Wrong-site surgery is a rare but possibly disastrous clinical error that can have substantial consequences for patients and health care providers. Cochrane researchers have undertaken the task of identifying and evaluating interventions which may reduce wrong-site surgery . . .

In May 2012, Cochrane Canada hosted its annual Symposium in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Canadian Cochrane Centre provided stipends to consumers to give them the opportunity to attend the Symposium, and three of those consumers have written an in-depth article on their experience. Sheila Kerr, Colleen Maloney and Nadia Prestley are members of the Consumer Advisory Board for the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada.

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Each year, an average of 880 children under the age of 15 are diagnosed with cancer in Canada.

In 2011, approximately 136.7 million babies were born worldwide, and only 32.6% of them were breastfed exclusively within the first 12 months. This year marks the 20th anniversary of World Breastfeeding Week (1 – 7 August 2012), which is meant to protect, encourage and support the practice of breastfeeding. Numerous countries do not have an effective infant and young child feeding program in place, and World Breastfeeding Week aims to bring awareness to this fact, as breastfeeding is the optimal infant feeding practice in reducing malnutrition, as well as poverty.

As some Canadian cities prepare for more consecutive days of rising temperatures, it might be useful to know electric fans may not keep you cool or safe.

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) has recently highlighted a collection of Cochrane Reviews related to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

The Bill Silverman Prize, named after one of the founding members of American neonatal medicine, is an award presented annually at the Cochrane Colloquium. The aim of the award is to acknowledge the value of critisicm of The Cochrane Collaboration in terms of improving its work. The prize is given to an author of publication or presentation that evaluates Cochrane Reviews or other work of The Collaboration.Here is the eligibility criteria for publications:

Allan Gotlib, the Canadian Cochrane Centre’s partner representative at the Canadian Chiropractic Association, was recently appointed to the Order of Canada, one of our country’s highest civilian honours. The Governor General of Canada, David Johnston, announced on 29 June 2012 that 70 Canadians have been appointed to receive the honour — all recommended by the Advisory Council for the Order of Canada. Gotlib and his fellow appointees will be invited to accept their insignia at an event to be held at a later date.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) has a 2011 Impact Factor of 5.715, ranking it in the top 10 out of 153 journals in the Medicine, General and Internal category.The Impact Factor is a tool used to measure, rank and compare journals. It’s calculated by taking the number of times a journal has been cited in the past two years and dividing it by the number of publications it has released during that time period.

Health system policy-makers and stakeholders now have easier, faster access to policy-related information focused on healthcare renewal in Canada.