Evidence flowers: An innovative, visual method of presenting “best evidence” summaries to health professional and lay audiences
Year: 2018
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND & AIMS: Barriers to dissemination and engagement with evidence pose a threat to implementing evidence-based medicine. Understanding, retention, and recall can be enhanced by visual presentation of information. The aim of this exploratory research was to develop and evaluate the accessibility and acceptability of visual summaries for presenting evidence syntheses with multiple exposures or outcomes to professional and lay audiences. METHODS: "Evidence flowers" were developed as a visual method of presenting data from 4 case scenarios: 2 complex evidence syntheses with multiple outcomes, Cochrane reviews, and clinical guidelines. Petals of evidence flowers were coloured according to the GRADE evidence rating system to display key findings and recommendations from the evidence summaries. Application of evidence flowers was observed during stakeholder workshops. Evaluation and feedback were conducted via questionnaires and informal interviews. RESULTS: Feedback from stakeholders on the evidence flowers collected from workshops, questionnaires, and interviews was encouraging and helpful for refining the design of the flowers. Comments were made on the content and design of the flowers, as well as the usability and potential for displaying different types of evidence. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence flowers are a novel and visually stimulating method for presenting research evidence from evidence syntheses with multiple exposures or outcomes, Cochrane reviews, and clinical guidelines. To promote access and engagement with research evidence, evidence flowers may be used in conjunction with other evidence synthesis products, such as (lay) summaries, evidence inventories, rapid reviews, and clinical guidelines. Additional research on potential adaptations and applications of the evidence flowers may further bridge the gap between research evidence and clinical practice.
Source: Research Synthesis Methods
DOI: 10.1002/jrsm.1295
Institutions: Arthritis Research UK, Keele University
Language: English
Subfield: Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
Awards: In-Practice Fellowship, Primary Care Centre Arthritis UK, Stratified Primary Care for Musculoskeletal Pain, G7783692427, Multidisciplinary support for self-management of osteoarthritis (OA) in primary care, Clinical osteoarthritis and joint pain in older people: optimal management in primary care, Enhancing quality care for older adults with osteoarthritis: a knowledge mobilization case study and recommendations for primary care
OpenAlex ID: W2793330461