Dear HIFA colleagues,
Welcome to our deep-dive discussion on healthcare professionals’ experiences and perceptions of open access publishing. The discussion officially starts on 13 October 2025, but we welcome your questions, comments and contributions from TODAY.
We propose the following guiding questions:
1. What is the impact of open access (OA) on health care?
2. What is your experience of OA as a healthcare professional/reader?
3. What is your experience of OA as a researcher/author?
4. How would you design an OA system that retains the benefits but fixes the problems of the current OA system?
5. Open discussion and next steps.
In our first week (13-20 October) we shall address Q1, and so on for each week. However, please note that ANY question can be addressed at any time. Furthermore, we welcome ANY contributions relating to other aspects of open access. The questions are just a guide.
Let's take a look at Q1: WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF OPEN ACCESS ON HEALTH CARE?
There is a potential DIRECT impact of open access on health care (whether through a better-informed health worker or patient). Who needs access to original research and why? What information sources do health professionals most often use to guide healthcare decisions? original research papers, drug formularies, systematic reviews, clinical guidelines, textbooks, websites, patient information leaflets? What information sources do patients most often use to guide healthcare decisions? original research papers, drug formularies, systematic reviews, clinical guidelines, textbooks, websites, patient information leaflets?
There are also potential INDIRECT impacts on health care. These indirect impacts could relate to one or more of the six components of the global evidence ecosystem: 1 researchers, 2 journal publishers, 3 systematic reviewers and guideline developers, 4 publishers of content for end-users, 5 library and information professionals, and 6 healthcare professionals. Open access to research potentially strengthens any or all six components, thereby supporting evidence-informed policy and practice and leading to improved health outcomes. For example, open access to research may facilitate the development of systematic reviews and guideline development, which requires access to full text. On the other hand, those responsible for systematic reviews are typically able to access content behind paywalls thanks to their institutional subscriptions.
We look forward especially to hearing your experience and views on open access, wherever you live and work (HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries), and in whatever capacity (health worker, researchers, patient, publisher...)
Meanwhile, please forward this message to your contacts and networks and invite people to join us www.hifa.org/join The more new members we welcome, the richer will be our discussion.
You can point them to our news page:
https://www.hifa.org/news/hifa-announces-deep-dive-discussion-healthcare...
Acknowledgement: HIFA is grateful for sponsorship from Oxford PharmaGenesis, a HealthScience communications consultancy based near Oxford UK.
Best wishes, Neil
On behalf of the HIFA Open Access working group (comprising representatives of our sponsor Oxford PharmaGenesis and HIFA volunteers: https://www.hifa.org/projects/open-access )
HIFA profile: Neil Pakenham-Walsh is coordinator of HIFA (Healthcare Information For All), a global health community that brings all stakeholders together around the shared goal of universal access to reliable healthcare information. HIFA has 20,000 members in 180 countries, interacting in four languages and representing all parts of the global evidence ecosystem. HIFA is administered by Global Healthcare Information Network, a UK-based nonprofit in official relations with the World Health Organization. Email: neil@hifa.org