Slides presented by Nicola Lindson Hawley at Evidence Live 2016. Methodology for the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group anniversary prioritisation project.

1. Trusted evidence.
Informed decisions.
Better health.
The Cochrane Tobacco
Addiction Group at 20:
ensuring our evidence
is relevant
Dr Nicola Lindson-Hawley
Managing Editor
Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health
Sciences, University of Oxford
@cochraneTAG
Evidence Live
2016: Thursday
23rd June

2.  One of 53 topic specific, worldwide Cochrane Review Groups
 Carry out and manage high quality systematic reviews of interventions for
tobacco use & prevention
 Over 90 reviews & 350 authors
 Not-for-profit- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) funded
 Established 1996. 2016 is our 20th anniversary!
Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group (CTAG)

3. CTAG’s aims
 To inform tobacco control policy
internationally
 to inform research in tobacco control,
and help ensure new research is
focussed on important unanswered
questions
 to contribute to reducing tobacco use

4. Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group (CTAG)
 Editorial base at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences,
University of Oxford
Jamie Hartmann-Boyce
Managing Editor
Nicola Lindson-Hawley
Managing Editor
Lindsay Stead
Managing Editor &
Information Specialist
Tim Lancaster
Co-ordinating Editor
Paul Aveyard
Editor, University of Oxford
Robert West
Editor, UCL
John Hughes
Editor, University of Vermont

5. The Cochrane TAG 20th anniversary priority
setting project (CTAG taps)
 Developed by members of CTAG and departmental Communications
Manager
 Funded by the NIHR School for
Primary Care Research
AIMS
1. Raise awareness of the group, and
what we have achieved so far
2. Identify areas where further research is needed in the areas of tobacco
control & smoking cessation by involving our stakeholders
3. Identify specific goals for Cochrane TAG

6. Involving our stakeholders
 Until now CTAGs work has
mainly been informed by
researchers
 Including others in decisions
about future directions will
enable findings to: 1) be better
applied to those who need them;
and 2) have a higher global impact
 Inspired by the work of the James Lind Alliance
 Some of CTAG’s stakeholders:
Policy makers
Research funders
Researchers
Healthcare
providers
Current &
former smokers
Healthcare
commissioners

7. Methods
 Developed survey asking respondents to share a max. of 4 questions they would
like to see answered by tobacco control research in general
 Aimed at anyone with an interest in tobacco (personal or professional)
 presented to Nottingham smoker’s panel – adjusted in response to comments
 Built in Survey Monkey and accessed via internet link
 Disseminated link via mailing lists, contacting public health organisations, Twitter,
Facebook, conferences, blogging
Survey stage 1: Identifying uncertainties

8. Survey stage 1: Identifying uncertainties
Results
 Removed duplicates from submitted questions leaving 258
 15 were non-empirical questions
 60 already answered - more effective dissemination needed?
 183 unanswered questions identified
 All these decisions were made by at least 2 people independently

9. Research categories
Addressing inequalities Nicotine and tobacco risk
Alternative tobacco products Population level interventions
Digital interventions Pregnancy
E-cigarettes Smoking bans and second-hand smoke
Illness & chronic disease sufferers Smoking treatment methods excluding medications
Initiating quit attempts Treatment delivery
Medications Young people
Mental health and other substance abuse
 Our uncertainties were classified into 15 research categories,
containing 3-21 questions each

10. Methods
 Survey developed asking respondents to:
1. rank the 15 research categories identified in Stage 1 in order of importance (prioritisation):
1= most important; 15= least important
2. Rank the questions within their top 3 categories (1=most important)
 Again, checked by member of the public,
 Built in Survey Monkey, accessed via link
 Sent out to the 278 stage 1 respondents who provided full contact details via
email
 Opportunity to win 1 of 3 Amazon vouchers
Survey stage 2: Ranking uncertainties

11. Survey stage 2: Ranking uncertainties
 175 people completed the survey (63% of those invited)
 Total ranks for each category/question were added together. Total scores were
ordered within their set and given an overall rank

12.  Built on survey findings but focused more
specifically on prioritisation for Cochrane TAG
 Where CTAG should focus its future efforts and
ways to disseminate findings
 Practical workshop session designed and led by
independent facilitation company- Hopkin van Mil
Stage 3: Prioritisation Workshop

13. Setting the scene

14. Prioritising CTAG research & dissemination

15.  Analyse workshop data: flip charts, audio recordings, delegate notes
 Write-up as a report for publication in a scientific journal
 Develop new review dissemination plan
 Present the results at international conferences
 Use findings to set CTAG priority list
 Begin working on priorities by the end of 2016
Next steps

16. How to find out more or contact us
 Visit our website: http://tobacco.cochrane.org/
 Tweet us: @cochraneTAG
 Email us: nicola.lindson-hawley@phc.ox.ac.uk
 Call us: +44 (0)1865 289 320
National Institute for Health Research School for Primary Care Research (NIHR SPCR) is a partnership
between the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Keele, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham, Oxford,
Southampton and University College London. This presentation summarises independent research funded
by the National Institute for Health Research School for Primary Care Research. The views expressed are
those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health.