- © 2007 Canadian Medical Association or its licensors
Free access to the vast online databases of the Cochrane Collaboration, including 4655 Cochrane systematic reviews, 5900 non-Cochrane reviews and 5 other databases of research evidence, could soon be a reality for all Canadians.
Free, nationwide access to the Cochrane Library is a priority and could happen within the year, said Canadian Cochrane Network and Centre Director Jeremy Grimshaw. Only 10%–15% of Canadians — mostly medical students and researchers — now have full access to the Cochrane Library. But a focus on consumers is critical to expanding Cochrane's global reach and influence, Grimshaw told the 300 attendees at the 5th Annual Canadian Cochrane Symposium, Feb. 12–13 in Ottawa. The transfer of research knowledge to the public, policymakers and professionals was the symposium's theme.
“We are trying to strengthen, year by year, the way we're interacting with consumers, and making them aware of Cochrane and how to use it to help their decision making,” Grimshaw told CMAJ. This is especially important given the number of Canadians who look to the internet for information about their health.
Named after pioneering British medical researcher Archie Cochrane, the Cochrane Collaboration is an international non-profit organization dedicated to promoting evidence-based health care.
Currently, Cochrane provides free access to their review abstracts and plain language summaries. But access to the organization's extensive library of systematic reviews is generally available only to paid subscribers at an annual cost of about $350. But there are exceptions.
Over the past few years, the organization has convinced governments and international aid agencies to sponsor free, nationwide access for approximately 2 billion people in 15 countries, including England, Ireland, Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, India, Finland, Norway, Poland, South Africa, and all of Latin America and the Caribbean. Progress has been somewhat slower in Canada, where full access is only available in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, Yukon and Nunavut. (Access in the US is limited to residents of Wyoming.)
Throwing the doors open to the general public requires a national licence that would allow anyone with a Canadian IP address instant access. Grimshaw says such a licence would cost about $450 000 annually, an amount not covered by current funding. In 2005, the Centre received 5-year funding of $7.8 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health.
The Canadian Network will work with stakeholders, including professional associations, to iron out a proposal for federal funding.
Cochrane also plans to rev up its Francophone Network in the hope of increasing the level of involvement among French-speaking countries. The network, which is led by a Swiss physician, includes several countries with French-speaking citizens including Canada, France, Belgium and countries in North African. Grimshaw said the Canadian Cochrane Centre based in Ottawa will serve as a link for these countries to the broader Cochrane Network. They also hope to begin translating their reviews into French.