From 2010, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews will be published monthly.
A systematic review identifies an intervention for a specific disease or healthcare problem and determines if it works. Evidence is located, appraised and synthesized from as many relevant scientific studies as possible. Systematic reviews adhere to a strict design in order to make them more comprehensive, thus minimizing the chance of bias and ensuring reliability.
The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews comprises over 4,000 reviews and almost 2,000 protocols (reviews in progress).
From 2008, it also includes systematic reviews of diagnostic test accuracy. These reviews assess the accuracy of a diagnostic test(s) for a given target condition in a specific patient/participant group or setting.
Changes to the review and protocol headers
From 2010, the header reflects the most recent status of the review, for example if there has been a new literature search conducted, or the conclusions have changed, or the review has been edited.
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The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews is part of the Cochrane Library. Find it at http://www.thecochranelibrary.com/
