9 Preventionplus: a free access literature awareness portal that surveilles high quality research and guidelines to inform the harms and benefits of screening and prevention strategies in healthcare

Abstract

Aims The scientific literature that addresses both screening and preventive healthcare is growing at an increasingly unmanageable pace. Thousands of potentially relevant publications, including clinical practice guidelines of varying methodologic rigor, emerge annually. Clinicians, policymakers and guideline developers can be challenged when it comes to staying abreast of this literature including the science that informs the risk of false positive testing, overdiagnosis and the repercussions of these that manifest as overtreatment, as well as the role of shared-decision making to mitigate those risks. The Canadian Task Force for Preventive Healthcare in collaboration with the Health Information Research Unit at McMaster University has launched a free access, interactive and customizable literature awareness resource called Prevention Premium LiteratUre Service or PreventionPLUS. PreventionPLUS screens over 120 journals for studies meeting pre-defined criteria and sends candidate articles to a cadre of peer reviewers who evaluate each paper for relevance and newsworthiness with an option to provide critical analysis. Relevant research can be delivered to any email inbox in line with user preferences for topic, frequency and study relevance thresholds. This workshop aims to introduce this resource to those in attendance highlighting its functionality and value as the prime resource for scientific evidence and guidelines that inform the harms and benefits of screening and prevention. Please note a device with internet access is needed to take full advantage of this workshop. Outcomes At the completion of this workshop participants will become familiar with the methodology and configuration features of the PreventionPLUS website. In addition, using a case-based approach, those in attendance will be able to search the PreventionPLUS database for research that addresses specific aspects of screening and prevention. These include resources that provide insight as to the risks of false positive screening tests and overdiagnosis for cancer and other conditions, and studies and reviews that facilitate shared decision-making, and evaluate the provision of patient decision aids.