Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27654820›Full record

ArticleHealth research policy and systems2016

Evaluation of a training program for medicines-oriented policymakers to use a database of systematic reviews.

Heather L Colquhoun, Dianne Lowe, Eftyhia Helis, Denis Belanger, Brendalynn Ens, Sophie Hill, Alain Mayhew, Michael Taylor, Jeremy M Grimshaw

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Health research policy and systems, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Heather L ColquhounDepartment of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, 160-500 University Ave, Toronto, ON, M5G 1V7, Canada. heather.colquhoun@utoronto.ca.
Dianne LoweCentre for Health Communication and Participation, School of Psychology and Public Health, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, 3086, Australia.
Eftyhia HelisKnowledge Mobilization and Liaison Officer Program, Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Denis BelangerKnowledge Mobilization and Liaison Officer Program, Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Brendalynn EnsKnowledge Mobilization and Liaison Officer Program, Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Sophie HillCentre for Health Communication and Participation, School of Psychology and Public Health, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, 3086, Australia.
Alain MayhewC.T. Lamont Primary Health Care Research Centre, Bruyère Research Institute, 43 Bruyère Street, Annex E - 208, Ottawa, ON, K1N 5C8, Canada.
Michael TaylorPublic Health, School of Allied Health, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, VIC, 3065, Australia.
Jeremy M GrimshawDepartment of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Epidemiology & Community Medicine, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSuboptimal 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.

methodsGuided 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.

resultsImmediately 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).

conclusionsParticipants 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.

Indexed as

Evidence-informedIntegrated knowledge translationPrescribing medicinesRx for ChangeSystematic reviews

Identifiers

PMID27654820
PMCPMC5031302

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.