Table 1.

Interventions for promoting ICT adoption: effects on utilization

Study ID	Type of intervention	Primary outcome(s)	Effect size	Conclusion
Bradley 2002	Educational outreach visits; educational materials	(1) Quality of the search strategy (post intervention) : mean average (1 = hightest)	(1) Score difference: − 0.08, 95% CI = −1.32 to 1.16, P = 0.90	No significant effect of the intervention on quality of the search strategy immediately after intervention
		(2) Quality of the search strategy (6-month follow-up): mean average (1= hightest)	(2) Score difference : −2.75, 95% CI = −4.73 to −0.77, P = 0.007	Intervention improved quality of the search strategy 6 months after the intervention
Cabell 2001	Didactic meetings; educational materials; Educational outreach visits	(1) Search frequency (number of log-ons)	No data for effect size calculations. Median: 2.1 vs 4. 4, P < 0.001	A simple educational intervention increased resident searching activity
Cheng 2003	Educational meeting (workshop)	(1) Proportion of professionals able to provide adequate clinical question	(1) Intervention effect: 31%, 95% CI = 22% to 39%, P < 0.00001	The intervention increased the proportion of clinicians able to provide adequate clinical question
Erickson 1998	Educational meeting (individual tutorial)	(1) Proportion of professionals who performed 3rd search	(1) Intervention effect: − 5%, 95% CI = −41% to 30%, P = 0.76	No effect of the intervention on the proportion of residents performing the search
		(2) Proportion of professional who performed 4th search	(2) Intervention effect: − 6%, 95% CI = −45% to 33%, P = 0.76	No effect of the intervention on the proportion of residents performing the search
		(3) Search frequency (mean number of log-ons)	(3) Intervention effect: 0. 22, 95% CI = −0.36 to 0. 80, P = 0.45	No significant difference was found as the result of the teaching intervention on search frequency
Haynes 1991	Financial interventions	(1) Proportion of professionals who searched MEDLINE	(1) Intervention effect: −35%, 95% CI = −57% to −13%, P = 0.002	An economic intervention (introducing user fees for MEDLINE searching) was found to significantly reduce the proportion of professionals who conducted a search
Haynes 1993	Educational outreach visits; audit and feedback	(1) Proportion of professionals successful at the 4th search	(1) Intervention effect: −5%, 95% CI = −24% to 14%, P = 0.62	No significant effect of the intervention on the proportion of participants who conducted a successful search
		(2) Proportion of professionals successful at the 8th search	(2) Intervention effect: 8%, 95%CI = −11% to 27%, P = 0.39	No significant effect of the intervention on the proportion of participants who conducted a successful search
Haynes 2006	Educational material (Internet)	(1) Proportion of professionals using the digital library	(1) Intervention effect: 13%, 95% CI = 2% to 23%, P = 0.02	Significant benefits ot intervention on proportion of professionals using the digital library
		(2) Search frequency (mean log-ons/month/user)	(2) Intervention effect : 0. 34, 95% CI = 0.03 to 0.65, P = 0.03	The intervention increased the search frequency among those who used the digital library service
Katz 2003	Organisational intervention (access to a triage-based email system)	(1) Average number of weekly patient emails per 100 scheduled visits	No data for effect size calculations Adusted IRR for differences in trends = 3.6, 95% CI = 2.1 to 6.2, P < 0.001 (trend of increased email volume)	Intervention increased the volume of email but without decrease in phone volume and visit no-shows
Magrabi 2007	Educational material (online training)	(1) Frequency of use (mean number of searches)	(1) Intervention effect: −0. 07, 95% CI = −0.37 to 0. 23, P = 0.64	No significant effect of the intervention on frequency of use
Simon 2005	Audit and feedback	(1) Frequency of residents accessing website	4/12 residents accessed the website	The study reported no effect of the intervention given to all participants