Dr. Rebecca Ryan

Qualifications

• BSc (Hons), PhD (Pharmacology).

Teaching areas

• Evidence-based public health (critical appraisal of studies, systematic reviews).

Professional involvement

• Within the Cochrane Collaboration: Editor, Cochrane Consumers and Communication Review Group. Also involved in: Overview methods working party, Plain language user testing group, Evidence Aid working group, Cochrane Consumer Network, Cochrane Consumers and Communication Group's Comorbidity and Communication working party.
• National Prescribing Service (NPS) Consumer Advisory Group.

Research interests

• Medicines use and medication issues.
• Risk communication and support for rare diseases.
• Communication and participation for people with multimorbidity.
• Overviews and tools for researching complex interventions for communication and participation.

Recent publications and presentations

PUBLICATIONS

• Ryan RE, Weir M, Leslie B, Worswick J, Lowe DB, Hill SJ. Evidence on optimal prescribing and medicines use for decision makers: Scope and application of the Rx for Change Database. Journal of Pharmacy Practice and Research 2011, 41(4): 295-9.
• Hill S, Lowe D, Ryan R. 'Interventions for communication and participation; their purpose and practice' in Hill S (Ed) The Knowledgeable Patient (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011).
• Ryan R, Kaufman J, Hill S. 'Disclosure: a case study of communication about medically-acquired risk for a rare disease' in Hill S (Ed) The Knowledgeable Patient (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011).
• Lowe D, Hill S, Ryan R. 'Evidence and resources for system decision making: improving the experience of health and treatment' in Hill S (Ed) The Knowledgeable Patient (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011).
• Ryan R, Hill S. 'Managing multiple health problems: is there evidence to support consumer-focused communication and participation' in Hill S (Ed) The Knowledgeable Patient (Wiley-Blackwell, 2011).
• Ryan R, Santesso N, Hill S, Lowe D, Kaufman C, Grimshaw J. Consumer-oriented interventions for evidence-based prescribing and medicines use: an overview of systematic reviews. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 5.
• Ryan R, Hill S, Lowe D, Allen K, Taylor M, Mead C. Notification and support for people exposed to the risk of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) (or other prion diseases) through medical treatment (iatrogenically). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2011, Issue 3.
• Lowe D, Ryan R, Santesso N, Hill S. Development of a taxonomy of interventions to organise the evidence on consumers' medicines use. Patient Education and Counseling 2011 85(2) e101–e107.
• Weir M, Ryan R, Mayhew A, Worswick J, Santesso N, Lowe D, et al. The Rx for Change Database: A first-in-class tool for optimal prescribing and medicines use Implementation Science 2010, 5:89 doi:10.1186/1748-5908-5-89.
• Hill S, Spink J, Cadilhac D, Edwards A, Kaufman C, Rogers S, Ryan R, Tonkin A. Absolute risk representation in cardiovascular disease prevention: comprehension and preferences of health care consumers and general practitioners involved in a focus group study. BMC Public Health 2010, 10:108 doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-108.
• Ryan R, Kaufman C and Hill SJ. Building blocks for meta-synthesis: data integration tables for summarising, mapping, and synthesising evidence on interventions for communicating with health consumers. BMC Medical Research Methodology 2009, 9:16 doi:10.1186/1471-2288-9-16.
• Ryan R, Hill S. Multimorbidity decision burden for medicines not recognised. Letter, BMJ, 19 August 2009.
• Kinnersley P, Edwards A, Hood K, Ryan R, Prout H, Cadbury N, et al. Interventions before consultations for helping patients address their information needs: systematic review. BMJ 2008; 337: a485
• Ryan R, Prictor M, McLaughlin KJ, Hill S. Audio-visual presentation of information for informed consent for participation in clinical trials. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD003717. DOI: 0.1002/14651858.CD003717.pub2.
• Pitkethly M, MacGillivray S, Ryan R. Recordings or summaries of consultations for people with cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2008, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD001539. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001539.pub2.
• Kinnersley P, Edwards A, Hood K, Cadbury N, Ryan R, et al. Interventions before consultations for helping patients address their information needs. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD004565. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004565.pub2.

PRESENTATIONS

• Stevens A, Santesso N, Ryan R, Hill S, Mayhew A, Graham S, Grimshaw J. Interventions to Facilitate Evidence-based Prescribing and Drug Use: Evidence to Inform Policy Making. Panel presentation, Canadian Agency for Drug and Technologies in Health Symposium, 22-24 April, 2007, Ottawa.
• Stevens A, Santesso N (presenter), Ryan R, Hill S, Mayhew A, Graham S, Grimshaw J. Interventions to Facilitate Evidence-based Prescribing and Drug Use: Evidence to Inform Policy Making. Part II: Interventions directed to consumers for drug use. Panel presentation, Canadian Agency for Drug and Technologies in Health Symposium, 22-24 April, 2007, Ottawa.
• Hill S, Ryan R, Santesso N, Graham S, Grimshaw J. 2007. Identifying, assessing, summarising and presenting evidence for prescribing and drug use interventions directed to consumers. Poster presentation. Guidelines International Network, 4th annual conference, 22-25 August, 2007, Toronto.
• Santesso N, Ryan R, Hill S, Grimshaw J. 2007. A Taxonomy of Interventions Directed at Consumers to Promote Evidence-Based Prescribing and Drug Use: A Tool for Evidence-Based Decision-Making. Poster presentation, Canadian Agency for Drug and Technologies in Health Symposium, 22-24 April, 2007, Ottawa.
• Santesso N, Hill S, Ryan R, Grimshaw J. Summarising and presenting evidence for prescribing and drug use consumer interventions. 15th Cochrane Colloquium. Sao Paulo, Brazil. October 27, 2007.
• Santesso N, Stevens A, Mayhew A, Ryan R, Hill S, Grimshaw J. Cochrane Inside: Working with national agency to create tools for decision makers. 15th Cochrane Colloquium. Sao Paulo, Brazil. October 25, 2007.
• Dilkes H, Hill S, Ryan R. Evidence for improving communication and participation: evaluation of Evidence Bulletin knowledge transfer. Poster presentation. 16th Cochrane Colloquium, 3-7 October 2008, Freiburg, Germany.
• Ryan R, Lowe D, Prictor M, Hill S Two reviews are better than one? Developing linkages between a qualitative review of methodologically-diverse studies, and a Cochrane intervention review. Poster presentation. 16th Cochrane Colloquium, 3-7 October 2008, Freiburg, Germany.
• Santesso N, Rosenbaum S, Strømme Nilsen E, Rader T, Pardo J, Ciapponi A, Hill S, Ryan R, Dilkes H. Development and evaluation of a format for Plain Language Summaries. 16th Cochrane Colloquium. Freiburg, Germany. October 4, 2008.
• Prictor M, Hill S, Ryan R. Tools and resources for reviews of complex interventions: a workshop by the Consumers and Communication Review Group. Workshop. 16th Cochrane Colloquium. Freiburg, Germany. October 2008.
• Hill S, Ryan R. Reviewing the evidence on notifying and supporting people at risk of CJD acquired through medical procedures, Presentation to the CJD Support Group Network Conference May 16 2008.
• Ryan R, Hill S, Lowe D. Developing an evidence-based framework for notifying and supporting people at risk of CJD acquired medically. Presentation to the CJD Support Group Network Conference May 16 2009.
• Ryan R, Hill S. Effective health communication – the challenge of multimorbidity. Invited paper presented by R Ryan, Arthritis Victoria Roundtable, August 3 2009, Melbourne.
• Ryan R, Lowe D, Santesso N, Hill S. Development of a taxonomy of interventions directed at consumers to promote evidence-based prescribing and medicines use: a tool for evidence-based decision-making (Poster session 3: Safe and effective use). Presented at: National Medicines Symposium 26-28 May 2010, Melbourne.
• Lowe D, Ryan R, Santesso N, Hill S, Grimshaw J. Assembling, evaluating and presenting the evidence on interventions directed to consumers to improve medicines use (Poster session 4: Sustainability). Presented at: National Medicines Symposium 26-28 May 2010, Melbourne.
• Ryan R and Hill S. Multimorbidity and communication with consumers. Invited paper presented by R Ryan, National Medicines Symposium 26-28 May 2010, Melbourne.
• Leslie B, Weir M, Ryan R. Evidence for Decision Makers: Rx for Change. Panel presentation, National Medicines Symposium 26-28 May 2010, Melbourne.
• Pitt V, Lowe D, Hill S, Hetrick S, Prictor M, Ryan R, Berends L. Employing consumers in the delivery of statutory mental health services (Poster abstract number: 112) Consumers Reforming Health Conference 18-21 July 2011, Melbourne Exhibition & Convention Centre, Australia.

REPORTS

• Ryan R, Lowe D, Hill S, Mead C. (2008) Evidence on strategies for notifying and supporting consumers following exposure to the risk of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) through medical treatment: a review of the evidence. A report to the Department of Human Services, Victoria, Australia.
• Santesso N, Ryan R, Hill S and Grimshaw J (2006). Overview of Cochrane systematic reviews: Interventions directed to consumers for evidence based prescribing and drug use. Report to The Canadian Optimal Medication Prescribing and Utilization Service (COMPUS) on behalf of the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). September 2006.
• Dilkes H, Ryan R and Hill S (2006). Technical report Evidence summaries: Cochrane reviews, Patient at the Centre of Care, for WHO WPRO. November 2006.