Background:

Over the past 5 years, The Cochrane Collaboration has been developing its approach to the synthesis of test evaluations culminating in the publication of the first Cochrane DTAR in 2008. During the process of providing support it has become clear that the complexity of many parts of the DTARs will be challenging even for those who are familiar with the general Cochrane review format. There is a need to further explore understanding of completed Cochrane DTARs in order to refine their presentation and improve impact.

Objective:

To explore understanding of the three currently available Cochrane DTARs.

Method:

We have been funded to examine the perceptions of two groups: policy-makers and their advisers and clinical groups to whom the three reviews should be relevant. The initial step will be to get opinions on what are the key features of each of the completed reviews from authors. The second will involve sending a brief questionnaire to about 150 individuals to identify potential candidates for in-depth interviews. They will be asked about their overall understanding of one of the three completed DTARs. The third step will comprise approximately 40 individual, face to face interviews drawing on cognitive interview techniques with purposive sampling of respondents. For those in whom the initial questionnaire indicates little experience in interpreting test accuracy reviews the main focus will be on whether they can locate, understand and interpret the key elements of the DTAR. For those in whom the initial questionnaire indicates an advanced level of understanding of test accuracy reviews, the focus will be on eliciting suggestions for improvement and exploring the reason for any disagreements about the DTAR s interpretation.

Results:

The one year project will start in mid-2010. We will expand on the approach we intend to adopt at the Colloquium and present any early findings.