General information - Dutch Cochrane Centre - The Cochrane ...

General informationThe Dutch Cochrane Centre (DCC) was established in 1994 and is located in thedepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the Academic Medical Center(AMC) in Amsterdam. The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports continues toprovide core funding.On 1st January 2002, the Belgian Branch of the Dutch Cochrane Centre started itsactivities. The Branch is located in the department of General Practice at the CatholicUniversity of Leuven, Belgium, and is funded by the Belgian Ministry of Health.ObjectivesI To stimulate and support evidence-based medicine activities in the Netherlands to helpprofessionals and consumers to make well-informed decisions about health care.Activities1.1 To support the use of evidence-based medicine in Dutch health care.1.2 To train professionals in evidence-based medicine.II To stimulate Cochrane activities in the Netherlands to contribute to the furtherdevelopment of the international Cochrane Collaboration by facilitating the preparation,maintenance and dissemination of high quality, up- to-date systematic reviews across abroad range of health care topics.Activities2.1 To support and to stimulate the preparation of high quality Cochrane systematicreviews about health care interventions.2.2 To contribute to the international Cochrane Collaboration and to maintain anadequate infrastructure for the Dutch Cochrane Centre.2.3 To identify scientific publications (evidence) about the efficacy of healthcareinterventions.The Belgian Branch conducts courses on the writing of systematic reviews, developed afollow-up program for Belgian reviewers and stimulates healthcare practitioners andscientists to write reviews.Tasks assumed on behalf of the collaborationThe Dutch Cochrane Centre hosts the Continental European Support Unit (CESU). Thisunit is funded by The Cochrane Collaboration and its main task is to assist ContinentalEuropean Cochrane Review Groups with the implementation of Cochrane Diagnostic testaccuracy reviews.The Dutch Cochrane Centre is responsible for advising Cochrane Review Groups aboutnon- standard titles for Cochrane reviews. When a non-standard title is entered in Archie,an alert will be sent to us and then, if possible, we will try to make the title fit in one ofthe standard formats.

Countries for which the centre is the reference Cochrane Centre• The Netherlands• Belgium (serviced by the Belgian Branch)• Aruba• Netherlands Antilles• Surinam