Do Family Physicians Retrieve Synopses of Clinical Research Previously Read as Email Alerts?

Abstract

BackgroundA synopsis of new clinical research highlights important aspects of one study in a brief structured format. When delivered as email alerts, synopses enable clinicians to become aware of new developments relevant for practice. Once read, a synopsis can become a known item of clinical information. In time-pressured situations, remembering a known item may facilitate information retrieval by the clinician. However, exactly how synopses first delivered as email alerts influence retrieval at some later time is not known.ObjectivesWe examined searches for clinical information in which a synopsis previously read as an email alert was retrieved (defined as a dyad). Our study objectives were to (1) examine whether family physicians retrieved synopses they previously read as email alerts and then to (2) explore whether family physicians purposefully retrieved these synopses. MethodsWe conducted a mixed-methods study in which a qualitative multiple case study explored the retrieval of email alerts within a prospective longitudinal cohort of practicing family physicians. Reading of research-based synopses was tracked in two contexts: (1) push, meaning to read on email and (2) pull, meaning to read after retrieval from one electronic knowledge resource. Dyads, defined as synopses first read as email alerts and subsequently retrieved in a search of a knowledge resource, were prospectively identified. Participants were interviewed about all of their dyads. Outcomes were the total number of dyads and their type. ResultsOver a period of 341 days, 194 unique synopses delivered to 41 participants resulted in 4937 synopsis readings. In all, 1205 synopses were retrieved over an average of 320 days. Of the 1205 retrieved synopses, 21 (1.7%) were dyads made by 17 family physicians. Of the 1205 retrieved synopses, 6 (0.5%) were known item type dyads. However, dyads also occurred serendipitously.ConclusionIn the single knowledge resource we studied, email alerts containing research-based synopses were rarely retrieved. Our findings help us to better understand the effect of push on pull and to improve the integration of research-based information within electronic resources for clinicians.

The Clinical Relevance of Information Index (CRII): assessing the relevance of health information to the clinical practice

“…The participants were 41 practicing family physicians (24 men and 17 women, 28 to 70 years old) from nine Canadian provinces, and their context of clinical practice was primary healthcare. This sample was opportunistically selected for studies of the impact of information on the family physician . The dissemination method was distribution of one research synopsis per weekday by e‐mail, over 49 weeks in 2008.…”

“…This sample was opportunistically selected for studies of the impact of information on the family physician. 28 The dissemination method was distribution of one research synopsis per weekday by email, over 49 weeks in 2008. The method to capture assessments was the Information Assessment Method (IAM) 29,30 that links a validated questionnaire to each information object.…”

When Educational Material Is Delivered: A Mixed Methods Content Validation Study of the Information Assessment Method

“…The IAM can help assess electronic knowledge resources in the context of the “pull” or the “push” of information. A “push-pull acquisition-cognition-application” of information conceptual framework has been published elsewhere [ 2 , 14 ]. On the one hand, “pull” refers to information-seeking behavior, such as a search for information in an electronic knowledge resource.…”

Advantages and Disadvantages of Educational Email Alerts for Family Physicians: Viewpoint

“…The sixth study examined self-reported cognitive impact of emailed synopses of recently published clinical research, and indicated that email alerts have a positive impact [ 19 ]. Subsequently, another study indicated that email alerts are infrequently retrieved after initial reading [ 20 ]. Finally, two studies suggested that email dissemination of synopses of systematic literature reviews [ 21 ], and of treatment recommendations is associated with anticipated benefits for patient health [ 3 ].…”