Clinical trial NCT01257724: Effects of an Evidence Service on Community-based AIDS Service Organizations' Use of Research Evidence
Official title: Effects of an Evidence Service on Community-based AIDS Service Organizations' Use of Research Evidence: A Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: UNKNOWN
Phase: NA
Conditions: Use of Research Evidence
Keywords: Knowledge translation
Community based organizations
HIV/AIDS
Lead sponsor: Ontario HIV Treatment Network
Sponsor class: NETWORK
Collaborators: name: McMaster University
First posted: 2010-12-10
Enrollment: 58
Sex: ALL
Standard ages: CHILD
ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: CROSSOVER

Brief summary: The investigators have developed an online database called 'Synthesized HIV/AIDS Research Evidence' (SHARE), which is designed to support the use of research evidence by those working in the HIV/AIDS sector. This study will evaluate whether a "full-serve" version of SHARE increases the use of research evidence by community-based organizations as compared to a "self-serve" version. The "full-serve" version of SHARE consists of several components: 1) an online searchable database of synthesized research evidence relevant to HIV/AIDS , 2) periodic emailed updates, 3) access to user-friendly summaries and 4) peer-relevance assessments. The self-serve version consists only of a listing of relevant synthesized research evidence . The investigators will also interview participants in the study to obtain feedback about SHARE, 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 To support the use of research evidence by community-based organizations the investigators have developed 'Synthesized HIV/AIDS Research Evidence' (SHARE), which is an evidence service for those working in the HIV sector. SHARE consists of several components: 1) an online searchable database of HIV-relevant systematic reviews (retrievable based on a taxonomy of topics related to HIV/AIDS and open text search), 2) periodic email updates, 3) access to user-friendly summaries, and 4) peer relevance assessments. The objective is to evaluate whether this "full serve" evidence service increases the use of research evidence by community-based organizations 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 to explore the findings in greater depth. All community-based organizations affiliated with Canadian AIDS Society (n=120) will be invited to participate and will be randomized to receive either the "full-serve" version of SHARE or the "self-serve" version (a listing of relevant systematic reviews with links to records on PubMed and worksheets that help community-based organizations find and use research evidence) using a simple randomized design. All management and staff from each organization will be provided access to the version of SHARE that their organization is allocated to. The trial duration will be 10 months (two-month baseline period, six-month intervention period, and two month cross-over period), the primary outcome measure will be the mean number of logins/month/organization (averaged across the number of users from each organization) between baseline and the end of the intervention period and the secondary outcome will be intention to use research evidence as measured by a survey administered to one key decision-maker from each organization. For the qualitative study, one key organizational decision-maker from 15 organizations in 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.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* We will include all community-based organizations affiliated with the Canadian AIDS Society and from relevant provincial HIV/AIDS networks in Canada.

Exclusion Criteria:

* We will exclude organizations that do not have at least one key decision-maker who is comfortable participating and corresponding in English.

Primary outcomes:
measure: number of logins/month/organization
timeFrame: 6 months
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Intention to use research evidence
timeFrame: Baseline and follow-up (after delivery of 6-month intervnetion)
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Toronto
country: Canada
facility: Ontario HIV Treatment Network
state: Ontario
Study officials:
affiliation: McMaster University; Ontario HIV Treatment Network
name: Michael G Wilson, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: McMaster University
name: John N Lavis, MD, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Wilson MG, Lavis JN, Grimshaw JM, Haynes RB, Bekele T, Rourke SB. Effects of an evidence service on community-based AIDS service organizations' use of research evidence: a protocol for a randomized controlled trial. Implement Sci. 2011 May 27;6:52. doi: 10.1186/1748-5908-6-52.