The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is a global leader in producing and promoting systematic reviews. These are high-quality research evidence which supports decision-making in health and social care.
The findings of individual research studies are rarely sufficient to justify new treatments. Systematic reviews identify, evaluate, combine and summarise the findings of all relevant individual studies and, when carried out well, provide decision-makers with the best possible information about the effects of tests, treatments and other interventions used in health and social care.
The NIHR Systematic Review Infrastructure (NSRI) comprises:
UK Cochrane Centre and Cochrane Review Groups
The UK Cochrane Centre supports the preparation, maintenance and accessibility of systematic reviews of the effects of healthcare interventions produced by twenty NIHR funded Cochrane Review Groups. The Centre is part of the international Cochrane Collaboration. The Cochrane Collaboration was launched at the first Cochrane Colloquium in October 1993. The UK Cochrane Centre is now one of twelve Cochrane Centres around the world.
Centre for Reviews and Dissemination
The Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) is one of the largest groups in the world engaged exclusively in evidence synthesis in the health field. Findings of CRD reviews are widely disseminated and have impacted on health care policy and practice, both in the UK and internationally. CRD produces the DARE, NHS EED and HTA databases which again are used extensively by health professionals, policy makers and researchers around the world.
CRD also undertakes methods research and produces internationally accepted guidelines for undertaking systematic reviews.
Technology Assessment Reviews (TARs)
The NIHR HTA programme commissions TARs on behalf NICE and other policy-makers to support evidence-informed policy and practice.
There are 10 centres, including academic and commercial evidence review centres, producing TARs:
• North East Scotland HTA Group, University of Aberdeen, Robert Gordon University and McMaster Development Consultants
• West Midlands HTA Collaboration, University of Birmingham
• Peninsula Technology Assessment Group, University of Exeter
• Liverpool Reviews and Implementation Group, University of Liverpool
• School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield
• Southampton HTA Centre, University of Southampton
• CRD and Centre for Health Economics, University of York
• Warwick Evidence Group, University of Warwick (April 2011)
• BMJ Evidence Centre, London (April 2011)
• Kleijnen Systematic Reviews Ltd, York (April 2011).
NIHR Systematic Reviews leaflet
View video of Professor Sally C. Davies talking about the NIHR Systematic Reviews