7^th Croatian Congress of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine took place in newly opened convention centre Amadria in Šibenik-Solaris from 19^th-22^nd April 2018. Around four hundred PRM specialists and residents from Croatia, but also from neighbouring countries (Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina) participated in scientific sessions as well as in workshops and round tables. Round table entitled «Cochrane Initiative in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine» which took place on Sunday 22nd April 2018 gathered a panel of distinguished Croatian and international experts: Prof Stefano Negrini (Editor-in-Chief of scientific journal «European Journal of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine» and Cochrane Rehabilitation Field director), Dr Carlotte Kiekens (Coordinator of Cochrane Rehabilitation Field), Prof Livia Poljak and Prof Ana Marušić (School of Medicine, University of Split and Cochrane Croatia), Ass Prof Jure Aljinović (University Hospital Center KBC Split) and moderators were: Frane Grubišić, MD, PhD (University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice in Zagreb, co-chair of the Publication Committee within Cochrane Rehabilitation Field) and Ass Prof Saša Moslavac (Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation Varaždinske Toplice). Topics of presentations were as follows: Cochrane – promoting evidence based decision making in health care community (Prof Livia Puljak), Organization and activities of Cochrane Rehabilitation Field (Dr Carlotte Kiekens), The Cochrane Knowledge Translation Strategy (Prof Stefano Negrini), Importance of transparency and methodological quality of clinical practice guidelines (Profr Ana Marušić in co-authorship with Ružica Tokalić) and «PRM specialist perspective inside Cochrane Collaboration» (Ass Prof Jure Aljinović in co-authorship with Frane Grubišić, MD, PhD and Prof Tonko Vlak).

During an interactive discussion several issues were highlighted: lack of continuous education of evidence-based medicine during undergraduate and postgraduate studies what would enable younger generations of scientists and clinicians to aim to search for high quality information and their implementation in everyday practice, and problem of systematic reviews as possible PhD thesis topics. In addition to that, it is important to single out an important moment during this round table – signing of Memorandum of Understanding between Cochrane Rehabilitation Field and Croatian Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (of Croatian Medical Association). Our scientific society is first institution of that type in Europe that signed this important document. This document represents a platform for future cooperation between these two institutions in order to develop and implement joint activities that support and strengthen the use of high quality health evidence in everyday clinical practice, scientific work and improved cooperation with health policy makers.

The link:

http://www.cochrane.org/news/cochrane-rehabilitation-forms-new-partnership