AssociALi - Cochrane Associate Center: 18 months of activities dedicated to spreading a culture of EBM in Italy.

Date & Time
Monday, September 4, 2023, 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM
Location Name
Pickwick
Session Type
Poster
Category
Transformation of Cochrane systems and processes for evidence synthesis
Authors
Urru S1, Formoso G2, Alderighi C2, Ambrosino F2, Buzzetti R2, Clavenna A2, De Fiore R2, Celani MG2
1Hospital Pharmacy, Trento General Hospital and Associazione Alessandro Liberati Cochrane Affiliate Centre, Lauria, Italy., Italy
2Associazione Alessandro Liberati Cochrane Affiliate Centre, Lauria, Italy., Italy
Description

Background The use of evidence-based medicine (EBM) in Italy has not yet reached its full potential; there are obstacles, gaps and areas that need to be implemented. AssociALi is a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 in memory of Alessandro Liberati, one of the founding members of the Cochrane Collaboration and the first Director of the Italian Cochrane Centre. He intended to create an Italian Cochrane Network. Objectives Since 2021, when AssociALi became an associate centre, and its aims are to promote social solidarity by carrying out the following activities: - promotion of Cochrane initiatives and activities with the Italian Drug Agency and Italian societies of different diseases; - training activities in collaboration with University Institutions, updating methodologies for evaluating the effectiveness and quality of health interventions; - launch of initiatives aimed at stimulating the active involvement of citizens/patients and their associations in the promotion of a critical attitude towards health issues; - experimentation of innovative initiatives for the dissemination of scientific research Methods Scientific articles, conferences, newsletters, lessons and social media Results PRODUCING EVIDENCE: published articles about EBM initiatives. MAKING EVIDENCE ACCESSIBLE: a monthly newsletter to give information about Cochrane activities. Organisation of a yearly conference bringing together healthcare stakeholders to talk about EBM and how it can be applied and implemented every day. Increased involvement of students in the Association and Cochrane initiatives. ADVOCATING FOR EVIDENCE: To make Cochrane the ‘home of evidence’, we increased our relationships with key stakeholders: Universities to organise lectures for students, training initiatives in research methodology with several Italian Societies. We promoted the Informed Health Choices project in Italy to create learning resources and increase critical appraisal for children. BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE and SUSTAINABLE ORGANISATION: Through the AssociALi website and social media we reached out to Cochrane members, offering news, trainings, events and other Cochrane content. Conclusions Our plan is to increase the number of members and connections at several levels: patients, their associations and scientific societies, Geographic groups and Fields in Cochrane. We have to increase the ability to listen to stakeholder voices and to connect them inclusively. Funding, which is lacking, is crucial in order to support initiatives.