Communicating Evidence From Systematic Reviews to the Public

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Adult
• Interventions: Other: Current plain language summary format; Other: New plain language summary format

• Registration Number: NCT01939925
• Lead Sponsor: Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services

Brief Summary

The purpose of this randomised controlled trial is to compare a new standardised summary format for presentation of synthesised evidence from systematic reviews for the public (a new plain language summary format) to the current format used in Cochrane systematic reviews. The study will evaluate if the new presentation improves understanding about the benefits and harms of an intervention, if it improves the accessibility of the information, and if it is preferred over other versions by the public over the current format.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2009-05
• Primary Completion: 2009-10
• Study Completion: 2009-10
• Study First Submitted: 2013-08-27
• Status Verified: 2013-09
• Study First Submitted QC: 2013-09-06
• Last Update Submitted: 2013-09-06
• Study First Posted: 2013-09-11
• Last Update Posted: 2013-09-11

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 193

Inclusion Criteria

• patients or members of the public 16 years or older

Exclusion Criteria

Not provided

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Current plain language summary format	Current plain language summary format	Plain Language Summary format for the public currently in use in Cochrane systematic reviews
New plain language summary format	New plain language summary format	New plain language summary format of a Cochrane systematic review

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Understanding of benefits and harms	After reading summary - time 0	Average proportion of people who answered 5 multiple choice questions correctly. Each question includes five response options about the number of people who could benefit or be harmed by the intervention and about the quality of evidence

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Number of questions answered correctly	After reading summary - time 0	Total number of questions out of five questions for benefits and harms that were answered correctly

Trial Locations

Locations (5)

Argentine Cochrane Centre, Instituto de Efectividad Clínica y Sanitaria (IECS); 🇦🇷 Buenos Aires, Argentina

University of Ottawa; 🇨🇦 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services; 🇳🇴 Oslo, Norway

University of Milan; 🇮🇹 Milan, Italy

Centro Cochrane Iberoamericano - Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau; 🇪🇸 Barcelona, Spain