Join @cochrane.org on August 25 for the next webinar in the GRADE Assessment of Certainty of Evidence series. Professor Ignacio Neumann will explore how to evaluate imprecision and inconsistency when rating the certainty of evidence using GRADE. Register here: www.cochrane.org/learn/webinars

As wildfires continue to impact communities across Northwestern Ontario, we are grateful to the firefighters, first responders, and volunteers and are thinking of the residents affected by these catastrophic events.

Êtes-vous intéressé(e) par la détection du cancer chez les pompiers ?

Are you interested in cancer detection for firefighters? Researchers at McMaster University are interested in hearing from firefighters, caregivers, and health professionals aged 16+ about the most important topics and questions to address for Canadian cancer detection guidelines for firefighters.

We are recruiting participants between 14 and 25 years old for a focus group on how to effectively communicate the Canadian Guidelines for Post COVID-19 Condition to youth and young adults.

How do you actually select a guideline panel? This step involves several thoughtful decisions: defining the scope and key roles; assessing COIs; inviting participants; and establishing group processes. Strong guidelines don’t just come from strong evidence—they come from strong, well-chosen teams.

Selecting a guideline panel is a critical step in developing healthcare guidelines. A strong panel brings together a mix of people with different perspectives that helps ensure the guidance is not only accurate, but also practical and relevant. Learn more: macgrade.mcmaster.ca/resources/gi...

We will gather feedback and suggestions from health professionals and firefighters for guideline questions through a survey in May to ensure the guideline meets the needs of health professionals and firefighters. Join our newsletter to receive the survey! forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...

Scoping reviews and consultation with interest holders help identify recommendation questions. Our team conducted scoping reviews to map the existing evidence and identify important gaps in knowledge for our current project. This helps lay the foundation for strong, evidence-based recommendations.

The GIN–McMaster Checklist outlines key steps for developing high-quality and trustworthy clinical guidelines. Our cancer detection guidelines are guided by rigorous methods for developing evidence-based recommendations. Learn more: macgrade.mcmaster.ca/resources/gi...

Last week, Drs. Pakeezah Saadat, Thomas Piggott, Holger Schunemann, and Grigoris Leontiadis released key insights from the Planetary Health Expert Workshop where they explored how we can better integrate planetary health into guideline development. Read more: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

Planetary Health in Health Guidelines: Expert Workshop Report 2024

Health systems contribute to environmental degradation while simultaneously being affected by its consequences. Yet, planetary health considerations are largely absent from health guidelines. On Nov...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

In 2025, the GRADE Working Group published guidance on GRADE evidence-to-decision frameworks for environmental and occupational health. The Cancer Detection for Firefighters project will apply this framework for our recommendations. Read more here: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39965475/

GRADE guidance 40: The GRADE evidence-to-decision framework for environmental and occupational health - PubMed

Policymakers, regulators, and other stakeholders may use this GRADE EtD framework to approach decision-making about environmental and occupational exposures and interventions.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

🗓️ Happening tomorrow at 9 AM EST Kick off a new Learning Live webinar series on the GRADE approach—helping you interpret evidence with confidence. Featuring Prof. Holger Schünemann, Chair of the GRADE Working Group. Learn more & register: www.cochrane.org/events/intro...

What are guidelines and why are they important? Healthcare providers use guidelines to make informed decisions with patients and keep care consistent and up to date. Our team is developing cancer detection guidelines for firefighters using rigorous methods. Follow along to learn more.

In March, our team members came together with firefighters, healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers to align on our goals, timeline, and strategy as we begin the Canadian Guidelines for Cancer Detection in Firefighters project. We’re ready to move this forward—full steam ahead.

Did you know firefighters face a 9% higher risk of cancer diagnosis—and a 14% higher risk of dying from cancer than the general public? Join our newsletter to stay informed and help us spread awareness about our guidelines for cancer detection in firefighters. forms.office.com/Pages/Respon...

📊 When should you use a scoping review? Dr. Danielle Pollock explains how to map evidence, explore complex topics, and identify gaps. Learn when to use one + key steps. 🎥 www.cochrane.no/workshops-an... #EvidenceSynthesis #ScopingReview

Exciting work exploring the responsible use of AI in evidence synthesis. This adaptive platform study will test whether AI can support screening and data extraction while maintaining the rigour and trustworthiness of systematic reviews. 🔗 www.cochrane.org/about-us/new...

News | Cochrane

cochrane.org

A pivotal moment for the future of evidence. Join the conversation at Cochrane Colloquium 2026 in Kraków and help shape a modern, connected, equitable evidence ecosystem—from AI-enabled synthesis to tackling misinformation. Submit abstracts/workshops by 10 Mar 2026: lnkd.in/ejMvNtHb

🚒🩺 Appel à participation prolongé ! Aidez à améliorer le dépistage du cancer chez les pompiers à travers le Canada. Pour en savoir plus et postuler, cliquez ici : firewell.ca/fr/resources...

🚒🩺 Call for participation extended! Apply by March 4th to participate in cancer detection guidelines for firefighters. Learn more & apply here: firewell.ca/resources/gu...

🚒🩺 Aidez à améliorer le dépistage du cancer chez les pompiers à travers le Canada.
 👉 Pour en savoir plus et postuler, cliquez ici : firewell.ca/fr/appel-a-p...

 🚒🩺 Help improve cancer detection for firefighters across Canada. Learn more & apply here: firewell.ca/call-for-par...

🌍 New paper! Pakeezah Saadat, Dr. Thomas Piggott, and colleagues review how planetary health is incorporated into health guidelines and HTAs—and where gaps remain. Findings will inform future GRADE guidance. Read more: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... #GRADE #PlanetaryHealth

Planetary Health in Health Guidelines and Health Technology Assessments: A Scoping Review

Introduction Individual human health is inextricably linked to planetary health, which refers to the health of human civilization and the natural systems on which it depends. These systems are captu.....

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Dr Robby Nieuwlaat et Dr Wojtek Wiercioch ont reçu un financement pour mener un projet national de trois ans et demi visant à élaborer les premières lignes directrices fondées sur des preuves pour le dépistage du cancer chez les pompiers.

Dr. Robby Nieuwlaat, director of the McMaster Cochrane Canada Centre, and Dr. Wojtek Wiercioch, director of the McMaster GRADE Centre, have received funding to lead a 3.5-year national project to develop Canada’s first evidence-based cancer detection guidelines for firefighters.

Interest-holders have a vital stake in health guidelines. A new extension to the G-I-N McMaster Checklist shows how to engage them meaningfully—boosting transparency, inclusivity, and trust. 📖 To read more, click here: 👉 Journal of Clinical Epidemiology: www.jclinepi.com/article/S089...

The GIN-McMaster Guideline Development Checklist extension for engagement

Better engagement of diverse groups of interest-holders in the development of health guidelines has been proposed to improve their usefulness, implementability, and acceptability. Guidelines shape cli...

jclinepi.com

🧭 For guideline developers: Want to strengthen equity in your guideline development process? There is a new extension to the Guideline Development Checklist which adds 23 equity-focused items to help integrate health equity from start to finish. 📖 Read more: www.thelancet.com/journals/ecl...

Enhancing health equity considerations in guidelines: health equity extension of the GIN-McMaster Guideline Development Checklist

The GIN-McMaster health equity extension provides guidance for the streamlined integration of health equity considerations throughout the guideline development process. Using this tool alongside the o...

thelancet.com

Patient and public voices strengthen clinical guidelines. 👥📘 Guyane Beaulieu shares her experience as a patient/public member working with Cochrane Canada and INGUIDE. 💬🤝 👉To read more, click here: www.cochrane.org/about-us/new...

Health care decisions are stronger when we collaborate with patients and people with lived experience. Dr. Robby Nieuwlaat, Director of the Michael G. DeGroote Cochrane Canada Centre, is advancing this vision by integrating patient and public voices into every stage of guideline development.