Disseminating information on medicines and health interventions in Brazilian Portuguese using a internet-based resource: the Cemeds’ Blog

Article type
Authors
Junqueira DRG1, Cândido RCF2, Moraes AVSM2, Pádua CAM2, Lima MG2, Perini E2
1Centro de Estudos do Medicamento, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil; Faculty of Health Science, The University of Sydney, Australia
2Centro de Estudos do Medicamento, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil
Abstract
Background: The Centro de Estudos do Medicamento (Cemed) is a Brazilian centre dedicated to research and knowledge translation activities to support informed decisions regarding pharmacological interventions. Recently, communicating evidence has become a central core of the Cemed activities due the lack of updated high quality scientific information published in Brazilian Portuguese language.

Objectives: We present the experience of the Cemed in settling up an internet-based resource to deliver evidence-based health information to lay people and health professional in a practical, consistent and accessible way to Brazilian readers.

Methods: A team consisted of a pharmacist researcher trained in epidemiology and working with the Cochrane Collaboration, three epidemiologists, a pharmacist with large experience in pharmacy practice, and pharmacy students, were established. The weblog, an internet resource known by its dynamism and interaction possibilities, was chosen because of its resemblance with an electronic journal and its functionalities of ease access and update.

Results: The Cemeds’ Blog was officially launched in February 25, 2012 at http://cemedmg.wordpress.com. In 1 year, we published 100 posts. We accumulated 17 224 hits (average of 50 hits/day), a total of 10.019 visits (average of 106.6 visits/post) and a median of 1.5 page views/visitor/day. Despite of the language restriction, visitors from a number of 47 countries on the five continents have accessed the weblog. After Brazilian readers, our major public with 14 843 hits, we have been followed by readers in Portugal (328 hits), Australia (165 hits), US (157 hits), Spain (102 hits) and Argentina (78 hits), among others.

Conclusions: The establishment of this multidisciplinary team has been proved a fascinating and fruitful didactic experience for training graduate students. The audience reached by the Cemeds’ Blog demonstrates the power of this internet resource in disseminating information worldwide and the relevance of translating knowledge on health care outcomes and the use of medicines.
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