Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: One of the important aims of the Collaboration is the participation of consumer that is mostly recognized and promoted in developed countries, while it still experienced difficulties or challenges in developing countries like China.
Objectives: To bridge the gaps for consumers in developing countries by way of developing some strategies to meet the current challenges so that more consumers from developing countries can be involved in the Collaboration
Methods: To raising awareness at the first stage by offering introductory workshops since 1998 mainly for clinicians, policy-makers, researchers and editors with little or no knowledge of the Cochrane Collaboration, setting up the Chinese consumer health care information homepage in 2000, opening the column of consumer forum in the Chinese Journal of EBM in 2000, releasing the Consumer Health Care Newsletter in 2001. Second, to identify difficulties or challenges by inquiring related people and investigating the current situation. Finally, to develop and adjust some strategies to meet these challenges and set up a group of professional consumers.
Results: Two years past at the first stage, we found that still very a few consumers involved in the work in China. Challenges or difficulties were identified as language barrier, information scarce, cultural differences, lower education, funding problem, communication system and facilities lacking which were quite different from that of in developed countries. Based on the particular situation, we organized a group of professional consumers including medical and English major students, handsearchers, editors, public health researchers, librarians and active patients to meet the challenges. They have done the following work including help obtain information whenever needed, translate and rewrite the consumer synopses in plain Chinese language (did every issue), provide consumer comments for review groups (provided 14 protocol comments), identify the needs for non-professional consumers ( by emails, phone calls or a face to face discussion) etc. Conclusions: To organize a group of professional consumers is one of the most important strategies to promote the consumer activities in China or maybe in other developing countries. Because they are better educated, with their support, we can attract more non-professional consumers involved. But some difficulties are beyond our reach, we need the support and efforts both from the local government and the Collaboration.
Objectives: To bridge the gaps for consumers in developing countries by way of developing some strategies to meet the current challenges so that more consumers from developing countries can be involved in the Collaboration
Methods: To raising awareness at the first stage by offering introductory workshops since 1998 mainly for clinicians, policy-makers, researchers and editors with little or no knowledge of the Cochrane Collaboration, setting up the Chinese consumer health care information homepage in 2000, opening the column of consumer forum in the Chinese Journal of EBM in 2000, releasing the Consumer Health Care Newsletter in 2001. Second, to identify difficulties or challenges by inquiring related people and investigating the current situation. Finally, to develop and adjust some strategies to meet these challenges and set up a group of professional consumers.
Results: Two years past at the first stage, we found that still very a few consumers involved in the work in China. Challenges or difficulties were identified as language barrier, information scarce, cultural differences, lower education, funding problem, communication system and facilities lacking which were quite different from that of in developed countries. Based on the particular situation, we organized a group of professional consumers including medical and English major students, handsearchers, editors, public health researchers, librarians and active patients to meet the challenges. They have done the following work including help obtain information whenever needed, translate and rewrite the consumer synopses in plain Chinese language (did every issue), provide consumer comments for review groups (provided 14 protocol comments), identify the needs for non-professional consumers ( by emails, phone calls or a face to face discussion) etc. Conclusions: To organize a group of professional consumers is one of the most important strategies to promote the consumer activities in China or maybe in other developing countries. Because they are better educated, with their support, we can attract more non-professional consumers involved. But some difficulties are beyond our reach, we need the support and efforts both from the local government and the Collaboration.