Plain Language Summaries of Research

[Annette McKinnon]

Hi all
I've gotten involved in looking at plain language summaries of research and I wonder if anyone has opinions about the topic or the process.

Who are they meant for?
How easy are they to find and access?
Do they contribute to more Open Science?

Annette

[Annette McKinnon]

I found an interesting statistic
" After general internet searches (61%) and patient‐specific websites (57%), articles in scientific journals (47%) were the third most important online source of health‐related information for patients. 12 Of the physicians who were surveyed, 60% indicated that they would use PLS, with 46% rating PLS as valuable. Interviews with patients highlighted that knowledge creates empowerment and that it is important that information is made accessible.

[JoAnne Mosel]

Great questions, Annette! And thank you for this statistic. They orient well with the scoping review I'm involved in. Wish I had included these questions initially.

[Diana Ermel]

Good for you. Several (many) years ago I was helped write plain language summaries of research apps. PLS summary of the entire project is a big deal. I find good summaries on news feeds such as Medscape and Healio. I think they are meant for the average citizen, but I think they are still written at a level that one needs to have a fairly good grip on medical terminology, research process etc. I find most of the time when I want to read the original research it is NOT open access, so just get the abstract.