Indian consumer participation in primary research based on the Cochrane Library Access

ID:

1048

Session:

Poster session 1 Wednesday: Evidence production and synthesis

Date:

Wednesday 13 September 2017 - 12:30 to 14:00

Location:

Exhibition Halls 1 & 2

All authors in correct order:

Barnabas JP¹, Tharyan P¹

¹ Cochrane South Asia, India

Presenting author and contact person

Presenting author:

Jabez Paul Barnabas

Contact person:

Jabez Paul Barnabas

Abstract text

Background: Indian Cochrane contributors have contributed tremendously to primary research because of open, unlimited access to the Cochrane Library. Primary international research has had greater impact due to free access to the Cochrane Library. We arrived at this conclusion by studying the pattern of usage and knowledge of evidence-informed healthcare among primary researchers and consumers. We analysed the outcome in primary research along with the usage statistics of consumers using the evidence-based informed decisions and asking 'to what extent' in India.

Objectives: To evaluate the citation of Cochrane Reviews in Indian medical journals during the provision of the national subscription and compare the usage statistics of the Cochrane Library for 5 consecutive years.

Methods: We identified all RCTs and CCTs published in Indian medical journals from 2011 to 2015 from the SADCCT (www.cochrane-sadcct.org). Full texts were searched for citations from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Independently, we also evaluated the total and annual number of Cochrane Reviews cited which included the proportion of citing journals; and the corresponding year's text downloads and abstract views of the Cochrane reviews through Wiley.

Results: In Table 1, from year 2011 to 2015, 639 RCTs and 421 CCTs were published in 66 Indian medical journals, which cited 105 Cochrane Reviews in RCTs and 31 Cites of Cochrane Reviews in CCTs with an increasing trend from 2011 to 2013 (image 1). A decreasing trend was evident from 2014 to 2015 in the absence of national subscription access to the Cochrane library, whereas the text downloads and abstract's view of the Cochrane library in (image 3) showed a rise from 2011 to 2013 with a decreasing trend in the abstract view, but a gradual increase in the text downloads. In analysing access to the library, the majority has been the institutional and the ICMR gateway (Table 2) on the access of the evidence (image 4)

Conclusions: Access to consumers to the Cochrane Library requires more marketing on the Indian Continent.

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