Testing New Formats for the Presentation of Research Evidence to Health Care Managers and Policy Makers

Unity Health Toronto

Status: Completed

Conditions: Uptake of Systematic Review Evidence

Treatments: Other: Novel systematic review format

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03041454

SMH-312381

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this project is to identify and use our knowledge on the barriers and facilitators to using systematic reviews (SR) by health care managers (HCM) and policy markers (PM) to develop and test a novel format for presentation of SR for HCM and PM. We will invite HCM and PM from hospitals and regional authorities in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia to participate in a randomized-control trial. Participants will receive a link to an online consent survey, and then be randomly allocated to receive access to a novel SR or its traditional presentation. There is no time limit to completing the task, and participants are able to save their responses and finish later. Participants are able to withdraw from the study by not completing the task.

Full description

Despite advances in the conduct and reporting of traditional systematic reviews, current evidence suggests that they are used infrequently by health care managers and policy makers in decision making. Managers and policy makers have suggested that concise presentation positively affects the use of systematic reviews. The purpose of this randomized controlled trial is to assess the impact of a traditional systematic review format compared with the innovative format on the ability of health care managers and policy makers to understand the evidence in the review and apply it to a relevant health care decision making scenario.

The two end-user groups have different formatting needs and we will therefore run 2 parallel studies, randomizing each group separately. Once participants have consented to participate, a computer generated randomization process will allocate them to one of 2 arms (1:1 ratio). Participants will either receive either a traditional format or a novel format. Unequal block randomization will be used and allocation will be concealed through central assignment. Outcomes assessors will be blinded and participants will be blinded to the citation of the review so that the traditional version will not be easily accessible in its original format from the relevant journal.

This study will be the first study to engage health care managers and policy makers in the testing of formats for presentation of research evidence relevant to their needs. The results of the project will help increase the uptake of systematic review results in health care management policy decision-making, ultimately leading to informed decision making and positively impacting the health of Canadians.

Enrollment: 257 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Health care managers from the Alberta SCNs, CAHO in Ontario, the RHAs and AQESSS in Quebec and RHAs from BC will be invited to participate.
• Policy makers/analysts from the Ontario, BC, Alberta and Quebec Ministries of Health

Exclusion criteria

• Health care managers or policy makers who are unwilling or unable to give informed consent.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Health Services Research

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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257 participants in 2 patient groups

Novel systematic review format

Experimental group

Description:

A 2-page summary of systematic review content that has been designed in collaboration with policy makers and health care managers. Participants receiving the intervention will be asked to read and answer questions using a novel systematic review format.

Treatment:

Other: Novel systematic review format

Traditional systematic review format

No Intervention group

Description:

Control participants will be asked to read and answer questions using a traditional systematic review format.