Article type
Year
Abstract
Introduction: Public Health workers are increasingly looking to research for guidance in making clinical decisions, advocating for programs in a competitive health care environment. However, finding and retrieving available information is often difficult and time-consuming.
Objective: This paper describes the development, maintenance, and dissemination methods of a user-friendly, computerized reference database of public health research literature. Primary goals of the database are to facilitate the production of systematic overviews and support evidence-based practice and decision-making.
Methods: A series of systematic searches for published and unpublished literature yielded over 3000 relevant articles which have been entered into the database. The literature includes primarily intervention studies with some background articles. A system of keywords related to public health interventions was developed and applied to every entry. This keywording system allows users to conduct searches and retrieve studies according to clinical topic, research design and quality, study population, intervention strategy, and outcome category. Background articles can also be searched by research methodology, outcome measurement, public health practice and management, and health care policy.
Results: The database has been disseminated through presentations in local, national and international venues, newsletters and online services. Various methods to evaluate online site use are being developed. 40-50 requests are received and responded to annually from public health workers, managers, health organizations, and other researchers The database provides the literature management system for ongoing production of effectiveness overviews (7 completed).
Discussion: Three years of search, retrieval and keywording of public health studies has resulted in a user-friendly resource of effectiveness research accessible to decision-makers in practice and policy. The number of requests received demonstrates the potential of the database to facilitate evidence-based practice. Further development and evaluation of dissemination and coordination methods is required.
Objective: This paper describes the development, maintenance, and dissemination methods of a user-friendly, computerized reference database of public health research literature. Primary goals of the database are to facilitate the production of systematic overviews and support evidence-based practice and decision-making.
Methods: A series of systematic searches for published and unpublished literature yielded over 3000 relevant articles which have been entered into the database. The literature includes primarily intervention studies with some background articles. A system of keywords related to public health interventions was developed and applied to every entry. This keywording system allows users to conduct searches and retrieve studies according to clinical topic, research design and quality, study population, intervention strategy, and outcome category. Background articles can also be searched by research methodology, outcome measurement, public health practice and management, and health care policy.
Results: The database has been disseminated through presentations in local, national and international venues, newsletters and online services. Various methods to evaluate online site use are being developed. 40-50 requests are received and responded to annually from public health workers, managers, health organizations, and other researchers The database provides the literature management system for ongoing production of effectiveness overviews (7 completed).
Discussion: Three years of search, retrieval and keywording of public health studies has resulted in a user-friendly resource of effectiveness research accessible to decision-makers in practice and policy. The number of requests received demonstrates the potential of the database to facilitate evidence-based practice. Further development and evaluation of dissemination and coordination methods is required.