European Cochrane Groups meet in Vienna
Two days for synergies and strategies

Vienna was the centre of Cochrane Europe for two days in late May. Representatives of 18 countries participated in the European Cochrane groups’ meeting – the first of its kind. Co-host Barbara Nussbaumer-Streit, co-director of Cochrane Austria, on the motivation to organise the get-together: "We facilitated this meeting to reconnect in person, as the pandemic has shifted most of our interactions online, making us feel distanced. We also want to leverage our geographic proximity to enhance our collaboration in research, teaching and advocating for evidence-based health care."

On day 1, ideas were explored on how to strengthen the collaboration between European Cochrane groups. Teams formed to develop various future activities: e.g. applying for funding to support network building; designing a core curriculum to teach evidence-based practice; or preparing a position statement on trial registration in Europe.

Day 2 was dedicated to Cochrane’s scientific strategy with 60 “Cochranees” including Karla Soares-Weiser – the Editor-in-Chief of the Cochrane Library. The day evolved around five main topics, i.e. Maternal, Newborn and Child Health; Multiple Chronic Conditions; Infectious Diseases and Pandemics, Climate Change and Sustainability; Methods and AI. Furthermore, the strategy's delivery, community engagement, opportunities with AI, and how Cochrane's new structure can support ongoing work were discussed.

"It was incredible to have so many Cochrane colleagues from across Europe gathered in Vienna, experiencing the unique spirit of collaboration that defines the Cochrane community. We left with numerous action items and a commitment to hold this meeting in another European city next year", concludes Barbara Nussbaumer-Streit.

Credit photo: Rene Spijker