Health Evidence: A Canadian resource for facilitating evidence-informed public health decision making

Welcome to Fireside Chats

Health Evidence: A Canadian resource for facilitating evidence-informed public health decision making

Thursday, 11February 2010, 01:00 PM — 02:30 PM (Eastern Time)

Advisors on Tap:Maureen Dobbins RN, PhD

Associate Professor, McMaster University School of NursingPaula Robeson, RN MScN

CHNET-Works! Hosts weekly Fireside ChatsPopulation Health Improvement Research Network, University of Ottawa

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Advisors on Tap• Maureen Dobbins RN, PhD

Associate Professor, McMaster University School of NursingCareer scientist of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

• Her research is focused on understanding knowledge translation and exchange among public health decision makers in Canada.

– identification of barriers and facilitators to research utilization;

– understanding the information needs of public health decision makers at the local, provincial and federal level; evaluating the use of systematic reviews in provincial policies;

– exploring where research evidence fits into the decision-making process; evaluating the impact of knowledge transfer strategies,

– exploring knowledge brokering in public health units in Ontario.

• Paula Robeson, RN MScNKnowledge Broker with Health Evidence,

• Paula’s role involves tailored approaches to individual and organizational capacity development for evidence-informed public health decision making.

• Health Evidence: offers a suite of resources and services to Canadian public health decision makers.

Today’s chat..

In collaboration with Health-Evidence.ca ....

• Real practice-based issues to illustrate how health-evidence promotes quick and easy access to public health effectiveness evidence

• A demonstration of how to navigate the site and content

• How health-evidence.ca has helped local public health units with their decision making in practical ways

• Answer questions about how to use review evidence in decision making, from searching to interpretation

Health EvidenceA Canadian resource for facilitating

evidence-informed public health decision making

Maureen Dobbins RN, PhD

& the Health Evidence team

Our Funders

February 11, 2010 Fireside Chat

Why health-evidence.ca?

• Saves time

• Filtered, quality-rated, searchable

• Summarizes key findings and draws practical implications


Search Strategy

• Electronic search of 7 online databases: MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, SPORTDiscus and BIOSIS

• Handsearching of >20 main journals

• Reference lists


Transparent Process

Relevance tool

Keywording tool

Quality assessment tool & dictionary

Summary statement template


http://www.health-evidence.ca/downloads/Relevance tool_Doc 6.pdf�

http://www.health-evidence.ca/downloads/Keyword tool_Doc 8.pdf�

http://www.health-evidence.ca/downloads/Keyword tool_Doc 8.pdf�

http://www.health-evidence.ca/downloads/QA tool_Doc 4.pdf�

http://www.health-evidence.ca/downloads/QA tool dictionary_Doc 5.pdf�

http://www.health-evidence.ca/downloads/QA tool_Doc 4.pdf�

http://www.health-evidence.ca/downloads/Summary statement template_Doc 9.pdf�

We do the quality assessment for you…


Help links to quality assessment dictionary

Succinct, practical summaries


Page one: context


Page two: results and what they mean

Searching health-evidence.ca


Features available


Access your saved searches

Filter results sets

Submit free-text searches

Features available


Submit keyword searches by selecting •Focus of Review•Review Type•Population Characteristics•Intervention Location•Intervention Strategies

AND, OR, NOT Search Options


Modify keywordsearch strategy by changing Boolean operators

Enhanced Free Text Searching


Expand searches by including related terms

What your results will look like


Print results

Sort results by column headings

Identify reviews with summary statements

Saving Searches

• Save up to 50 searches to a user account


Linking to Full Text Articles


Full text links available for:• 607 free access

journal articles • 335 Cochrane articles

Info on organizational subscriptions are available via PubMed LinkOut links for all reviews published in peer-reviewed journals

See ‘Related Links’ section in article display

Additional Resources

• Tools to support EIDM– Practical tools to help you use research evidence in

decision making

• Workshops & Educational Opportunities

• Evidence Related to CD Prevention

• Links to resources to support EIDM


http://www.health-evidence.ca/tools�

http://www.health-evidence.ca/workshops�

http://www.health-evidence.ca/additional_resources/evidence_related_to_chronic_disease_prevention�

http://www.health-evidence.ca/additional_resources_links�

Searching on health-evidence.caExample 1

• I am interested in program planning around infant feeding – where do I go from here?

sample health-evidence.ca user inquiry


Searching on health-evidence.ca

STEP 1: Develop a clear question

• Population

• Intervention

• Comparison/Control

• Outcomes (PICO)



For example:• Population: Infants

• Intervention: Infant feeding methods

• Comparison/Control: Not applicable in this case

• Outcomes: Growth & development

Question: What is the effectiveness of different infant feeding programs on infant growth and development?



STEP 2: Search using the keyword tree:

• Focus of Review – Nutrition – Parenting, Infants and Children

• Population Characteristics – Age Groups

• Infants (0-1)


65 results


STEP 3: Filter results set

– Limit to ‘strong’ results (41 results)

– Limit to specific publication dates

– Further narrow search strategy



Finding a Summary Statement

You can limit your search for results with summary statements

Link to English & French summaries in ‘Summary Statements’ section of article display

• How do I find review literature on mould in schools?

sample health-evidence.ca user request


Searching on health-evidence.caExample 2


STEP 1: Develop a clear question

• Population: school-aged children & school staff

• Intervention: this is what we are seeking

• Comparison/Control group: usual practice

• Outcomes: mould reduction

Question: What interventions are effective in reducing mould in schools?



STEP 2: Search using the keyword tree• Focus of Review

– Environmental Health• Mould

– Intervention Location• School


Search returned 0 results



STEP 3: Refine search strategy

Broaden search. Remove parameter ‘intervention location = school’ to retrieve all possible reviews pertaining to mould

Search returned 1 result


STEP 3: Refine search strategy (continued)

• Expand search to include single studies – Search health databases,

– Use other available evidence databases / search engines:• NurseONE www.nurseone-inf-fusion.ca

• PEN – Practice-based Evidence in Nutrition www.dieteticsatwork.com/pen

• Cochrane Library www.thecochranelibrary.com/

• PubMed www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Information on provincial initiatives available from health-evidence.ca


http://www.nurseone-inf-fusion.ca/�

http://www.dieteticsatwork.com/pen�

http://www.thecochranelibrary.com/�

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/�

Other Health Evidence Services

Facilitated Evidence Review

Literature Searching & Instruction

Mentoring & Brokering Support


Maureen Dobbins, Director• Tel: 905 525-9140 ext 22481• E-mail: [email protected]

Paula RobesonKnowledge Broker

Heather Husson Project Manager• Tel: (905) 525-9140 ext. 20462• E-mail: [email protected]

Kara DeCorby, Project Coordinator• Tel: (905) 525-9140 ext. 20461• E-mail: [email protected]

Lori GrecoKnowledge Broker

Daiva TirilisResearch Assistant

Lyndsey McRaeResearch Assistant

Kathryn SpoelstraResearch Assistant

The Health Evidence Team

mailto:[email protected]�



Questions?

Thanks for joining in!

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• [email protected]

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Health Evidence: A Canadian resource for facilitating evidence-informed public health decision making

Health & Medicine