CoCoCare Project

Clinical practice guidelines are a crucial tool for the neurological community, the development of which is one EAN considers as one of its important functions.

In order to sustainably develop high-quality guidelines, EAN recognizes there is a need to build guideline development skills among its members and is very happy to announce the launching of the third year of its very own guideline educational programme – EAN CoCoCare!

Initiated by Prof. Marian Majoie (Maastricht University, Netherlands) as a project application for the Erasmus Grant in 2018, EAN was brought into the project as a part of the Consortium. The CoCoCare Consortium developed a comprehensive programme, which was successfully conducted in 2019 and 2020 in collaboration with EAN. In 2023 EAN took over the programme and the second cohort of EAN CoCoCare students will be graduating at the 2025 EAN Congress in Helsinki.

Objectives:

• To teach EAN members how to develop and implement high quality, evidence-based cost-conscious guidelines and;
• To eventually involve more EAN members into EAN guideline development and consequently improve the quality of EAN guidelines

• Systematic reviews and meta-analyses
• Developing clinical questions
• GRADE evidence profiles and EtDs
• AGREE II tool
• How to present
• Economic evaluation
• Guideline implementation

• E-Learning
  This is a short independent online preparatoy learning for participants consisting of slides, papers, quizzes, and assignments. Although it typically takes 5 days to complete, participants have 3 months to do so.
• Kick-off Workshop
  This is an in-person orientation and meet & greet workshop covering the contents of the E-learning phase, which takes place at the EAN Congress 2025. Here, participants will have the opportunity to get to know fellow participants and be informed regarding the the next phase.
• Training on the Job
  At this stage, participants will delve deep into modules designed to cover the skills needed for guideline development, each module will be accompanied by a webinar, quizzes and practical exercises, and finally ending with a presentation of the developed project at the EAN Congress. Our expert trainers will be guiding you and checking your work along the way.
• Project Presentation
  This is the culmination activity of the course. Here, the participant is to present their work at the EAN Congress 2026 Scientific Theatre and receive feedback from the Trainers.

Benefits for CoCoCare Participants

Throughout the duration of the programme, participants will receive guidance and advice from the CoCoCare trainers as well as free access to all CoCoCare learning materials (incl. videos, reading materials, slides, etc.). The value of which, amounting to €2000* per participant, is covered by EAN.

Participants who complete the programme and present their project at the EAN Congress 2026 will receive the following:

• CoCoCare Certificate awarded during the RRFS Assembly at the EAN Congress 2026
• A grant to participate in the EAN Congress (worth €700 including registration and 2 nights of accommodation)
• The opportunity to work with EAN guideline experts
• Public acknowledgment (EANpages)

Participation in all phases is mandatory to graduate from the course! 

*In the event that the participant does not complete the programme, they are liable to return a fraction of the tuition, I.e. €300 (for higher income country participants) and €100 (for lower income country participants).