Background: The Cochrane Library is the most important online evidence retrieval database of systematic reviews. Since 2007, the National Health Research Institutes has offered Taiwan’s regional hospitals to freely access Cochrane Library. Objectives: This study investigated how Taiwan's regional hospitals disseminate its utilization. Methods: The using rate of Cochrane reviews was measured in the participating hospitals from January 2008 to December 2009. Thereafter a questionnaire survey was conducted for each disseminator of regional hospitals at the beginning of 2010 to analyze their methods for disseminating Cochrane reviews. Results: The hospitals were stratified into three groups by the relative rate of access: high (n=15), medium (n=16), and low (n=13). In comparison with the low-usage hospitals, the high-usage hospitals tended to assign a disseminator of evidence-based medicine (EBM) to take charge of the dissemination of Cochrane reviews (p<0.001). In addition, the high-usage hospitals more often used the following six methods: providing relevant information via e-mail (p<0.05), investing in early adopters (p<0.05), having assistance of designated personnel (p<0.05), making the activity of early adopters observable (p<0.05), conducting workshops (p=0.001), and inviting experts for speeches (p<0.001). There was no significant difference between high- and low-usage hospitals in organizational barriers. Conclusions: This study has identified several helpful strategies used by Taiwan’s hospitals to enhance the dissemination of the Cochrane library, including awareness raising, active delivery of information, mentoring relationships, and educational training. The data suggest that disseminating EBM simultaneously is a key element.
Date:
2012-09
Relation:
The 20th Cochrane Colloquium. 2012 Sep. 30.- Oct. 3.
