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Riera R, de Oliveira Cruz Latorraca C, Padovez RCM, Pacheco RL, Romão DMM, Barreto JOM, Machado MLT, Gomes R, da Silva SF, Martimbianco ALC. Strategies for communicating scientific evidence on healthcare to managers and the population: a scoping review. Health Res Policy Syst 2023; 21:71. [PMID: 37430348 DOI: 10.1186/s12961-023-01017-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Health evidence needs to be communicated and disseminated in a manner that is clearly understood by decision-makers. As an inherent component of health knowledge translation, communicating results of scientific studies, effects of interventions and health risk estimates, in addition to understanding key concepts of clinical epidemiology and interpreting evidence, represent a set of essential instruments to reduce the gap between science and practice. The advancement of digital and social media has reshaped the concept of health communication, introducing new, direct and powerful communication platforms and gateways between researchers and the public. The objective of this scoping review was to identify strategies for communicating scientific evidence in healthcare to managers and/or population. METHODS We searched Cochrane Library, Embase®, MEDLINE® and other six electronic databases, in addition to grey literature, relevant websites from related organizations for studies, documents or reports published from 2000, addressing any strategy for communicating scientific evidence on healthcare to managers and/or population. RESULTS Our search identified 24 598 unique records, of which 80 met the inclusion criteria and addressed 78 strategies. Most strategies focused on risk and benefit communication in health, were presented by textual format and had been implemented and somehow evaluated. Among the strategies evaluated and appearing to yield some benefit are (i) risk/benefit communication: natural frequencies instead of percentages, absolute risk instead relative risk and number needed to treat, numerical instead nominal communication, mortality instead survival; negative or loss content appear to be more effective than positive or gain content; (ii) evidence synthesis: plain languages summaries to communicate the results of Cochrane reviews to the community were perceived as more reliable, easier to find and understand, and better to support decisions than the original summaries; (iii) teaching/learning: the Informed Health Choices resources seem to be effective for improving critical thinking skills. CONCLUSION Our findings contribute to both the knowledge translation process by identifying communication strategies with potential for immediate implementation and to future research by recognizing the need to evaluate the clinical and social impact of other strategies to support evidence-informed policies. Trial registration protocol is prospectively available in MedArxiv (doi.org/10.1101/2021.11.04.21265922).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Riera
- Hospital Sírio-Libanês, Rua Barata Ribeiro, 142, 2O andar, São Paulo, SP, 01308-000, Brazil
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Carolina de Oliveira Cruz Latorraca
- Hospital Sírio-Libanês, Rua Barata Ribeiro, 142, 2O andar, São Paulo, SP, 01308-000, Brazil
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp), São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Rafael Leite Pacheco
- Hospital Sírio-Libanês, Rua Barata Ribeiro, 142, 2O andar, São Paulo, SP, 01308-000, Brazil.
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Unifesp), São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Davi Mamblona Marques Romão
- Hospital Sírio-Libanês, Rua Barata Ribeiro, 142, 2O andar, São Paulo, SP, 01308-000, Brazil
- Instituto Veredas, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jorge Otávio Maia Barreto
- Hospital Sírio-Libanês, Rua Barata Ribeiro, 142, 2O andar, São Paulo, SP, 01308-000, Brazil
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Maria Lúcia Teixeira Machado
- Hospital Sírio-Libanês, Rua Barata Ribeiro, 142, 2O andar, São Paulo, SP, 01308-000, Brazil
- Universidade Federal de São Carlos, São Carlos, Brazil
| | - Romeu Gomes
- Hospital Sírio-Libanês, Rua Barata Ribeiro, 142, 2O andar, São Paulo, SP, 01308-000, Brazil
- Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Brasília, Brazil
| | | | - Ana Luiza Cabrera Martimbianco
- Hospital Sírio-Libanês, Rua Barata Ribeiro, 142, 2O andar, São Paulo, SP, 01308-000, Brazil
- Universidade Metropolitna de Santo (Unimes), Santos, Brazil
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Colquhoun HL, Lowe D, Helis E, Belanger D, Ens B, Hill S, Mayhew A, Taylor M, Grimshaw JM. Evaluation of a training program for medicines-oriented policymakers to use a database of systematic reviews. Health Res Policy Syst 2016; 14:70. [PMID: 27654820 PMCID: PMC5031302 DOI: 10.1186/s12961-016-0140-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2015] [Accepted: 08/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suboptimal prescribing and medications use is a problem for health systems globally. Systematic reviews are a comprehensive resource that can help guide evidence-informed decision-making and implementation of interventions addressing such issues; however, a barrier to the use of systematic reviews is their inaccessibility (due to both dispersion across journals and inaccessibility of content). Publicly available databases, such as Rx for Change, provide quick access to summaries of appraised systematic reviews of professional and consumer-oriented interventions to improve prescribing behaviour and appropriate medication use, and may help maximise the use of evidence to inform decisions. The present study aims to evaluate a training program to improve attitudes towards, confidence in skills, intentions to use, and use of systematic review evidence contained within Rx for Change. METHODS Guided by the Knowledge to Action framework, a training program with content customised to local provider and consumer contexts was developed with knowledge user input. The training program consisted of a 6 minute information video, a 1 hour workshop with hands-on, interactive and didactic components, and two post-training reminders. Forty-nine people from five medicines-focused organisations in Canada and Australia attended one of six workshops. Participants were surveyed immediately pre and post and 3 months after training to evaluate their attitudes towards, confidence in skills, intentions to use, and use of Rx for Change, and attitudes towards and confidence in skills for using evidence for decision-making. Analyses for differences for each of the outcomes at three time points (pre, post and 3 months after training) was performed using a random effects model. RESULTS Immediately post-training, there were higher respondent attitudes towards Rx for Change (mean increase = 0.54 out of 5, 95% CI, 0.18-0.83, P < 0.005); intention to use Rx for Change (0.53, 95% CI, 0.21-0.86, P < 0.005); confidence in skills for using Rx for Change (2.08, 95% CI, 1.74-2.42, P < 0.005); and confidence in skills for using evidence in policy decision-making (0.50, 95% CI, 0.22-0.77, P < .005) compared to pre-training. Confidence in skills for using both Rx for Change and evidence were maintained 3 months after training (both P < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS Participants of this training program reported sustained improvements in their confidence in skills for using evidence in policy decision-making. This may have important implications for uptake of systematic review evidence promoting improved prescribing and medication use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather L Colquhoun
- Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, 160-500 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7, Canada.
| | - Dianne Lowe
- Centre for Health Communication and Participation, School of Psychology and Public Health, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, 3086, Australia
| | - Eftyhia Helis
- Knowledge Mobilization and Liaison Officer Program, Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Denis Belanger
- Knowledge Mobilization and Liaison Officer Program, Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Brendalynn Ens
- Knowledge Mobilization and Liaison Officer Program, Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Sophie Hill
- Centre for Health Communication and Participation, School of Psychology and Public Health, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, 3086, Australia
| | - Alain Mayhew
- C.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre, Bruyère Research Institute, 43 Bruyère Street, Annex E - 208, Ottawa, ON, K1N 5C8, Canada
| | - Michael Taylor
- Public Health, School of Allied Health, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia
| | - Jeremy M Grimshaw
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Epidemiology & Community Medicine, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada.,Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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