%20and%20Delivery%20Form%20Instructions.pdf

25th April 2014 • comment

Basic Neonatal Care Manual

by INTERGROWTH-21st

The INTERGROWTH-21st Project used this manual to standardize definitions, treatment and management recommendations of neonatal morbidities.  http://www.medscinet.net/Intergrowth/patientinfodocs/Neonatal%20Manual%20Final.pdf

25th April 2014 • comment

Anthropometry Handbook

by INTERGROWTH-21st

This handbook describes the methods used to perform accurate, precise and standardized anthropometric measurements for all components of the INTERGROWTH-21st study, including:

  • height and weight of pregnant mothers
  • birth weight, length and head circumference of newborns
  • weight, length and head circumference of preterm babies
http://www.medscinet.net/Intergrowth/patientinfodocs/Anthropometry%20Handbook%20April%202012.pdf

25th April 2014 • comment

This protocol outlines the technique for measuring symphysis fundus height. http://www.medscinet.net/Intergrowth/patientinfodocs/Measurement%20of%20Symphysis%20Fundus%20Height.pdf

25th April 2014 • comment

This protocol outlines the technique for taking a pregnant woman's blood pressure. http://www.medscinet.net/Intergrowth/patientinfodocs/BP%20protocol.pdf

25th April 2014 • comment

Ultrasound Operations Manual

by INTERGROWTH-21st

The aims of this manual are to ensure all trained ultrasonographers are familiar with the standardized way measurements should be taken for the purposes of using the INTERGROWTH-21st growth standards, including standardization of the way the equipment should be used, ultrasound findings are recorded, data is entered and transfered, and how to train, asesses and certify these standardized techniques.  http://www.medscinet.net/Intergrowth/patientinfodocs/US%20Manual%20FINAL.pdf

25th April 2014 • comment

ESSENCE on Health Research have created a good practice document on research costing. It includes a review of the funding practices related to the definition and funding of direct and indirect costs. 

18th December 2013 • comment

This guide, developed by the WHO and released in December 2013, aims to facilitate implementation research in LMICs.

2nd December 2013 • comment

Presentations from D Groups

19th July 2013 • comment

IV Therapy

by Editor

Pedagogy is a US provider of Continuing Education for Nurses. They have produced posters that can be downloaded, showing recent guidlines in the management of Intra Venous therapy.

17th May 2013 • comment

Despite published guidance on writing the abstract in the PRISMA Statement guiding the reporting of systematic reviews in general and elsewhere, evaluations show that reporting of systematic reviews in journal and conference abstracts is poor. Teh authors developed consensus-based reporting guidelines as an extension to the PRISMA Statement on good reporting of systematic reviews and meta-analyses in abstracts.

10th April 2013 • comment

We share the WHO 2009 guideline that provides a framework for integrating nutrition support into the routine care of HIV-infected children (6 months-14 years). HIV-infected children deserve special attention because of their additional needs to ensure growth and development and their dependency on adults for adequate care including nutrition care and support for treatment. Vertical implementation of HIV programmes, such as PMTCT and ART, have resulted in missed opportunities to gain synergy with other existing services.

3rd January 2013 • comment

Research reporting guidelines are standard statements that provide guidance on how to report research methodology and findings. These are in the form of checklists, flow diagrams or texts. Most of the biomedical journals require authors to comply with these guidelines. Guidelines are available for reporting various study designs:

  • CONSORT Statement (reporting of randomized controlled trials)
  • STARD (reporting of diagnostic accuracy studies)
  • STROBE (reporting of observational studies in epidemiology)
  • PRISMA (reporting of systematic reviews)
  • MOOSE (reporting of meta-analyses of observational studies)

26th October 2012 • comment