Wednesday, August 25, 2010

[EQ] SUPPORT Tools for evidence-informed health Policymaking (STP)

SUPPORT Tools for evidence-informed health Policymaking (STP)

Editors Andrew D Oxman, John N Lavis, Simon Lewin, Atle Fretheim
Report from Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services
(Nasjonalt kunnskapssenter for helsetjenesten) No 4–2010. ISBN 978-82-8121-334-0 ISSN 1890-1298
Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services - Oslo, Norway

Available online PDF file [283p.] at: http://bit.ly/95XQyo

“……Knowing how to find and use research evidence can help policymakers and those who support them to do their jobs better and more efficiently.
Each chapter presents a proposed tool that can be used by those involved in finding and using research evidence to support evidence-informed health policymaking.

The book addresses four broad areas:
1. Supporting evidence-informed policymaking
2. Identifying needs for research evidence in relation to three steps in policymaking processes, namely problem clarification, options framing, implementation planning
3. Finding and assessing both systematic reviews and other types of evidence to inform these steps, and
4. Going from research evidence to decisions.

Each chapter begins with between one and three typical scenarios relating to the topic. These scenarios are designed to help readers decide on the level of detail relevant to them when applying the tools described. Most chapters are structured using a set of questions that guide readers through the proposed tools and show how to undertake activities to support evidence-informed policymaking efficiently and effectively. These activities include, for example, using research evidence to clarify problems, assessing the applicability of the findings of a systematic review about the effects of options selected to address problems, organising and using policy dialogues to support evidence-informed policymaking, and planning policy monitoring and evaluation. In several chapters, the set of questions presented offers more general guidance on how to support evidence-informed policymaking.

Additional information resources are listed and described in every chapter. The evaluation of ways to support evidence-informed health policymaking is a developing field

This book is based on a series of articles published in Health Research Policy and Systems, 2009; 7:Supplement 1
www.health-policy-systems.com/supplements/7/S1
...............”

Table of contents

Introduction


Supporting evidence-informed policymaking

1. What is evidence-informed policymaking?

2. Improving how your organisation supports the use of research evidence to inform policymaking

3. Setting priorities for supporting evidence-informed policymaking


Identifying needs for research evidence

4. Using research evidence to clarify a problem

5. Using research evidence to frame options to address a problem

6. Using research evidence to address how an option will be implemented


Finding and assessing evidence

Systematic reviews

7. Finding systematic reviews

8. Deciding how much confidence to place in a systematic review

9. Assessing the applicability of the findings of a systematic review

10. Taking equity into consideration when considering the findings of a systematic review

Other types of evidence

11. Finding and using research evidence about local conditions

12. Finding and using research evidence about resource use and costs


Going from research evidence to decisions

Engaging stakeholders

13. Preparing and using policy briefs

14. Organising and using policy dialogues

15. Engaging the public

Using evidence in decisions

16. Balancing the pros and cons of policies

17. Dealing with insufficient research evidence

18. Planning monitoring and evaluation

Glossary of selected terms

SUPPORT structured summaries of systematic reviews:
URL: http://www.support-collaboration.org/

One reason for slow progress in achieving the maternal and child health Millennium Development Goals in low and middle-income countries is the difficulty policymakers and others have in accessing high quality information about potentially effective interventions to improve maternal and child health, and interventions to improve health systems. 

The SUPPORT Collaboration is searching global databases for systematic reviews of maternal and child health interventions, and of ways to effectively organise, finance and govern the delivery of effective interventions. To make this information more accessible to policymakers and other stakeholders we are preparing structured summaries of relevant reviews.   

We have taken the following steps to ensure the relevance, quality and usefulness of SUPPORT Summaries:

·         We conduct extensive searches for systematic reviews that examine the effects of interventions on maternal and child health, and health systems. 

·         Once an eligible review is identified, we assess its quality using a modified version of a previously validated checklist.

·         We judge the quality of evidence for the main comparisons in each included review using the internationally recognised GRADE system.

·         Based on our assessment of the quality of the review and the quality of evidence for the main comparisons, we prepare structured summaries of the main findings of each review.

Each summary begins with the key messages derived from the findings of the review and our assessment, and includes

·         Key background information needed to understand the findings

·         A summary of what the review authors searched for and found

·         A detailed summary of the main findings of the review, including our assessment of the quality of evidence for those findings

·         Our assessment of the relevance of the review to low and middle-income countries, including

o        the applicability of the evidence to low and middle-income countries,

o        potential impacts on equity,

o        economic considerations, and

o        the need for monitoring and evaluation.

·         References for additional information

http://www.kunnskapssenteret.no/Publikasjoner/8879.cms

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