Centre for Reviews and Dissemination
Encyclopedia
The Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) is a health services research centre based at the University of York
, England
. CRD was established in January 1994, and aims to provide research-based information for evidence-based medicine
. CRD carries out systematic review
s and meta-analyses
of healthcare interventions, and disseminates the results of research to decision-makers in the NHS
.
CRD produces three databases:
These are freely available from the CRD database website http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/crdweb/ and as part of the Cochrane Library
.
CRD also publishes a number of regular reports including Effective Health Care and Effectiveness Matters.
CRD is funded by the UK Department of Health's
NHS Research and Development Programme, as well as from a number of other sources.
The original aims of the centre were:
Professor Trevor Sheldon
established and directed CRD from 1994 to 1998. He was followed as director by Professor Jos Kleijnen from 1998 to 2005. The current director is Professor Lesley Stewart who took up appointment in 2006.
(NIHR) and is a department of the University of York
. CRD is one of the largest groups in the world engaged exclusively in evidence synthesis in the health field. The Centre comprises health researchers, medical information specialists, health economists and a dissemination
team.
CRD undertakes systematic reviews evaluating the research evidence on health and public health questions. The findings of CRD reviews are widely disseminated and have impacted on health care policy and practice, both in the UK and internationally.
CRD produce the DARE, NHS EED and HTA databases which are used by health professionals, policy makers and researchers.
CRD also undertake methods research and produce internationally accepted guidelines for undertaking systematic reviews.
The Centre's role in developing research evidence to support decision making in policy and practice was highlighted in the Cooksey report on UK health research funding and subsequently in the Government national research strategy Best Research for Best Health. CRD was also recognised by the Lancet
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2806%2968974-5/fulltext as part of NHS R&D's most important contribution to the UK science base, namely building systematic review capacity and promulgating systematic reviews as a global public good.
In addition to the core funding, the Centre has undertaken independent research for a number of different agencies including:
CRD is one of seven independent academic centres currently undertaking reviews commissioned by NICE
. CRD collaborate with the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York
to undertake technology assessment reviews that inform NICE
Technology Appraisals on the use of new and existing medicines and treatments within the NHS
.
CRD also has close links with the UK Cochrane Centre and contributes to the work of several of the Cochrane Collaboration
’s Review and Methods groups. The Centre also has representation on the Steering and User groups of the Campbell Collaboration and is a member of the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA).
CRD is a founder member of the Public Health Research Consortium (PHRC) with brings together researchers from 11 UK institutions. The PHRC aims to strengthen the evidence base for public health, with a strong emphasis on tackling socioeconomic inequalities in health. The centre is collaborating on a number of projects and is providing support for information retrieval and the knowledge transfer activities of the Consortium.
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. CRD was established in January 1994, and aims to provide research-based information for evidence-based medicine
Evidence-based medicine
Evidence-based medicine or evidence-based practice aims to apply the best available evidence gained from the scientific method to clinical decision making. It seeks to assess the strength of evidence of the risks and benefits of treatments and diagnostic tests...
. CRD carries out systematic review
Systematic review
A systematic review is a literature review focused on a research question that tries to identify, appraise, select and synthesize all high quality research evidence relevant to that question. Systematic reviews of high-quality randomized controlled trials are crucial to evidence-based medicine...
s and meta-analyses
Meta-analysis
In statistics, a meta-analysis combines the results of several studies that address a set of related research hypotheses. In its simplest form, this is normally by identification of a common measure of effect size, for which a weighted average might be the output of a meta-analyses. Here the...
of healthcare interventions, and disseminates the results of research to decision-makers in the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
.
CRD produces three databases:
- Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE)
- NHS Economic Evaluation Database (NHS EED)
- Health Technology Assessment Database (HTA Database)
These are freely available from the CRD database website http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/crdweb/ and as part of the Cochrane Library
Cochrane Library
The Cochrane Library is a collection of databases in medicine and other healthcare specialties provided by the Cochrane Collaboration and other organisations. At its core is the collection of Cochrane Reviews, a database of systematic reviews and meta-analyses which summarize and interpret the...
.
CRD also publishes a number of regular reports including Effective Health Care and Effectiveness Matters.
CRD is funded by the UK Department of Health's
Department of Health (United Kingdom)
The Department of Health is a department of the United Kingdom government with responsibility for government policy for health and social care matters and for the National Health Service in England along with a few elements of the same matters which are not otherwise devolved to the Scottish,...
NHS Research and Development Programme, as well as from a number of other sources.
History
CRD was established in 1994. Along with the UK Cochrane Centre, the Centre was originally created as part of the Information Systems Strategy of the NHS Research and Development Programme.The original aims of the centre were:
- To carry out and commission systematic reviews of research findings on the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of health care relevant to the NHS
- To improve the accessibility of these and other research reviews by maintaining and updating an international register of research reviews and providing a single access point to this information for enquirers in the NHS
- To provide simple and effective mechanisms by which the results of systematic reviews on the clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and acceptability of health service interventions can be communicated rapidly to relevant audiences
Professor Trevor Sheldon
Trevor Sheldon
Professor Trevor Sheldon is a British medical academic and University administrator who since October 2007 has been the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of York....
established and directed CRD from 1994 to 1998. He was followed as director by Professor Jos Kleijnen from 1998 to 2005. The current director is Professor Lesley Stewart who took up appointment in 2006.
About
The Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) is part of the National Institute for Health ResearchNational Institute for Health Research
The National Institute for Health Research is a UK government body that coordinates and funds research for the National Health Service . Its tagline is "Improving the health and wealth of the nation through research". It supports individuals, facilities and research projects, in order to help...
(NIHR) and is a department of the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
. CRD is one of the largest groups in the world engaged exclusively in evidence synthesis in the health field. The Centre comprises health researchers, medical information specialists, health economists and a dissemination
Dissemination
To disseminate , in terms of the field of communication, means to broadcast a message to the public without direct feedback from the audience. Dissemination takes on the theory of the traditional view of communication, which involves a sender and receiver...
team.
CRD undertakes systematic reviews evaluating the research evidence on health and public health questions. The findings of CRD reviews are widely disseminated and have impacted on health care policy and practice, both in the UK and internationally.
CRD produce the DARE, NHS EED and HTA databases which are used by health professionals, policy makers and researchers.
CRD also undertake methods research and produce internationally accepted guidelines for undertaking systematic reviews.
The Centre's role in developing research evidence to support decision making in policy and practice was highlighted in the Cooksey report on UK health research funding and subsequently in the Government national research strategy Best Research for Best Health. CRD was also recognised by the Lancet
The Lancet
The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal. It is one of the world's best known, oldest, and most respected general medical journals...
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2806%2968974-5/fulltext as part of NHS R&D's most important contribution to the UK science base, namely building systematic review capacity and promulgating systematic reviews as a global public good.
Funding & partners
CRD receives core funding through the NIHR. This funding enables the centre to function as a national resource and provides the necessary infrastructure to respond to requests from policy makers and healthcare professionals, and to support the provision and promotion of the online databases (DARE, NHS EED and HTA ).In addition to the core funding, the Centre has undertaken independent research for a number of different agencies including:
- National Institute for Health and Clinical ExcellenceNational Institute for Health and Clinical ExcellenceThe National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence is a special health authority of the English National Health Service , serving both English NHS and the Welsh NHS...
(NICE) - NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme (HTA)
- Department of Health Policy Research Programme (PRP)
- Economic and Social Research CouncilEconomic and Social Research CouncilThe Economic and Social Research Council is one of the seven Research Councils in the United Kingdom. It receives most of its funding from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and provides funding and support for research and training work in social and economic issues, such as...
(ESRC) - Home OfficeHome OfficeThe Home Office is the United Kingdom government department responsible for immigration control, security, and order. As such it is responsible for the police, UK Border Agency, and the Security Service . It is also in charge of government policy on security-related issues such as drugs,...
- Medical Research Council (UK)Medical Research Council (UK)The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded agency responsible for co-ordinating and funding medical research in the United Kingdom. It is one of seven Research Councils in the UK and is answerable to, although politically independent from, the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
(MRC) - Social Care Institute for ExcellenceSocial Care Institute for ExcellenceThe Social Care Institute for Excellence, ,is a UK charity, set up by government and funded by the UK Department of Health and the devolved administrations in Wales and Northern Ireland....
(SCIE) - NHS Institute for Innovation and ImprovementNHS Institute for Innovation and ImprovementThe NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement is a special health authority of the National Health Service in England. It "supports the NHS to transform healthcare for patients and the public by rapidly developing and spreading new ways of working, new technology and world-class...
(NHS III) - NIHR Service Delivery & Organisation Programme (SDO)
CRD is one of seven independent academic centres currently undertaking reviews commissioned by NICE
NICE
NICE may refer to:* National Independent Cadres and Elites in Iraq* National Institute for Coordinated Experiments, a fictional organisation in C.S...
. CRD collaborate with the Centre for Health Economics at the University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
to undertake technology assessment reviews that inform NICE
NICE
NICE may refer to:* National Independent Cadres and Elites in Iraq* National Institute for Coordinated Experiments, a fictional organisation in C.S...
Technology Appraisals on the use of new and existing medicines and treatments within the NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...
.
CRD also has close links with the UK Cochrane Centre and contributes to the work of several of the Cochrane Collaboration
Cochrane Collaboration
The Cochrane Collaboration is a group of over 28,000 volunteers in more than 100 countries who review the effects of health care interventions tested in biomedical randomized controlled trials. A few more recent reviews have also studied the results of non-randomized, observational studies...
’s Review and Methods groups. The Centre also has representation on the Steering and User groups of the Campbell Collaboration and is a member of the International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA).
CRD is a founder member of the Public Health Research Consortium (PHRC) with brings together researchers from 11 UK institutions. The PHRC aims to strengthen the evidence base for public health, with a strong emphasis on tackling socioeconomic inequalities in health. The centre is collaborating on a number of projects and is providing support for information retrieval and the knowledge transfer activities of the Consortium.