Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: Contributors to The Cochrane Collaboration have long recognized the need to demonstrate the effectiveness of the Collaboration in influencing evidence-based health care. Cochrane entities around the world have exerted a great deal of time and creativity in disseminating Cochrane systematic reviews, as well as in translating and interpreting reviews to make them meaningful, understandable, and useful for a broad range of users interested in evidence-based healthcare, including consumers, clinicians, policy-makers, researchers, educators, students and others. As Cochrane reviews have become known internationally as a source of high quality health information, external groups have also begun to interpret, adapt and disseminate Cochrane evidence. To date there has been no coordinated record of these efforts, or of their success in effecting change in clinical practice and policy decisions.
Objectives: The objective of this project was to develop inventories of evidence that Cochrane reviews are used in many different ways to improve the healthcare decision-making of consumers, clinicians and policy makers.
Methods: The project was divided into two phases. A survey of Cochrane Collaboration contributors and other interested parties was conducted via email for each phase.
In Phase I, responders were asked to contribute examples of the resources and media used to disseminate either Cochrane systematic reviews or evidence derived from Cochrane systematic reviews. In Phase II, responders were asked to contribute examples of Cochrane systematic reviews having a demonstrated practical effect on policy decisions and/or clinical practice.
As information was received, additional research was undertaken as necessary to obtain details of each example suggested. The results of each survey were then compiled into two inventories, which were indexed and posted on The Cochrane Library web site.
Results: The results of Phase I were compiled into an inventory of over 70 resources, including textbooks, peer-reviewed journals, online databases, summaries, news bulletins, detailed guidelines, health technology assessment reports, specialist indexes and others. Resources were located in many different countries, and translated into many languages. A range of innovative formats were found to target clinicians in many specialist areas, consumers, policy-makers, health service administrators, allied health professionals, and journalists. One-off articles and guidelines were excluded in favour of regular Cochrane features and systematic use of The Cochrane Library in guideline literature searching.
The results of Phase II, to be further detailed at the Colloquium, include documented examples of Cochrane reviews initiating further research, changes to guidelines, changes to government or service provider policy, changes to clinical practice, improved efficiency, improved health outcomes, and other relevant changes.
Conclusions: This project has created a valuable collection of examples to demonstrate the dissemination and influence of the work of The Cochrane Collaboration around the world. These inventories are now an important resource for Cochrane entities in identifying options for disseminating information, pursuing support for their activities, and promoting the broader use of Cochrane evidence.
Acknowledgements: This project was undertaken with funding from The Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group.
Objectives: The objective of this project was to develop inventories of evidence that Cochrane reviews are used in many different ways to improve the healthcare decision-making of consumers, clinicians and policy makers.
Methods: The project was divided into two phases. A survey of Cochrane Collaboration contributors and other interested parties was conducted via email for each phase.
In Phase I, responders were asked to contribute examples of the resources and media used to disseminate either Cochrane systematic reviews or evidence derived from Cochrane systematic reviews. In Phase II, responders were asked to contribute examples of Cochrane systematic reviews having a demonstrated practical effect on policy decisions and/or clinical practice.
As information was received, additional research was undertaken as necessary to obtain details of each example suggested. The results of each survey were then compiled into two inventories, which were indexed and posted on The Cochrane Library web site.
Results: The results of Phase I were compiled into an inventory of over 70 resources, including textbooks, peer-reviewed journals, online databases, summaries, news bulletins, detailed guidelines, health technology assessment reports, specialist indexes and others. Resources were located in many different countries, and translated into many languages. A range of innovative formats were found to target clinicians in many specialist areas, consumers, policy-makers, health service administrators, allied health professionals, and journalists. One-off articles and guidelines were excluded in favour of regular Cochrane features and systematic use of The Cochrane Library in guideline literature searching.
The results of Phase II, to be further detailed at the Colloquium, include documented examples of Cochrane reviews initiating further research, changes to guidelines, changes to government or service provider policy, changes to clinical practice, improved efficiency, improved health outcomes, and other relevant changes.
Conclusions: This project has created a valuable collection of examples to demonstrate the dissemination and influence of the work of The Cochrane Collaboration around the world. These inventories are now an important resource for Cochrane entities in identifying options for disseminating information, pursuing support for their activities, and promoting the broader use of Cochrane evidence.
Acknowledgements: This project was undertaken with funding from The Cochrane Collaboration Steering Group.