The Cochrane collaboration – the role in the evolution of evidence-based medicine and development of cooperation in Poland

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is an approach to decision making on the basis of the reliable and up to date best evidence. EBM is regarded as the gold standard all over the world. Cochrane Collaboration is one of the institutions, which promote EBM among physicians, policy makers and other health care workers. Cochrane Collaboration is international non-profit organization bringing together people from all over the world, the aim of which is to create and disseminate reliable scientific information. The Cochrane Collaboration develops and publishes systematic reviews on medical and diagnostic procedures. The article presents the history of the Cochrane Collaboration, the Cochrane Library and the first Cochrane Branch in Poland. Cochrane Branch in Poland is hosted by the Systematic Reviews Centre created in 2015 within the Faculty of Medicine at the Jagiellonian University Medical College in Krakow. The authors presented the activities of the Cochrane Collaboration, the scope of activities of Polish Branch and briefly principles for the development of Cochrane systematic reviews.