The Cochrane Collaboration: the present and the future

The Cochrane Collaboration has developed in response to the call for systematic, up-to-date reviews of all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of health care. Both evidence-based medicine (EBM) and the Cochrane Collaboration have been gaining attention of healthcare professionals in Japan recently. Ways for Japanese people to contribute to the Cochrane Collaboration are as follows: participating in a collaborative review group as a reviewer; increasing registry number of Japanese RCT articles; and Japanese translation of their outputs and its dissemination. Establishment of Japan Cochrane Center will integrate and promote the related activities. Furthermore, the positive recognitions for the Cochrane Collaboration and EBM among Japanese people can improve environments for conducting clinical trials and epidemiological studies in Japan.