Issue 22 Our November 2026 newsletter is out!
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As we are concluding the year of 2026, the Cochrane ECPN is pleased to highlight new achievements by our members. We have Cochrane ECPN associated ongoing projects with an opportunity to give external participants a chance to get involved. See below our latest updates!
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Digital platforms are reshaping how health information is created, shared and trusted, and can lead to the spread of mis- and disinformation. With people increasingly turning to sources like artificial intelligence and social media for health information, the role of healthcare workers as trusted representatives within the health system is needed now more than ever. As part of the ECHO EU project, Health Action International and the European Pharmaceutical Students' Association (EPSA) are delighted to invite you to an interactive online session titled "Strengthening Healthcare Workforce Capacity for Managing Health Misinformation in a Digital Era" on Monday 2 November 18:00-19:00 CET. Join other experts, early career professionals and medical students for a discussion of findings from an EU-wide survey organized by of 110 healthcare workers across 23 EU countries, and its implications for future training and support for healthcare workers. Please register here or scan the QR code in the image above to receive the meeting link.
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Soumya Shivananda At the Medical Informatics Europe (MIE) 2026 Conference, Soumya organised and facilitated the workshop Consent Without Borders alongside colleagues from Uppsala University. The workshop focused on consent management in primary care between two countries and explored identifying gaps to better support cross-border healthcare and health data sharing within the emerging European Health Data Space (EHDS).
Bringing together researchers, healthcare professionals, and health informatics experts from diverse backgrounds, the session examined current approaches to consent and compared them with the goals outlined by the EHDS. Participants discussed how consent processes may need to evolve to support greater patient control, transparency, and interoperability across national healthcare systems.
The workshop provided a valuable forum for exchanging perspectives on the future of consent in European healthcare and identifying potential gaps between current practice and planned EHDS implementation. The discussions highlighted the importance of addressing consent-related challenges as Europe moves towards more seamless cross-border health data sharing.
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Alvina Vadassery International survey highlights presented at ESMO 2026; E-poster author: Dr Alvina Vadassery
Title: Diagnosis, treatment and follow-up practices for locally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer in non-endemic regions: an EORTC led survey
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a rare cancer in Europe, and much of the evidence guiding its management originates from endemic regions. To better understand current practice in non-endemic settings, Dr. Alvina Vadassery at EORTC reported findings of an international survey .
The survey collected responses across multiple institutes in 33 countries and revealed substantial variation in the diagnosis and treatment of NPC. While routine Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) testing in tumour tissue was performed in most centres (78%), fewer than half (47%) routinely assessed circulating EBV DNA in plasma. MRI and PET imaging were widely used for staging; however, greater variability was observed in treatment approaches, particularly regarding induction chemotherapy. For EBV-positive NPC, 66% of centres reported using gemcitabine plus cisplatin, whereas 24% preferred docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil. The survey also demonstrated increasing adoption of advanced radiotherapy techniques. Overall, the findings highlight considerable heterogeneity in NPC management across non-endemic regions. This variability presents challenges for the use of real-world data as external comparators in clinical trials.
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Reem Fakak Throughout the year, ECPN has hosted a series of engaging educational lectures, lead by Dr. João Ziroldo, Dr. Reem Fakak and Dr. Magaly Aceves-Martins; featuring speakers sharing their expertise on diverse study designs and research methodologies. These sessions aim to strengthen research skills and promote evidence-based practice among early career professionals. All recordings are available through our dedicated YouTube playlist.
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Dr. Reem Fakak also presented her research on brain-computer interfaces in paediatric neurorehabilitation at the EANS 2026 Congress in Hamburg, Germany. Selected for an oral e-poster presentation, her scoping review highlighted emerging clinical applications and evidence gaps in this evolving field. This achievement marks an important milestone in her early research career and reflects her commitment to advancing evidence-based neurosurgical care.
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The following projects are now on the group’s agenda, we shall expand on them as we progress through the year.
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Systematic Review Skills Accelerator: A modular training pathway to address skills gaps and support step-by-step growth. This project aims to differentiate between beginners, intermediate, and advanced early-career researchers, acknowledging that global early-career researchers have highly variable training backgrounds.
Arabic-speakers ECP Mentorship Hub: A structured, practical, and accessible support system for Arabic-speaking early-career researchers across the Middle East and North Africa, as well as globally relocated Arabic-speaking researchers. This project reflects the Cochrane ECP values of global inclusivity, accessibility, and capacity building, helping more people enter the Cochrane learning system.
Geriatric Clinical Evidence Summaries for Resource-Limited Settings: This project aims to enhance the accessibility and usability of existing Cochrane Reviews related to geriatric care by developing concise, plain-language summaries tailored for early career clinicians and researchers, particularly those working in low- and middle-income countries. You are welcome to express your interest by reaching out to our team today!
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Have you recently published a paper, presented at a conference, written a blog, or done something amazing that you want to share? Send us a brief description, your X handle (optional), and a headshot (if you wish) to ecp@cochrane.org to be featured in our upcoming newsletter.
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