Priority oral health research identification for clinical decision-making

The Cochrane Library is a core resource for clinical decision-making globally, by clinicians, guideline developers, healthcare providers and patients.The publication of Cochrane Library systematic reviews concerning oral health conditions has grown exponentially to over 215 individual titles (as of 20 June 2015) during the past 20 years.Consequently, maintaining updates of the most clinically important reviews to provide up-to-date and accurate sources of evidence for decision-making has become a pressing concern for the editorial group behind their production, Cochrane Oral Health Group.To identify priority research required by oral health decision-makers, the Cochrane OHG embarked on a consultation process across eight defined areas of dentistry (periodontology, operative (including endodontics) and prosthodontics, paediatric dentistry, dental public health, oral and maxillofacial surgery, oral medicine, orthodontics, cleft lip and/or palate) with existing authors (by email), with members of the public (by online survey), and established internationally clinically expert panels for each area of defined area of dentistry to discuss and ratify (by teleconference) a core portfolio of priority evidence to be produced and maintained on the Cochrane Library.The resulting portfolio of priority research encompasses 81 existing titles to be maintained, and an additional 15 new systematic reviews to be developed by the Cochrane OHG in due course.The Cochrane OHG has actively responded to the outcomes of this prioritisation process by allocating resources to primarily supporting the maintenance of identified priority evidence for the Cochrane Library.