Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Echinacea for prevention of the common cold
T2 - an illustrative review of how information from different systematic reviews is summarised on the internet
AU - Hart, Anna
AU - Dey, P
PY - 2009/8
Y1 - 2009/8
N2 - ObjectivesThree systematic reviews of echinacea for the prevention of colds have somewhat different conclusions. Our study objectives were to illustrate how selection criteria for trials in each of the reviews could lead to different conclusions, and to classify the ways in which webpage authors use the reviews to construct advice about echinacea.MethodsA funnel plot was constructed of all treatment comparisons in the primary trials included in the reviews. A World Wide Web search was undertaken using five major search engines in order to locate webpages that referred to the efficacy of echinacea in cold prevention and also referred to each of the reviews.ResultsTwelve webpages were located. Three webpages presented findings from all three reviews; five presented findings from one or two; four used all three reviews as general supporting references. Views about efficacy differed. There were few comments about the sources of heterogeneity between reviews.ConclusionsGiven the residual uncertainty and the gaps between the evidence and the ways that this is summarised on webpages, it may prove difficult for consumers to assimilate the evidence. As well as undertaking high-quality trials in complementary medicine, we also need to ensure precision in the reporting of uncertainty.
AB - ObjectivesThree systematic reviews of echinacea for the prevention of colds have somewhat different conclusions. Our study objectives were to illustrate how selection criteria for trials in each of the reviews could lead to different conclusions, and to classify the ways in which webpage authors use the reviews to construct advice about echinacea.MethodsA funnel plot was constructed of all treatment comparisons in the primary trials included in the reviews. A World Wide Web search was undertaken using five major search engines in order to locate webpages that referred to the efficacy of echinacea in cold prevention and also referred to each of the reviews.ResultsTwelve webpages were located. Three webpages presented findings from all three reviews; five presented findings from one or two; four used all three reviews as general supporting references. Views about efficacy differed. There were few comments about the sources of heterogeneity between reviews.ConclusionsGiven the residual uncertainty and the gaps between the evidence and the ways that this is summarised on webpages, it may prove difficult for consumers to assimilate the evidence. As well as undertaking high-quality trials in complementary medicine, we also need to ensure precision in the reporting of uncertainty.
KW - Echinacea
KW - Prevention
KW - Systematic reviews
KW - Internet
KW - Health knowledge
KW - Attitudes and practice
KW - Evidence-based medicine
KW - Complementary therapies
KW - Uncertainty
KW - Common cold
U2 - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2009.04.006
DO - 10.1016/j.ypmed.2009.04.006
M3 - Journal article
VL - 49
SP - 78
EP - 82
JO - Preventive Medicine
JF - Preventive Medicine
SN - 1096-0260
IS - 2-3
ER -