Effects of an Evidence Service on Community-based AIDS Service Organizations' Use of Research Evidence

Ontario HIV Treatment Network

Status: Unknown

Conditions: Use of Research Evidence

Treatments: Other: SHARE (Synthesized HIV/AIDS Research Evidence)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NETWORK

Identifiers

NCT01257724

HHS/FHS REB 10-268

Details and patient eligibility

About

The investigators have developed an online database called 'Synthesized HIV/AIDS Research Evidence' (SHARE), which is designed to support the use of research evidence by those working in the HIV/AIDS sector. This study will evaluate whether a "full-serve" version of SHARE increases the use of research evidence by community-based organizations as compared to a "self-serve" version. The "full-serve" version of SHARE consists of several components: 1) an online searchable database of synthesized research evidence relevant to HIV/AIDS , 2) periodic emailed updates, 3) access to user-friendly summaries and 4) peer-relevance assessments. The self-serve version consists only of a listing of relevant synthesized research evidence . The investigators will also interview participants in the study to obtain feedback about SHARE, how helpful it was in their work, why it was helpful (or not helpful), what aspects were most and least helpful and why, and recommendations for improving it.

Full description

Background To support the use of research evidence by community-based organizations the investigators have developed 'Synthesized HIV/AIDS Research Evidence' (SHARE), which is an evidence service for those working in the HIV sector. SHARE consists of several components: 1) an online searchable database of HIV-relevant systematic reviews (retrievable based on a taxonomy of topics related to HIV/AIDS and open text search), 2) periodic email updates, 3) access to user-friendly summaries, and 4) peer relevance assessments. The objective is to evaluate whether this "full serve" evidence service increases the use of research evidence by community-based organizations as compared to a "self-serve" evidence service.

Methods/design The investigators will conduct a two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT), along with a follow-up qualitative process study to explore the findings in greater depth. All community-based organizations affiliated with Canadian AIDS Society (n=120) will be invited to participate and will be randomized to receive either the "full-serve" version of SHARE or the "self-serve" version (a listing of relevant systematic reviews with links to records on PubMed and worksheets that help community-based organizations find and use research evidence) using a simple randomized design. All management and staff from each organization will be provided access to the version of SHARE that their organization is allocated to. The trial duration will be 10 months (two-month baseline period, six-month intervention period, and two month cross-over period), the primary outcome measure will be the mean number of logins/month/organization (averaged across the number of users from each organization) between baseline and the end of the intervention period and the secondary outcome will be intention to use research evidence as measured by a survey administered to one key decision-maker from each organization. For the qualitative study, one key organizational decision-maker from 15 organizations in each trial arm (n=30) will be purposively sampled. One-on-one semi-structured interviews will be conducted by telephone on their views about and their experiences with the evidence service they received, how helpful it was in their work, why it was helpful (or not helpful), what aspects were most and least helpful and why, and recommendations for next steps.

Enrollment: 58 patients

Sex: All

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• We will include all community-based organizations affiliated with the Canadian AIDS Society and from relevant provincial HIV/AIDS networks in Canada.

Exclusion criteria

• We will exclude organizations that do not have at least one key decision-maker who is comfortable participating and corresponding in English.

Trial design

58 participants in 2 patient groups

Full-serve evidence service

Experimental group

Description:

The full-serve evidence service consists of: 1. an online searchable database of HIV-relevant systematic reviews; 2. monthly email updates highlighting new reviews; 3. access to user-friendly summaries produced by us or by others (when available); 4. links to scientific abstracts; 5. peer relevance assessments, which involves periodic requests to complete a brief assessment of how useful the information in the newly added review is with the average score posted once an assessment is completed; 6. an interface for participants to leave comments in the records of systematic reviews in the database; 7. links to full-text articles (when publicly available); and 8. access to worksheets that help CBOs find and use research evidence

Treatment:

Other: SHARE (Synthesized HIV/AIDS Research Evidence)

Self-serve evidence service

Active Comparator group

Description:

Organizations allocated to the control group will only be provided website access to a listing of systematic reviews that are organized by year of publication with links to the record on PubMed (or another publicly available source when not available on PubMed) and access to worksheets that help community-based organizations find and use research evidence.

Treatment:

Other: SHARE (Synthesized HIV/AIDS Research Evidence)