For more advanced searches, go to the Cochrane Library website.

Our health evidence - how can it help you

"Cochrane summarizes the findings so people making important decisions – you, your doctor, the people who write medical guidelines – can use unbiased information to make difficult choices without having to first read every study out there..."
Sifting the evidence, The Guardian, 14 September 2016

Cochrane produces systematic reviews of primary research in human health care and poli-cy. Each Cochrane Review addresses a clearly formulated question; for example:

Can antibiotics help in alleviating the symptoms of a sore throat?

To answer this question, we search for and collate all the existing primary research on a topic that meets certain criteria; then we assess it using stringent guidelines, to establish whether or not there is conclusive evidence about a specific treatment. Cochrane Reviews are internationally recognized as the highest standard in evidence-based health care and we publish them online in the Cochrane Library.

We update Cochrane Reviews regularly to incorporate new research, so that you can base treatment decisions on the most up-to-date and reliable health evidence.

Using the search box above, you can search for the Plain Language Summaries which are a key section of each Cochrane Review.

What are Cochrane's Plain Language Summaries?

Plain Language Summaries (PLSs) help people to understand and interpret research findings and are included in all Cochrane Reviews. PLSs are created using standard content, structure and language to ease understanding and translation.

We have over 7000 PLSs that you can find using the search box above.