Cochrane ME/CFS GET review temporarily withdrawn

[large donner]

She was Deputy Editor in Chief of the Cochrane Library before this appointment, so it's more a promotion.

Yes I noticed that. What I meant by external appointment in inverted commas was the potential that certain people maybe did some influencing in the back scratching circles.

Tovey out and a psychiatrist in is a scenario that could well suit those certain people.

 

[Skycloud]

@large donner Ah I see - I'm not very quick on the uptake

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

Judging by the Cochrane Crowd advert Gotzsche was right - Cochrane might as well now be called the Trump Collaboration or the Instagram Collaboration or the Elsevier Collaboration - everything is reduced to the lowest level because that is where the money flows. Pity it was originally supposed to be about the opposite - the highest level.

 

[Jonathan Edwards]

the back scratching circles

They proved that these do not exist - something to do with chaps with bits of wood on the end of long strings whirling round.

 

[WillowJ]

I think that is right. Cochrane produce reviews knowing that they will be used for guidelines. They have given themselves a duty of care. If it could be shown that NICE guidelines were critically influenced by a Cochrane review that was known to be defective then I think there would be a legal case against Cochrane. It would probably never get anywhere but there would be a legal case. The difficult bit would be proving that NICE had been critically influenced by Cochrane I think.

How about UpToDate? Can we show that this was critically influenced by Cochrane?

 

[Adrian]

She was Deputy Editor in Chief of the Cochrane Library before this appointment, so it's more a promotion.

It does make me wonder which areas she was in charge of as the deputy editor and how these relate to the issues that have been raised with Cochrane.

 

[chrisb]

It could be argued that this appointment, which may very well be the natural and correct one, has made life difficult for Cochrane.

Under the old regime it could have been said that changes have been made. We have reconsidered the matter in light of those changes and are now satisfied that this review complies with our standards and it is reinstated. This line is harder to run now that it can be suggested, whether fairly or not, that the appointment was made with a view to reaching that outcome. They may now have to be ultra cautious, which would benefit the current position. Commercial credibility is at stake.

 

[Barry]

"evidence synthesis" is not a word combination that inspires confidence. Hope I'm just missing something.

 

[Trish]

Moderator note: Discussion of the latest developments on this Cochrane review continues on this thread:
Cochrane Review: Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome - recent developments, 2018-19