Effects of an Evidence Service on Health System Policymakers' Use of Research Evidence

NCT ID: NCT01307228

Last Updated: 2017-03-23

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: WITHDRAWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2010-12-31
• Study Completion Date: 2013-02-28

Brief Summary

The investigators have developed an online database called 'Health Systems Evidence,' which contains synthesized research evidence and additional details about this evidence that can make it easier for health system policymakers to use the included research evidence. The investigators have also developed an e-mail alerting service that brings to the attention of health system policymakers any new additions to Health Systems Evidence. This study will evaluate whether a "full-serve" version of Health Systems Evidence increases the use of research evidence by policy analysts and advisors in the Ontario government as compared to a "self-serve" version. The "full-serve" version comprises: 1) access to Health Systems Evidence; 2) monthly e-mail alerts about new additions to Health Systems Evidence; and 3) access to full-text articles that are cited in Health Systems Evidence. The "self-serve" version only provides access to Health Systems Evidence. The investigators will also interview study participants to obtain feedback about Health Systems Evidence, including 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.

Detailed Description

Background Health system policymakers need timely access to synthesized research evidence to inform the policymaking process. No efforts to address this need have been evaluated using an experimental quantitative design. The investigators developed an evidence service that draws inputs from Health Systems Evidence, which is a database of policy relevant systematic reviews. The reviews have been: 1) categorized by topic and type of review; 2) coded by the last year searches for studies were conducted and by the countries in which included studies were conducted; 3) rated for quality; and 4) linked to available user-friendly summaries, scientific abstracts, and full-text reports. The goal is to evaluate whether a "full-serve" evidence service increases the use of synthesized research evidence by policy analysts and advisors in the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) 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 in order to explore the findings in greater depth. For the RCT, all policy analysts and policy advisors (n=168) in a single division of the MOHLTC will be invited to participate. Using a stratified randomized design, participants will be randomized to receive either the "full-serve" evidence service (database access, monthly e-mail alerts, and full-text article availability) or the "self-serve" evidence service (database access only). The trial duration will be ten months (two-month baseline period, six-month intervention period, and two month cross-over period). The primary outcome will be the mean number of site visits/month/user between baseline and the end of the intervention period. The secondary outcome will be participants' intention to use research evidence. For the qualitative study, 15 participants from 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.

Conditions

Use of Research Evidence

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: OTHER
• Blinding Strategy: SINGLE

Study Groups

Full-serve evidence service

The "full-serve" evidence service consists of:

1. database (Health Systems Evidence) access;

2. monthly e-mail alerts; and

3. full-text article availability.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Health Systems Evidence

Intervention Type: OTHER

Health Systems Evidence (HSE) contains over 1400 research syntheses about governance, financial and delivery arrangements within health systems and about implementation strategies relevant to health systems. The syntheses have been: 1) categorized by topic, type of synthesis, and type of question addressed; 2) coded by the last year in which searches for studies were conducted and by the countries in which included studies were conducted; 3) rated for quality; and 4) linked to publicly available user-friendly summaries, scientific abstracts, and full-text reviews. We identified systematic reviews in HSE that are not accessible to study participants and developed a mechanism to reimburse publishers for full-text downloads of these reviews.

Self-serve evidence service

Participants allocated to the "self-serve" evidence service will receive only database access, which is already publicly available at www.healthsystemsevidence.org

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Health Systems Evidence

Intervention Type: OTHER

Health Systems Evidence (HSE) contains over 1400 research syntheses about governance, financial and delivery arrangements within health systems and about implementation strategies relevant to health systems. The syntheses have been: 1) categorized by topic, type of synthesis, and type of question addressed; 2) coded by the last year in which searches for studies were conducted and by the countries in which included studies were conducted; 3) rated for quality; and 4) linked to publicly available user-friendly summaries, scientific abstracts, and full-text reviews. We identified systematic reviews in HSE that are not accessible to study participants and developed a mechanism to reimburse publishers for full-text downloads of these reviews.

Interventions

Health Systems Evidence

Health Systems Evidence (HSE) contains over 1400 research syntheses about governance, financial and delivery arrangements within health systems and about implementation strategies relevant to health systems. The syntheses have been: 1) categorized by topic, type of synthesis, and type of question addressed; 2) coded by the last year in which searches for studies were conducted and by the countries in which included studies were conducted; 3) rated for quality; and 4) linked to publicly available user-friendly summaries, scientific abstracts, and full-text reviews. We identified systematic reviews in HSE that are not accessible to study participants and developed a mechanism to reimburse publishers for full-text downloads of these reviews.

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• All policy analysts and policy advisors from one purposively selected division of one Canadian provincial Ministry of Health.

Exclusion Criteria

• None

• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

Ontario Ministry of Health and Long Term Care

OTHER_GOV

Sponsor Role: collaborator

McMaster University

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

John Lavis

Professor, Department of Health Evidence and Impact

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Principal Investigators

John N Lavis, MD, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

McMaster University

Locations

McMaster Health Forum Impact Lab

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

Countries

Canada

References

Lavis JN, Wilson MG, Grimshaw JM, Haynes RB, Hanna S, Raina P, Gruen R, Ouimet M. Effects of an evidence service on health-system policy makers' use of research evidence: a protocol for a randomised controlled trial. Implement Sci. 2011 May 27;6:51. doi: 10.1186/1748-5908-6-51.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 21619621 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

HHS/FHS REB 10-267

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id