Facilitating evidence-based health decision-making among professionals, patients and policymakers will be just one of the issues discussed today by EMCDDA Director Alexis Goosdeel and Chief Executive Officer of the Cochrane Collaboration Mark Wilson. Mr Wilson is visiting the agency in the context of the organisations’ on-going collaboration in the area of best practice.
The Cochrane Collaboration is an NGO committed to putting evidence at the heart of health decision-making all over the world and its methodology is recognised by international and European organisations as a sound basis for practice. The EMCDDA’s own Best Practice Portal — which presents current evidence in the areas of prevention, treatment, harm reduction and social reintegration — is reinforced by the results of the Cochrane Group on Drugs and Alcohol. Continued collaboration between the two organisations on this project will further support practice.
As stated in the EMCDDA Health and social responses to drug problems: a European guide: ‘Regardless of the evidence that exists to support the use of any response option, it is unlikely to be effective if it is implemented poorly’ (1). The meeting will explore ways in which the EMCDDA and the Cochrane Collaboration may strengthen their efforts to promote evidence-based recommendations and support successful implementation strategies.
