Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: The synopses of Cochrane Reviews are meant to provide "a brief summary of the results of the review in plain language for consumers and non-specialist readers." Until recently, review authors and Review Group Coordinators (RGCs) could access the services of the Consumer Network to write synopses or review draft synopses. The future of this service is uncertain and many authors and RGCs may be faced with new challenges of writing their own consumer "friendly" synopses.
Objective: To create an easy to use format for writing consumer friendly synopses for Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group (CMSG) systematic reviews.
Methods: Over the past 10 years, members of the CMSG have worked with The Arthritis Society of Canada to develop consumer summaries of CMSG Reviews. Literature from patient education and knowledge translation fields was consulted. Contact with other Cochrane entities was made and examples of the format for their summaries reviewed. Members of the CMSG Consumer Group and review authors were consulted. Based on the information from these sources, a format for consumer synopses was developed.
Results: As of Cochrane Library Issue 3, 2003, the CMSG has been producing synopses for their reviews based on a consistent format. The CMSG uses this format while using a plain language and describing concepts in a way that is easy to understand. The synopses are approved by the author of the review and a consumer.
The synopses are designed to take a consumer approximately five minutes to read. The synopses are written in a question/answer format and include numeric descriptions of results. Five questions relevant to consumers are answered: 1) Who was studied and how were they studied? 2) What is the condition and how can the intervention treat the condition? 3) Did the intervention work to treat the condition? 4) Were there any side effects of the intervention? 5) What is the bottom line?
Questions #1 and #2 were identified as crucial to include in the synopses. Consumers wanted to know if the people studied were like them and they wanted to know what was actually studied.
Questions #3 and #4 present the results of the Cochrane review using narrative and numerical descriptions. Relative Risks, Odds Ratios and Numbers Needed to Treat are translated for patients into the number of people out of 100 who benefited or were harmed with the intervention and compares it to the number without the intervention.
The bottom line is meant to provide a take home message or "implications for consumers" about the results of the review. Question #5 is written so that it can be read in one minute and is helpful to consumers who want to know "the bottom line".
Conclusions: Gathering information and consulting people about creating consumer information facilitated the creation of an easy to use format for creating synopses. The new format of consumer synopses helps guide the CMSG to write synopses that are "consumer friendly".
Acknowledgements: We thank members of the CMSG and members and staff of the Arthritis Society of Canada.
Objective: To create an easy to use format for writing consumer friendly synopses for Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group (CMSG) systematic reviews.
Methods: Over the past 10 years, members of the CMSG have worked with The Arthritis Society of Canada to develop consumer summaries of CMSG Reviews. Literature from patient education and knowledge translation fields was consulted. Contact with other Cochrane entities was made and examples of the format for their summaries reviewed. Members of the CMSG Consumer Group and review authors were consulted. Based on the information from these sources, a format for consumer synopses was developed.
Results: As of Cochrane Library Issue 3, 2003, the CMSG has been producing synopses for their reviews based on a consistent format. The CMSG uses this format while using a plain language and describing concepts in a way that is easy to understand. The synopses are approved by the author of the review and a consumer.
The synopses are designed to take a consumer approximately five minutes to read. The synopses are written in a question/answer format and include numeric descriptions of results. Five questions relevant to consumers are answered: 1) Who was studied and how were they studied? 2) What is the condition and how can the intervention treat the condition? 3) Did the intervention work to treat the condition? 4) Were there any side effects of the intervention? 5) What is the bottom line?
Questions #1 and #2 were identified as crucial to include in the synopses. Consumers wanted to know if the people studied were like them and they wanted to know what was actually studied.
Questions #3 and #4 present the results of the Cochrane review using narrative and numerical descriptions. Relative Risks, Odds Ratios and Numbers Needed to Treat are translated for patients into the number of people out of 100 who benefited or were harmed with the intervention and compares it to the number without the intervention.
The bottom line is meant to provide a take home message or "implications for consumers" about the results of the review. Question #5 is written so that it can be read in one minute and is helpful to consumers who want to know "the bottom line".
Conclusions: Gathering information and consulting people about creating consumer information facilitated the creation of an easy to use format for creating synopses. The new format of consumer synopses helps guide the CMSG to write synopses that are "consumer friendly".
Acknowledgements: We thank members of the CMSG and members and staff of the Arthritis Society of Canada.