Consumer Involvement in the Interpretation, Dissemination and Implementation of the Results of Systematic Reviews: 4 Collaborative Review Group Perspectives.

Ghersi D., Kennedy G., Rio P., Shea B., Breast Cancer CRG, HIV/AIDS CRG, Consumers & Communication CRG, Musculoskeletal CRG,

Introduction: Consumer involvement in the work of collaborative review groups is encouraged by the Cochrane Collaboration and its Steering Group. Knowing how and where to start is not always obvious and many review groups find consumer participation difficult to achieve.
Objectives: To describe the experience of 4 Collaborative Review Groups (CRGs) which have endeavoured to involve consumers in the interpretation, dissemination and implementation of the results of Cochrane systematic reviews.
Methods: Each of the 4 CRGs has developed a plan outlining their intentions for the involvement of consumers in then-group in relation to interpretation, dissemination and implementation of the results of systematic reviews. Each review group coordinator was asked to report on the results of their efforts, highlighting those which have been particularly successful, and discussing barriers encountered.
Results: The range of activities consumers are currently undertaking in the area of interpretation, dissemination and implementation includes:

• Membership of editorial teams.
• Peer-review of protocols and completed reviews.
• Consumers undertaking systematic reviews.
• Coordination and creation of structured "lay" synopses/ summaries of completed reviews.
  • Collaboration with consumer organisations outside of the Cochrane Collaboration to publish synopses in paper and electronic form.
  • Publication of synopses and other CRG documentation in languages other than English.
• Removal of unfriendly jargon from synopses and other CRG documentation
• Raising awareness of a CRG by publishing synopses and other articles in newsletters and other documentation produced by non-Cochrane consumer organisations
• Coordination of workshops, seminars and other oral presentations on CRG activities during conferences run by consumer
• organisations

Discussion: The experience of the 4 groups demonstrates that consumers can contribute constructively and meaningfully to the activities of CRGs. Many groups find establishing alliances with consumer organisations to be a particularly worthwhile strategy.

Rome 1999 012