The Caribbean Branch of the US Cochrane Centre (CBUSCC) workshop  in partnership with The United States Cochrane Centre hosted its  annual workshop “Developing a Cochrane Systematic Review” from  April 14-16, 2014.  It was a success. We had the content delivered by  University of the West Indies Faculty as well as visiting faculty Dr. Eric  Manheimer and Ms. Chisa Cumberbatch.

 Systematic Reviews (SRs) are considered the highest form of evidence that can be used for individual patient decision making as well as planning and policy development. Improved understanding of systematic reviews has become increasingly important as they are often included as part of PhD thesis backgrounds, are commissioned by Donors or Funding Agencies to help guide their funding award process, SRs can also improve the likelihood of obtaining grant funding and Cochrane reviews are published on the Cochrane Library which has an impact factor of 5.785.

The workshop was truly regional with participants from Jamaica, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados. Participants included policy makers, academics, clinicians and post graduate students. Already some of the attendees are using the tools learned in their own systematic reviews and others are in the process of developing titles for the Cochrane Collaboration.

Through these annual workshops the CBUSCC continues to build capacity for evidence informed public health policy and health care in the Caribbean.