Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: The overarching mission of the Cochrane Collaboration is to help people make well informed health decisions. To inform decision making, people need the right information at the right time. The Cochrane Musculoskeletal Review Group (CMSG) has undertaken a priority setting project to assist in the development of reviews in the field of musculoskeletal diseases that are timely and relevant to decision makers. Consumers are one of the target groups of this project and are the best source of information about their needs and interests.
Objective: To produce a tool to capture consumer priorities for information about musculoskeletal therapies and to offer the opportunity for consumer users of Cochrane reviews and derivatives to identify important research topics, thus helping to bridge the gap between the producers and users of Cochrane reviews of musculoskeletal diseases.
Methods: The coordinating editor, review group coordinator, knowledge translation specialist, research assistant and consumer representatives of the CMSG participated in the development of a short, one-page survey. The content of the survey was developed from the existing categories of the CMSG scope and divided into two sections. The first section asked respondents what disease affects them and the second asked them to identify interventions for which they would like more information. To ensure the survey was relevant and understandable, consumer members of CMSG were consulted regarding the content, format and wording.
To ensure the survey would reach a large consumer audience, we made the survey available in English and French and contacted a number of consumer organizations. The survey was posted on the CMSG website and announcements for consumer participation were sent to members of The Arthritis Society, the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance in Canada and The Cochrane Collaborations Consumer Network (CCNet).
Results: Working in partnership with these organizations, we were able to directly reach over 5000 people electronically and also reach consumers indirectly through the CMSG web site.
Data from the survey was gathered for a period of three months in 2004 for the purpose of this study. Research topics identified by consumers were compiled and considered with the topics identified by other decision makers. The survey remains posted on the CMSG website to obtain continuing feedback.
Conclusion In alignment with the mission of The Cochrane Collaboration, the CMSG produced and distributed a consumer-friendly survey to allow consumers to play an important role in determining future CMSG research efforts. The information collected from this project will assist the CMSG in prioritizing future topics for systematic reviews.
Acknowledgments: We would like to thank the consumer members of CMSG, The Arthritis Society, the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance and The Cochrane Collaborations Consumer Network for their support in the development and the promotion of the survey.
Objective: To produce a tool to capture consumer priorities for information about musculoskeletal therapies and to offer the opportunity for consumer users of Cochrane reviews and derivatives to identify important research topics, thus helping to bridge the gap between the producers and users of Cochrane reviews of musculoskeletal diseases.
Methods: The coordinating editor, review group coordinator, knowledge translation specialist, research assistant and consumer representatives of the CMSG participated in the development of a short, one-page survey. The content of the survey was developed from the existing categories of the CMSG scope and divided into two sections. The first section asked respondents what disease affects them and the second asked them to identify interventions for which they would like more information. To ensure the survey was relevant and understandable, consumer members of CMSG were consulted regarding the content, format and wording.
To ensure the survey would reach a large consumer audience, we made the survey available in English and French and contacted a number of consumer organizations. The survey was posted on the CMSG website and announcements for consumer participation were sent to members of The Arthritis Society, the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance in Canada and The Cochrane Collaborations Consumer Network (CCNet).
Results: Working in partnership with these organizations, we were able to directly reach over 5000 people electronically and also reach consumers indirectly through the CMSG web site.
Data from the survey was gathered for a period of three months in 2004 for the purpose of this study. Research topics identified by consumers were compiled and considered with the topics identified by other decision makers. The survey remains posted on the CMSG website to obtain continuing feedback.
Conclusion In alignment with the mission of The Cochrane Collaboration, the CMSG produced and distributed a consumer-friendly survey to allow consumers to play an important role in determining future CMSG research efforts. The information collected from this project will assist the CMSG in prioritizing future topics for systematic reviews.
Acknowledgments: We would like to thank the consumer members of CMSG, The Arthritis Society, the Canadian Arthritis Patient Alliance and The Cochrane Collaborations Consumer Network for their support in the development and the promotion of the survey.