Using a co-design approach to increase the awareness, use and engagement of a digital map of COVID-19 recommendations
2WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases, Research Methods and Recommendations, MacGRADE, McMaster University, Canada
3Spark, McMaster University, Canada
4Cochrane Canada, WHO Collaborating Centre for Infectious Diseases, Research Methods and Recommendations, MacGRADE, McMaster University, Canada
5Yealth Network, Beijing Yealth Technology Co., Ltd, China
6Cochrane South Africa, South African GRADE Network, South African Medical Research Council, South Africa
7eBASE Africa, Cameroon
8Alberta Research Centre for Health Evidence, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta; Cochrane Child Health, Department of Pediatrics, Canada
9Alberta Research Centre for Health Evidence, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Canada
10Cochrane Equity Methods, GRADE Working Group, Department of Family Medicine, Western University, Canada
11Cochrane Canada, McMaster University, Canada
12McMaster University (Consultant/ Advisor), Canada
13Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University; Department of Family Medicine, Queens University, Kingston, ON; Peterborough Public Health, Peterborough, ON, Canada
14Cochrane Equity Methods, Bruyère Research Institute & University of Ottawa, Canada
15Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Canada
16Centre for Indigenous Research and Evaluation, University of Ottawa, Canada
17Lakehead University, Department of Health Sciences, Canada
18National EBM/EBPH Platform and St. Elizabeth University of Public Health and Social Work and WHO Executive Board, Slovakia
19*International Institutions, Global
Background: The eCOVID-19 Recommendations Map & Gateway to Contextualization (RecMap) is an online tool containing 7,200 COVID-19 recommendations and is the product of collaboration with more than 40 organizations around the world. Our knowledge mobilization (KM) project is currently supported by the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) to enhance the reach of the RecMap by engaging with 10 different groups of knowledge users.
Objectives: The project aims to increase the awareness, use, and engagement of the RecMap using a codesign strategy.
Methods: A committee of stakeholder representatives, staff, and investigators was established to develop our RecMap KM plan. The committee meetings allow members to build a shared understanding of goals, provide input on decisions, and foster mutual learning. Our target audience focuses on a range of RecMap beneficiaries and intermediaries across Canada (community leaders working with migrants and refugees, policymakers, media, public health professionals, and Indigenous Peoples) and globally (nondigital public in Cameroon, parents, professionals working with marginalized communities in Slovakia, Cochrane members in Africa, and guideline developers in China). Results (Anticipated Value): A framework, informed by a systematic review of codesign approaches, was developed by our committee (Figure 1) and guides the KM plan for engaging each target audience. The framework contains four components: an aim, principles, activities, and outcomes. Our team is currently conducting unidirectional activities through webinars, storytelling, and media press releases. We are learning about our audiences’ needs through interviews and workshops. The RecMap is also being integrated with other websites, and plain-language tools are being developed and translated. We anticipate that the RecMap user base will increase and that identified barriers and facilitators will lead to RecMap improvements.
Conclusions: A diverse network of knowledge users and a KM framework were established through a codesign approach, enabling the implementation of RecMap-related activities. Our results will inform future disease-specific recommendation maps that are tailored to the needs of potential users.
Patient, public and/or healthcare consumer involvement: To ensure an effective KM plan for our digital health tool, we have engaged stakeholder representatives from all 10 groups throughout the designing, planning, and implementation stages.