Australian Cochrane Diabetes Satellite

The Australian Cochrane Diabetes Satellite (ACDS) was established under grant from the Department of Health and Ageing which is administered by the Australasian Cochrane Centre.

The purpose of the Satellite is to support and work closely with the German-based Endocrine Disorders Cochrane Review Group and the Australasian Cochrane Centre to:

• Facilitate the dissemination of the results of relevant Cochrane reviews to clinicians, consumers and policy makers in the Australian diabetes community
• Promote the use of the Cochrane Library for informing practice and research in the Australian diabetes community
• Increase capacity within the Australian diabetes community to prepare and maintain Cochrane reviews through training events (in partnership with the Australasian Cochrane Centre) and mentoring of individual reviewers
• Support the Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders CRG in the production and updating of Cochrane reviews, specifically those related to the management of diabetes
• Collaborate with the Australasian Cochrane Centre and other Australian based Cochrane Review Groups, satellites and entities to further the work of The Cochrane Collaboration in the Australasian region
• Conduct reviews where appropriate.

The first draft of a Cochrane review of individual patient education, involving a meta-analysis of 29 peer reviewed reports of studies on the effect of education on selected outcomes in people with type 2 diabetes has been developed. The draft has been reviewed by the Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders Group Editorial Base in Germany and is currently being revised and updated.

An ACDS NewsLetter promoting the Cochrane Library and various activities is circulated quarterly to approximately 300 diabetes clinicians, academics and researchers primarily in Australia but also in the Asia Pacific Region.

Several training and promotional events have been conducted among the diabetes community in Australia and three senior clinical researchers from Asia have been trained in basic Cochrane
methods.

Work is currently underway to develop a survey questionnaire which will be distributed in 2007 to canvass the views of the diabetes professional community to identify priority areas for new diabetes and related Cochrane reviews.

Partners:

• Australasian Cochrane Centre – Monash University Melbourne
• Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders Cochrane Review Group, Germany