How did we work with Penny Brohn Cancer Care?
Working with the Penny Brohn Cancer Care team we identified the information needs of their users, we helped them put in place a strategy and a team of people to produce and disseminate gold-standard information on complementary and alternative medicines (CAM), and we rolled out evidence-based skills across the organisation.
User needs analysis
This 20-page report was produced by carrying out structured telephone interviews with 20 Penny Brohn Cancer Care staff and users. We asked people what questions they ask in their daily practice, what information sources they use, how they appraise the quality of research, and what preferences they have for information systems. The interview results were supplemented by a literature review which identified relevant international research on producing and disseminating CAM information.
Our recommendations for action were to:
- produce a coherent information strategy for Penny Brohn Cancer Care, to be led by the Head of Information and Research
- put together an information team to produce relevant and reliable information to meet the needs of the Penny Brohn Cancer Care staff and users
- produce an evidence-based methodology for synthesizing and summarising CAM research in information sheets for the Penny Brohn Cancer Care staff and users
- run a training event to introduce the Penny Brohn Cancer Care staff to the evidence-based approach
Information strategy
This 30-page strategy document describes the organisational change
necessary to set up an efficient and effective Information and Research
Department. It includes detailed job descriptions for information and
research staff and explains the positive impact that these strategies
will have on the Penny Brohn Cancer Care brand.
Content production methodology
This 30-page document provides a practical step-by-step methodology for producing evidence-based CAM information. It guides an information specialist or researcher through the various stages of the process:
- asking questions
- searching and sifting the evidence
- appraising research
- authoring evidence based summaries
Evidence-based health care workshop
This one-day workshop for 30 people brought together Penny Brohn Cancer Care staff from a number of areas (e.g. complementary therapists, nutritionalists, researchers, PR staff, information specialists) to present the work of the Information and Research Department. We used a variety of learning settings (e.g. lectures, small group work, group discussions) to highlight the problems of information overload and the biases that exist in a great deal of CAM research. Participants left with an improved understanding of these issues and a range of tools to help them in their practice.
Bringing about evidence-based organisational change requires long-term commitment and focus, and people who have been through this process regularly sing its praises. Embedding these systems in your organisation will improve patient care, reduce the risk of litigation, increase brand awareness and attract new funding opportunities.
