Introducing new guidance for plain language summaries for diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) reviews

Session: 

Oral session: Knowledge translation and communicating evidence (7)

Date: 

Tuesday 18 September 2018 - 14:00 to 14:20

Location: 

Ochil 2

All authors in correct order:

Whiting P1, Davenport C2, Leeflang M3, Santesso N4, Mustafa R5
1 University of Bristol, UK
2 University of Birmingham, UK
3 University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
4 McMaster University, Canada
5 University of Kansas, USA
Presenting author and contact person

Presenting author:

Penny Whiting

Contact person:

Penny Whiting
Clare Davenport
Abstract text
Background:
A plain language summary (PLS) is a stand-alone summary of a Cochrane systematic review and should provide rapid access to its content. A clear PLS is essential to ensure that systematic reviews are useful to users who are not familiar with the more technical content of the review. Explaining the results of a diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) review in plain language is challenging. The review methodology and results are less familiar than those of reviews of interventions, and the two-dimensional nature of the measure of a test’s accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) introduces further complexity. Additionally, DTA reviews are characterized by a large degree of heterogeneity in results across studies. The reason for this variation is not always clear, and explaining this to readers, especially lay readers, is difficult. A further challenge concerns providing information about the downstream consequences of testing. Challenges in the interpretation of DTA reviews may be different for different target user groups, but this is something that has yet to be established. Ideally, a PLS should be accessible to all potential target audiences (patients, clinicians, policy makers).

Objectives:
To develop a template and guidance for PLS for Cochrane DTA reviews.

Methods:
We used a combination of qualitative focus groups, one-on-one user testing, a web-based survey, to produce a template and guidance for PLS for DTA reviews.

Results and conclusion:
We have finalised our template and guidance and these can now be used in Cochrane DTA reviews. The presentation will introduce the PLS and highlight some of the challenges in translating results of DTA reviews into plain language.

Patient or healthcare consumer involvement:
Patients were included in all stages of the development process of the PLS guidance - initial focus groups, user testing and web survey.

Relevance to patients and consumers: 

This project is very relevant to patients and consumers as it discusses how to present results of DTA reviews in plain language to ensure these reviews will be more accessible. We included a range of potential users in all stages of the development of this guidance including members of the public/consumers, journalists and clinicians.