Opportunities and challenges when updating Cochrane reviews: Specialist breast care nurses for supportive care of women with breast cancer

Citation

Brown T, Noblet M & Cruickshank S (2019) Opportunities and challenges when updating Cochrane reviews: Specialist breast care nurses for supportive care of women with breast cancer. In: RCN International Nursing Research Conference and Exhibition 2019 Conference Abstracts. RCN International Nursing Research Conference 2019, Sheffield Hallam University, 03.09.2019-05.09.2019. London: Royal College of Nursing, pp. 90-91. https://www.rcn.org.uk/professional-development/research-and-innovation/research-events/rcn-2019-research-conference

Abstract
Background: Cochrane methodology to conduct systematic reviews is internationally recognised as ensuring the highest standards of quality in summarising the best available evidence to improve healthcare decision making.1 Cochrane methodology is continually being developed and this provides challenges to reviewers who regularly update reviews. Aim: To describe our experiences of updating a Cochrane review conceived over a decade ago that assessed the effects of interventions carried out by Breast Care Nurse’s on quality of life outcomes for women with breast cancer. A Breast Care Nurse (BCN) is a registered nurse with a qualification or specialist knowledge in breast care. Interventions by BCNs aim to support women and help them cope with the impact of the disease on their quality of life. 2 Methodological discussion: Using our experiences of updating a Cochrane review we describe how both the Cochrane methodological tools and the interventions themselves have changed over time. We introduce debate about the opportunities and challenges posed through improved reporting standards, particularly assessing the quality of the body of evidence using the GRADE approach. Conclusions: Reviews are continually updated to improve the evidence base and the reporting of the evidence, to improve our understanding of the components of interventions, to inform the development of future interventions and the direction of further research. This paper reports on our experience of building a body of evidence, how the evidence base has changed and our experience of using Cochrane tools within the nursing field as a case study. refs: https://www.cochranelibrary.com/about/about-cochrane Cruickshank S, Kennedy C, Lockhart K, Dosser I, Dallas L. Specialist breast care nurses for supportive care of women with breast cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD005634. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD005634.pub2.

Notes
Output Type: Meeting Abstract