A tribute to Cochrane consumer, Tony Joy

Cochrane is a global independent network of researchers, professionals, and people interested in health, including healthcare consumers. Cochrane ' s healthcare consumers are made up from a wide range of people, including patients (or people with personal experience of a healthcare condition), health and social care service users, caregivers and family members. Also included are people who represent or are advocates for patients and carers. What unites them all is their search for high quality, unbiased information about health conditions and treatments.Professor Clive E Adams, Co-cordinating Editor ofCochrane Schizophrenia, shares memories of Tony Joy and his valuable contributions made to Cochrane Reviews as a consumer.Maybe it was 1993. I am not sure. Iain Chalmers sent along this quizzical, unremittingly dogged, intelligent, kind and fun UK Midlands businessman. He had an interest in schizophrenia and wanted to help. We had recently published a blockbuster review (new vs old drug) and were rather pleased with the product – smug, even. Tony lay/peer reviewed it and went straight to the key outcome – a 20% shift on the foremost scale in schizophrenia. He asked “what does that mean?”, “can you put it into words?”. We did not know or how. Our bubble burst. It was quite some time later, still troubled by our deficiencies, that I was able to meet up with the senior US professor linked to that scale and asked her Tony’s question. She immediately saw his point and w...
Source: Cochrane News and Events - Category: Information Technology Authors: Source Type: news