Article type
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Abstract
Background: Current Cochrane Handbook guidelines to write Plain Language Summaries (PLS) are helpful, but leave writers with flexibility and creativity, which can lead to conflicting and imprecise reporting of results from the review and misinterpretation. In addition, this flexibility has led to a variety of formats of PLS which are inconsistent across reviews. A template to write PLS has been developed over the past five years from work of two Cochrane entities and in collaboration with the developers of Summary of Findings tables.
Objectives: To systematically test the template to ensure that it provides readers with an understandable and precise representation of the results of the review and to ensure that it is easy for writers of PLS to use.
Methods: Input into the original template was obtained from experts in patient information production, graphic design and review methodology; consumers involved in the Cochrane Consumer Network; and producers of PLS in other Cochrane groups. User-testing of the template was conducted in approximately 32 consumers from English and non-English speaking countries. Four PLS in English and Spanish were developed and the effect they had on a reader's understanding of the findings of the Cochrane reviews was then assessed in consumers and representatives of consumer organisations. The use of the template to produce PLS was tested in a group that included review authors, review group coordinators and consumers interested in writing plain language summaries.
Results: There were 6 Cochrane groups who primarily collaborated on this project: Norwegian Branch of the Nordic Cochrane Centre, Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group, Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, Centro Colaborador Argentino de la Red Cochrane Iberoamericana, Consumers and Communication Review Group, and the Cochrane Consumer Network. The template was revised during the 5 months of the project after input was obtained from both producers and users. Ongoing work with the Summary of Findings (SoF) tables also fed into the design, since the results described in the PLS are based on the results in the SoF table. A template to produce consistently formatted and worded PLS and guidelines to write PLS have been created and are ready to be incorporated into the Cochrane Handbook. The template includes easy to follow steps to translate the quantitative results and quality of the evidence from Cochrane reviews into 1) numbers that are easy for users to understand, 2) standardised, consistent qualitative statements, and 3) statements about the implications of the quality of the results.
Conclusions: A template and guidelines for how to write plain language summaries were developed and evaluated by users and producers. This template will ensure a balance in PLS to provide information that is precise, not misleading and comprehensible to its international readers. The guidelines will also help writers to produce a consistent format for PLS across reviews.
Objectives: To systematically test the template to ensure that it provides readers with an understandable and precise representation of the results of the review and to ensure that it is easy for writers of PLS to use.
Methods: Input into the original template was obtained from experts in patient information production, graphic design and review methodology; consumers involved in the Cochrane Consumer Network; and producers of PLS in other Cochrane groups. User-testing of the template was conducted in approximately 32 consumers from English and non-English speaking countries. Four PLS in English and Spanish were developed and the effect they had on a reader's understanding of the findings of the Cochrane reviews was then assessed in consumers and representatives of consumer organisations. The use of the template to produce PLS was tested in a group that included review authors, review group coordinators and consumers interested in writing plain language summaries.
Results: There were 6 Cochrane groups who primarily collaborated on this project: Norwegian Branch of the Nordic Cochrane Centre, Cochrane Musculoskeletal Group, Iberoamerican Cochrane Centre, Centro Colaborador Argentino de la Red Cochrane Iberoamericana, Consumers and Communication Review Group, and the Cochrane Consumer Network. The template was revised during the 5 months of the project after input was obtained from both producers and users. Ongoing work with the Summary of Findings (SoF) tables also fed into the design, since the results described in the PLS are based on the results in the SoF table. A template to produce consistently formatted and worded PLS and guidelines to write PLS have been created and are ready to be incorporated into the Cochrane Handbook. The template includes easy to follow steps to translate the quantitative results and quality of the evidence from Cochrane reviews into 1) numbers that are easy for users to understand, 2) standardised, consistent qualitative statements, and 3) statements about the implications of the quality of the results.
Conclusions: A template and guidelines for how to write plain language summaries were developed and evaluated by users and producers. This template will ensure a balance in PLS to provide information that is precise, not misleading and comprehensible to its international readers. The guidelines will also help writers to produce a consistent format for PLS across reviews.