Use of the Cochrane electronic library in complementary and alternative medicine courses in medical schools: is the giant lost in cyberspace?

Abstract

Courses in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) are increasing in medical schools in the United States and, currently, approximately two thirds of U.S. medical schools offer at least one such course. As these courses grow in popularity, however, concerns are also growing that these courses lack an evidence-based perspective. We propose that one interesting and easy way to bring an evidence-based perspective to the CAM classroom is to utilize the Cochrane Electronic Library (CLIB), which is available in many medical libraries, as a teaching tool. The CLIB currently houses more than 80 CAM-related, full-text systematic reviews and approximately 5000 CAM-related clinical trials, making it a valued resource for people who seek CAM evidence. Moreover, the CLIB commitment to publishing reviews regardless of the results make it a resource where one can find reviews concluding there is strong evidence of benefit or no evidence of benefit. In addition to the access to CAM evidence which the CLIB provides, students can learn basic critical appraisal skills by learning the rationale behind Cochrane systematic reviews. A survey of CAM course directors, however, shows that almost one half of these directors have never used the CLIB. For those who have never used the CLIB, this editorial explains the four main databases within the CLIB and presents ideas for using them in CAM school courses.