Facilitating evidence uptake: development and user testing of a systematic review summary format to inform public health decision-making in German-speaking countries
Abstract Background Systematic reviews are an important source of evidence for public health decision-making, but length and technical jargon tend to hinder their use. In non-English speaking countries, inaccessibility of information in the native language often represents an additional barrier. In...
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2018-07-01
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Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12961-018-0307-z |
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doaj-013f066585a54197926a97afc426e409 |
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DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
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DOAJ |
author |
Laura K. Busert Margot Mütsch Christina Kien Aline Flatz Ursula Griebler Manfred Wildner Jan M. Stratil Eva A. Rehfuess on behalf of Cochrane Public Health Europe |
spellingShingle |
Laura K. Busert Margot Mütsch Christina Kien Aline Flatz Ursula Griebler Manfred Wildner Jan M. Stratil Eva A. Rehfuess on behalf of Cochrane Public Health Europe Facilitating evidence uptake: development and user testing of a systematic review summary format to inform public health decision-making in German-speaking countries Health Research Policy and Systems Systematic review public health decision-making knowledge dissemination knowledge translation evidence synthesis |
author_facet |
Laura K. Busert Margot Mütsch Christina Kien Aline Flatz Ursula Griebler Manfred Wildner Jan M. Stratil Eva A. Rehfuess on behalf of Cochrane Public Health Europe |
author_sort |
Laura K. Busert |
title |
Facilitating evidence uptake: development and user testing of a systematic review summary format to inform public health decision-making in German-speaking countries |
title_short |
Facilitating evidence uptake: development and user testing of a systematic review summary format to inform public health decision-making in German-speaking countries |
title_full |
Facilitating evidence uptake: development and user testing of a systematic review summary format to inform public health decision-making in German-speaking countries |
title_fullStr |
Facilitating evidence uptake: development and user testing of a systematic review summary format to inform public health decision-making in German-speaking countries |
title_full_unstemmed |
Facilitating evidence uptake: development and user testing of a systematic review summary format to inform public health decision-making in German-speaking countries |
title_sort |
facilitating evidence uptake: development and user testing of a systematic review summary format to inform public health decision-making in german-speaking countries |
publisher |
BMC |
series |
Health Research Policy and Systems |
issn |
1478-4505 |
publishDate |
2018-07-01 |
description |
Abstract Background Systematic reviews are an important source of evidence for public health decision-making, but length and technical jargon tend to hinder their use. In non-English speaking countries, inaccessibility of information in the native language often represents an additional barrier. In line with our vision to strengthen evidence-based public health in the German-speaking world, we developed a German language summary format for systematic reviews of public health interventions and undertook user-testing with public health decision-makers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Methods We used several guiding principles and core elements identified from the literature to produce a prototype summary format and applied it to a Cochrane review on the impacts of changing portion and package sizes on selection and consumption of food, alcohol and tobacco. Following a pre-test in each of the three countries, we carried out 18 user tests with public health decision-makers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland using the ‘think-aloud’ method. We analysed participants’ comments according to the facets credibility, usability, understandability, usefulness, desirability, findability, identification and accessibility. We also identified elements that hindered the facile and satisfying use of the summary format, and revised it based on participants’ feedback. Results The summary format was well-received; participants particularly appreciated receiving information in their own language. They generally found the summary format useful and a credible source of information, but also signalled several barriers to a positive user experience such as an information-dense structure and difficulties with understanding statistical terms. Many of the identified challenges were addressed through modifications of the summary format, in particular by allowing for flexible length, placing more emphasis on key messages and relevance for public health practice, expanding the interpretation aid for statistical findings, providing a glossary of technical terms, and only including graphical GRADE ratings. Some barriers to uptake, notably the participants’ wish for actionable recommendations and contextual information, could not be addressed. Conclusions Participants welcomed the initiative, but user tests also revealed their problems with understanding and interpreting the findings summarised in our prototype format. The revised summary format will be used to communicate the results of Cochrane reviews of public health interventions. |
topic |
Systematic review public health decision-making knowledge dissemination knowledge translation evidence synthesis |
url |
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12961-018-0307-z |
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doaj-013f066585a54197926a97afc426e4092020-11-25T00:46:11ZengBMCHealth Research Policy and Systems1478-45052018-07-0116111110.1186/s12961-018-0307-zFacilitating evidence uptake: development and user testing of a systematic review summary format to inform public health decision-making in German-speaking countriesLaura K. Busert0Margot Mütsch1Christina Kien2Aline Flatz3Ursula Griebler4Manfred Wildner5Jan M. Stratil6Eva A. Rehfuess7on behalf of Cochrane Public Health EuropeInstitute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenEpidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of ZurichDepartment for Evidence-based Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, Danube University KremsCochrane Switzerland, Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (IUMSP), Lausanne University HospitalDepartment for Evidence-based Medicine and Clinical Epidemiology, Danube University KremsInstitute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenInstitute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenInstitute for Medical Information Processing, Biometry and Epidemiology, Pettenkofer School of Public Health, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität MünchenAbstract Background Systematic reviews are an important source of evidence for public health decision-making, but length and technical jargon tend to hinder their use. In non-English speaking countries, inaccessibility of information in the native language often represents an additional barrier. In line with our vision to strengthen evidence-based public health in the German-speaking world, we developed a German language summary format for systematic reviews of public health interventions and undertook user-testing with public health decision-makers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Methods We used several guiding principles and core elements identified from the literature to produce a prototype summary format and applied it to a Cochrane review on the impacts of changing portion and package sizes on selection and consumption of food, alcohol and tobacco. Following a pre-test in each of the three countries, we carried out 18 user tests with public health decision-makers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland using the ‘think-aloud’ method. We analysed participants’ comments according to the facets credibility, usability, understandability, usefulness, desirability, findability, identification and accessibility. We also identified elements that hindered the facile and satisfying use of the summary format, and revised it based on participants’ feedback. Results The summary format was well-received; participants particularly appreciated receiving information in their own language. They generally found the summary format useful and a credible source of information, but also signalled several barriers to a positive user experience such as an information-dense structure and difficulties with understanding statistical terms. Many of the identified challenges were addressed through modifications of the summary format, in particular by allowing for flexible length, placing more emphasis on key messages and relevance for public health practice, expanding the interpretation aid for statistical findings, providing a glossary of technical terms, and only including graphical GRADE ratings. Some barriers to uptake, notably the participants’ wish for actionable recommendations and contextual information, could not be addressed. Conclusions Participants welcomed the initiative, but user tests also revealed their problems with understanding and interpreting the findings summarised in our prototype format. The revised summary format will be used to communicate the results of Cochrane reviews of public health interventions.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12961-018-0307-zSystematic reviewpublic healthdecision-makingknowledge disseminationknowledge translationevidence synthesis |