Centre for Evidence-Informed Health Decisions
Our goals
The Centre for Evidence-Informed Health Decisions is primarily focussed on conducting research that helps people to make informed decisions about health – including health professionals, patients, and the public. The research aimed at health professionals includes developing and evaluating strategies and tools to increase the awareness and usability of evidence about interventions and skills for incorporating this into conversations with patients.
The Centre’s interdisciplinary research draws upon the areas of evidence-based practice, shared decision making, health communication, knowledge translation, and public health.
The Centre also conducts workshops in evidence-based practice and shared decision making. This training is directed at health professionals and health professional students of all disciplines. The Centre also leads research about the teaching of these skills. A 3rd edition of the widely used "Evidence-Based Practice: Across the Health Professions" text has been published in 2017.
Projects
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The role of expectations about intervention benefits and harms in health decision making
- Hoffmann, T.C., Beckhaus, J,, Del Mar, C. What happens if I do nothing?” A systematic analysis of the inclusion and quantitative description of a ‘no active intervention’ option in patient decision aids. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2021; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-020-06444-3
- Hoffmann, T., & Del Mar, C. Patients’ expectations of the benefits and harms of treatments, screening, and tests: a systematic review. JAMA Internal Medicine,2015;175(2):274-86.
- Hoffmann, T., & Del Mar, C. Clinicians’ expectations of the benefits and harms of treatments, screening, and tests: a systematic review. JAMA Internal Medicine,2017;177:407-19.
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Shared decision making - current state and the need to increase its uptake
- Hoffmann, T. C., Bakhit, M., Durand, M. A., Perestelo-Pérez, L., Saunders, C., & Brito, J. P. (2021). Basing information on comprehensive, critically appraised, and up-to-date syntheses of the scientific evidence: an update from the International Patient Decision Aid Standards. Medical Decision Making, 0272989X21996622.
- Hoffmann, T.C., Beckhaus, J,, Del Mar, C. What happens if I do nothing?” A systematic analysis of the inclusion and quantitative description of a ‘no active intervention’ option in patient decision aids. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 2021; https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-020-06444-3
- Hoffmann T, Lewis J, Maher C. Shared decision making should be an integral part of physiotherapy practice. Physiotherapy, 2020; 107:43-49.
- Hoffmann T, Del Mar C, Santhirapala R, Freeman A. Teaching clinicians shared decision making and risk communication online: an evaluation study. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, 2020, doi: 10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111521.
- Dimopoulos-Bick T, Osten, R, Shipway C, Trevena L, & Hoffmann T. Shared decision making implementation: a case study analysis to increase uptake in New South Wales. Australian Health Review, 2019, AH18138.
- Hoffmann, T., & Straus, S. Sharing knowledge for healthcare. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2017; 177 (9):1243-4. [part of the Sharing Medicine series]
- Hoffmann, T., Légaré, F., Simmons, M., Mc Namara, K., McCaffery, K., Trevena, L., Hudson, B., Glasziou, P., & Del Mar, C. Shared decision making: what do clinicians need to know and why should they bother? MJA, 2014; 201:35-39.
- Trevena, L., Shepherd, H., Bonner, C., Jansen, J., Cust, A., Leask, J., Shadbolt, N., Del Mar, C., McCaffery, K., & Hoffmann, T. Shared decision making in Australia in 2017. ZEFQ The Journal of Evidence and Quality in Healthcare. 2017; 123-124:17-20.
- Hoffmann, T., Montori, V., & Del Mar, C. The connection between evidence-based medicine and shared decision making. JAMA, 2014;312: 1295-6.
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Enhancing the uptake of effective non-drug interventions through the development of "how to" prescribe guides
- Albarqouni, L., Moynihan, R., Clark, J., Scott, A. M., Duggan, A., & Del Mar, C. (2021). Head of bed elevation to relieve gastroesophageal reflux symptoms: a systematic review. BMC family practice, 22(1), 1-9.
- Albarqouni, L., Sanders, S., Clark, J., Tikkinen, K. A., & Glasziou, P. (2021). Self-management for men with lower urinary tract symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The Annals of Family Medicine, 19(2), 157-167.
- Hoffmann, T., Maher, C., Briffa, T., Sherrington, C., Bennell, K., Alison, J., Fiatarone Singh, M., & Glasziou, P. Prescribing exercise interventions for patients with chronic conditions. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2016, 188 (7), 510-8.
- Glasziou, P. Making non-drug interventions easier to find and use. Australian Family Physician, 2013, 42.
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Developing core competencies in the teaching of evidence-based practice
- Albarquoni L, Glasziou P, Bakhit M, Del Mar C, Hoffmann T. Development of a contemporary evidence-based practice workshop for health professionals with a focus on pre-appraised evidence and shared decision-making: a before-after pilot study. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine, 2020; 25:1-2.
- Albarqouni, L., Hoffmann, T., Straus, S., Olsen, NR., Young, T., Ilic, D., Shaneyfelt, T., Haynes, RB., Guyatt, G., Glasziou, P. Core Competencies in Evidence-Based Practice for Health Professionals: Consensus Statement Based on a Systematic Review and Delphi Survey. JAMA Netw Open. 2018 Jun 1;1(2):e180281.
- Albarqouni, L., Glasziou, P., Hoffmann, T. Completeness of the reporting of evidence based practice educational interventions: a review. Medical Education., 52(2):161-170
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Helping the public and school students to think critically about health claims
- Cusack, L., Desha, L., Del Mar, C., & Hoffmann, T. A qualitative study exploring high school students’ understanding of, and attitudes towards, health information and claims. Health Expectations, 2017, 20: 1163-81
- Cusack, L., Del Mar, C., Chalmers, I., & Hoffmann,T. Educational interventions to improve people’s understanding of key concepts in assessing the effects of health interventions: a systematic review protocol. Systematic Reviews, 2016, 5:37
- Sharples, J., Oxman, A., Chalmers, I., Mahtani, K., Oliver, S., Collins, K., & Hoffmann, T. Critical thinking in healthcare and education. BMJ, 2017,357: j2234.
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Effectiveness of health apps and their potential in enhancing self-management in primary care
- Byambasuren, O., Beller, E., Hoffmann, T., & Glasziou, P. (2020). Barriers to and Facilitators of the Prescription of mHealth Apps in Australian General Practice: Qualitative Study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 8(7), e17447.
- Byambasuren, O., Beller, E., Hoffmann, T., & Glasziou, P. (2020). mHealth app prescription in Australian general practice: Pre-post study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 8(6), e16497.
- Byambasuren, O., Beller, E., & Glasziou, P. (2019). Current knowledge and adoption of mobile health apps among Australian general practitioners: survey study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 7(6), e13199.
- Byambasuren, O., Sanders, S., Beller, E., Glasziou, P., 2018. Prescribable mHealth apps identified from an overview of systematic reviews. npj Digital Medicine, 1: 1
Collaborators
Grants
Current grants
- NHMRC Investigator Research Fellowship: Prof Tammy Hoffmann OAM - Using shared decision making to improve the appropriateness of healthcare for individuals and the system (1/1/2019—31/3/2025)
- National Heart Foundation Vanguard Grant: A novel strategy for improving the prescription of effective non-drug interventions for the prevention and management of cardiovascular disease in primary care - the 'e-HANDI': a codesign and feasibility trial (1/01/2023-1/01/2024)
Previous grants
- A NHMRC Centre for Research Excellence (Ask, Share, Know: Rapid Evidence for General Practice Decisions) to improve the uptake of evidence-based practice and shared decision making in primary care. This CRE and its network of general practices identifies clinical issues and develops and tests evidence summaries and decision-making tools to solve these issues.
- A NHMRC Project Grant that is exploring the use of shared decision making about antibiotic use for acute respiratory infections in primary care.