[EQ] Evidence-informed health policy report

Evidence-Informed Health Policy: Using Research to Make Health Systems Healthier

 

Report from Kunnskapssenteret  (Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services)

No 1–2008 A Multimethod Study

Moynihan R, Oxman AD, Lavis JN, Paulsen E. A Multi-method Study.

 

The full report can be downloaded as a PDF file at http://www.kunnskapssenteret.no/filer/Rapport_08_01_EIHP.pdf

 

The video documentaries can be found at http://www.kunnskapssenteret.no/index.php?artikkelid=1030&back=2

 

Background

Over the past several years there has been a great deal of international discussion about how to harness health research more effectively to achieve the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as well as other national health goals in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). In November 2004, country delegations at the Ministerial Summit on Health Research held in Mexico City backed calls for establishing mechanisms to support the use of research evidence in policy and practice, as did the World Health Assembly in May 2005 when it approved a resolution arising from the Mexico Summit. We sought to inform  deliberations about next steps by identifying organisations around the world, and especially in LMICs, which are in some way successful or innovative in supporting the use of research evidence in the development of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), health technology assessments (HTAs), and health policy, and by describing their experiences.

 

Key messages

The study’s seven main implications for those establishing or administering organisations to produce clinical practice guidelines or health technology assessments or organisations to support the use of research evidence in developing health policy include:

1. Collaborate with other organisations

2. Establish strong links with policymakers and involve stakeholders in the work

3. Be independent and manage conflicts of interest among those involved in the work

4. Build capacity among those working in the organisation

5. Use good methods and be transparent in the work

6. Start small, have a clear audience and scope, and address important questions

7. Be attentive to implementation considerations even if implementation is not a remit

 

 

The study’s four main implications for the World Health Organisation and other international organisations include:

1. Support collaborations among organisations

2. Support local adaptation efforts

3. Mobilize support

4. Create knowledge-related global public goods, including methods and evidence syntheses

 

Video documentaries

Case study	Brief description	Length of the video (minutes)
Introduction	A short introduction to the eight case studies	01:30
REACH Policy Initiative, East Africa	An initiative to create a multi-national unit that will act as a bridge between research and policy in the East African Community (comprising Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda)	08:26
Thailand	A constellation of research units that informed the development and evaluated the implementation of Thailand’s nascent universal health insurance program, known popularly as the 30 Baht scheme	07:46
Free State, South Africa	A set of long term relationships between provincial policy-makers and researchers and the tensions that can arise in these relationships	09:55
Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, Australia & South Africa	An evidence-based drug assessment and pricing scheme in Australia and South Africa	09:18
Philippines	An initiative to address conflicts of interest and inequity in the production of clinical practice guidelines	09:01
Chile	An initiative to use clinical practice guidelines to make the best use of scarce resources	07:48
National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), United Kingdom	A unit producing guidelines and health technology assessments with a new focus on producing evidence-based pubic health guidelines to address health inequalities	06:12
Mexico	A comprehensive effort to draw on research evidence to inform the development, implementation and evaluation of the new Popular Health Insurance scheme	08:41

 

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background

Methods

Results

Evidence-Informed Health Policy: Using research to make health systems healthier Discussion

Tables - Survey results

Table 1: Description of the units

Table 2: Organisation and establishment

Table 4: Focus

Table 5: People involved in producing a product or delivering a service

Table 6: Methods used in producing a product or delivering a service

Table 7: Products and implementation

Table 8: Evaluation and update procedures

Case descriptions

Case description 1: East Africa – An initiative to create a multi-national organisation that will act as a bridge between research and policy in the East African Community (comprising Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda)

Case description 2: Thailand – A constellation of research organisations that informed the

development and evaluated the implementation of Thailand’s nascent universal health insurance

program, known popularly as the 30 Baht scheme

Case description 3: Free State, South Africa – A set of long-term relationships between

provincial policymakers and researchers and the tensions that can arise in these relationships

Case description 4: Australia and South Africa – An evidence-based drug assessment and

pricing scheme in Australia and South Africa

Case description 5: Philippines – An initiative to address conflicts of interest and inequity in

the production of clinical practice guidelines

Case description 6: Chile – An initiative to use clinical practice guidelines to make the best

use of scarce resources

Case description 7: United Kingdom – An organisation producing guidelines and health

technology assessments with a new focus on producing evidence-based public health guidelines

to address health inequalities

Case description 8: Mexico - A comprehensive effort to draw on research evidence to inform

the development, implementation and evaluation of the new health insurance scheme

 

 *      *      *     *

This message from the Pan American Health Organization, PAHO/WHO, is part of an effort to disseminate
information Related to: Equity; Health inequality; Socioeconomic inequality in health; Socioeconomic
health differentials; Gender; Violence; Poverty; Health Economics; Health Legislation; Ethnicity; Ethics;
Information Technology - Virtual libraries; Research & Science issues.  [DD/ IKM Area]

“Materials provided in this electronic list are provided "as is". Unless expressly stated otherwise, the findings
and interpretations included in the Materials are those of the authors and not necessarily of The Pan American
Health Organization PAHO/WHO or its country members”.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PAHO/WHO Website: http://www.paho.org/

EQUITY List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

    IMPORTANT: This transmission is for use by the intended recipient and it may contain privileged, proprietary or confidential information. If you are not the intended recipient or a person responsible for delivering this transmission to the intended recipient, you may not disclose, copy or distribute this transmission or take any action in reliance on it. If you received this transmission in error, please notify us immediately by email to infosec@paho.org, and please dispose of and delete this transmission. Thank you.