An International Educational Training Course for Conducting Systematic Reviews in Health Care: The Joanna Briggs Institute's Comprehensive Systematic Review Training Program

Background: The cornerstone of evidence-based health care is the systematic review of international evidence. Systematic reviews follow a rigorous, standardized approach in their conduct and reporting, and as such, education and training are essential prior to commencement.

Aims: This study reports on the evolution of the Joanna Briggs Institute Comprehensive Systematic Review Training Program (JBICSRTP) as an exemplar approach for teaching systematic review methods.

Results: The Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) is an international research and development center at the University of Adelaide, South Australia. Its mission is to promote and facilitate evidence-based best practice globally, largely through the provision of education and training. JBI was one of the first to consider all forms of evidence in systematic reviews, and as such, implementation of standardized training was essential. Since 1999, JBI has offered a systematic review training program. The JBICSRTP is now delivered face to face over 5 days, with an optional online component; the content aligns to that proposed in the Sicily statement. Over the last 3 years, JBI and its Collaboration have trained over 3,300 people from over 30 countries. A "train-the-trainer" (TtT) style program was established to cope with demand, and to date, hundreds of trainers have been licensed across the globe to deliver the JBICSRTP.

Linking evidence to action: Providing standardized training materials, ensuring open and ongoing communication, and adopting a TtT style program while still allowing for local adaptability are strategies that have led to the establishment of a highly skilled global training network and ensured the success and longevity of the JBICSRTP.