This year Cochrane Canada provided stipends for 10 consumers to attend the 12th Annual Cochrane Canada Symposium in Calgary Alberta, 21-22 May. New consumers learned more about what Cochrane does, how review information can be used to make healthcare decisions and how to be involved as a consumer.
As well as consumers attending a variety of oral sessions and workshops, they participated in a consumer roundtable workshop “Enhancing consumer involvement in Cochrane Canada”. This was a forum to stimulate discussion about consumer involvement and ways to effectively be involved in the future of Cochrane Canada. The workshop also explored communication strategies that could be used to encourage more consumer involvement in the dissemination of Cochrane Reviews.
Consumers came away from the workshop with an interest in sharing information about Cochrane Reviews and disseminating the present funding challenges facing Cochrane in Canada. Many consumers were committed to writing newsletter articles for organizations, speaking to consumer, healthcare professional groups and policy makers; in addition to blogging and tweeting information.
Consumers wrote, “Sharing this information with others is high on my priority list.”, “(I) would like to promote Cochrane and update people on the funding situation.” , “I intend to share the information with groups I belong to as well as joining other groups within Cochrane”; it is “always great to network with all involved” and “The symposiums have always filled gaps in my education about aspects of reviews, protocols and consumer involvement and raise awareness of how and why Cochrane exists/functions and the need to support funding to support the viability of Cochrane Canada.”
