Collaboration In The Establishment Of A International Register Of Behavioral, Social, And Policy; Intervention Studies I HIV/AIDS Prevention

Tags: Poster
Peersman G, Strouse D, Sogolow E

Introduction:

Objectives: To establish an international register of HIV/AIDS behavioral, social and policy intervention studies to prevent HIV/AIDS.

Methods: (1) Two existing registers off HlV prevention studies were merged: the CDC Prevention Research Synthesis (PRS) project register and the EPI-Centre register. Each register was the result of systematic searching by means of electronic databases; hand searching of key journals; scanning of reference lists; and contacting relevant individuals and institutions (2) Overlap/discrepancy between the two registers was assessed and reconciled. (3) A strategy for organizing, continuously . updating and disseminating the joint register was identified.

Results: Though each register was based on similar inclusion criteria, a number of differences existed in the scope and the coding of citations. As a result, overlap between the registers was relatively low. This clearly indicates the need for a collaborative effort in the identification of primary research. Search strategies were amended and a unified coding strategy an thesaurus for the joint register was established. Coding terms were chosen to reflect: the country where the study was carried out; the population involved (age, gender, ethnicity, risk); the setting of the intervention (e.g. health care setting); the intervention approach (e.g. counseling and testing); the research design (RCT, trial, other design); and the types of outcomes measured (e.g. behavioral outcome). Definitions of all coding terms were included in a 'coding manual'. More than 250 evaluation studies with outcomes currently comprise the HIV/AIDS prevention register which will be accessible through a web-site. The register serves a number of purposes: to retrieve studies to be included in systematic reviews in an efficient way; to monitor which areas have been covered by reviews and which areas need to attract reviewers; to allow descriptive mapping of HIV prevention research and identification of major research gaps.

Discussion: The Cochrane Review Group on AIDS and HIV infection aims to serve the needs of planners, providers and users of services, as well as researchers. The international register of behavioral, social and policy intervention studies will provide a new and reliable source from which effectiveness research can be identified in an efficient way, and a mechanism for monitoring the progress made in systematically reviewing HIV prevention research.