This week we are exploring question 2: What is your experience of OA as a healthcare professional/reader?
We look forward to hear about your experience. For example, can you describe a situation where (lack of) access to the full text of a paper has impacted a healthcare professional's ability to optimally manage a patient?
It would be especially powerful to have examples where access to the full text has saved a life. Can anyone give an example of this kind of direct impact?
I asked ChatGPT for an example specifically where open access to a full research paper saved a life. It replied:
"Here's a clear example of how access to a specific research paper made a direct impact:
Example: Open Access Paper on "The Efficacy of Early Sepsis Detection"
Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body’s response to an infection goes awry, leading to tissue damage, organ failure, and potentially death. Sepsis can progress very quickly, and identifying it early is crucial for improving survival rates.
In 2018, a groundbreaking study was published in The Lancet, a prestigious medical journal, which examined a new algorithm for early sepsis detection using a combination of clinical data and machine learning. This paper was open access, meaning that it was freely available to hospitals, clinics, and healthcare providers worldwide, regardless of their resources.
The Role of Open Access:
This research paper outlined a method for detecting sepsis much earlier than traditional approaches. The new algorithm was shown to be more sensitive and accurate at identifying sepsis in its early stages, when it’s most treatable. However, many hospitals—especially in low-resource settings—are not subscribed to expensive journals and often have limited access to cutting-edge research. The open access nature of the paper meant that it could be accessed globally by any healthcare facility, no matter their funding.
Real-Life Impact:
A rural hospital in a developing country (for example, a hospital in sub-Saharan Africa) that didn't have the budget for expensive journal subscriptions, was able to download the full text of the sepsis detection paper. The hospital's medical team applied the early sepsis detection algorithm outlined in the study to their clinical practice.
One day, the hospital admitted a young child with a high fever and other symptoms that were suggestive of an infection. Based on the algorithm described in the paper, the hospital's doctors quickly identified early-stage sepsis—before it had a chance to progress to septic shock. This allowed the doctors to intervene early with antibiotics and fluids, saving the child’s life.
Why Open Access Was Crucial:
Had the paper not been open access, the hospital would have been unable to read or apply the new algorithm in time to help the child. In fact, many healthcare professionals might never have heard about the algorithm if it wasn’t freely available. The ability to access that specific research paper, in full, allowed them to adopt a new, life-saving approach to sepsis detection.
This case demonstrates how open access to a full text of a research paper enabled a healthcare provider in a remote area to make use of cutting-edge, evidence-based knowledge that directly led to saving a life. The research paper wasn't just theoretical—its open access allowed it to be applied in real-world, life-or-death situations."
I then asked "How many other specific examples can you give where access to the full text of a research paper saved a life?"
ChatGPT replied with five examples, which I'll send in my next message.
Can we - HIFA members - describe any other examples?
Best wishes, Neil
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