Wednesday, March 21, 2012

[EQ] Conceptual Issues Related to Health Systems Research to Inform a WHO Global Strategy on Health Systems Research

Background Paper on:

Conceptual Issues Related to Health Systems Research to Inform a WHO Global Strategy on
Health Systems Research


Steven J. Hoffman1-4-| John-Arne Røttingen5-6 - Sara Bennett7 - John N. Lavis1-2,8-9 - Jennifer S. Edge10 - Julio Frenk5,11

1 Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

2 McMaster Health Forum, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

3 Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada

4 Interfaculty Initiative in Health Policy, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

5 Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA

6 Department of Health Management and Health Economics, Institute of Health and Society, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway

7 Department of International Health, John Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA

8 Centre for Health Economics & Policy Analysis, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

9 Department of Political Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

10 Department of International Development, University of Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK

11 Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA

A Working Paper in Progress - Last Revised 29 February 2012

Available online PDF [72p.] at: http://bit.ly/GHPhRP


“…..This paper was commissioned to provide a conceptual underpinning for the WHO Global Strategy on Health Systems Research that is currently under development. It reviews existing definitions, terms, conceptual models, taxonomies, standards, methods and research designs which describe the scope of health systems research as well as the barriers and opportunities that flow from them. It addresses each of the five main goals of the WHO Strategy on Research for Health, including organization, priorities, capacity, standards and translation…”

 

Abstract

Health systems research is widely recognized as essential for strengthening health systems, getting cost-effective treatments to those who need them, and achieving better health status around the world.
However, there is significant ambiguity and confusion in this field’s characteristics, boundaries, definition and methods. Adding to this ambiguity are major conceptual barriers to the production, reproduction, translation and implementation of health systems research relating to both the complexity of health systems and research involving them. These include challenges with generalizability, comparativity, applicability, transferability, standards, priority-setting and community diversity.

 

Three promising opportunities exist to mitigate these barriers and strengthen the important contributions of health systems research

·         First, health systems research can be supported as a field of scientific endeavour, with a shared language, rigorous interdisciplinary approaches, cross-jurisdictional learning and an international society.

·         Second, national capacity for health systems research can be strengthened at the individual, organizational and system levels.

·         Third, health systems research can be embedded as a core function of every health system.

Addressing these conceptual barriers and supporting the field of health systems research promises to both strengthen health systems around the world and improve global health outcomes….”

Table of Contents

 

Abstract

1. Conceptualizing Health Systems

2. The Promise of Health Systems Research

3. Conceptualizing Health Systems Research

3.1 Characteristics of Health Systems Research

3.2 Boundaries of Health Systems Research

3.3 Defining Health Systems Research

3.4 Study Designs and Methods Used in Health Systems Research

4. Conceptual Barriers for Health Systems Research to Improve Health Outcomes

4.1 Generalizability Challenge

4.2 Comparativity Challenge

4.3 Applicability and Transferability Challenge

4.4 Standards Challenge

4.5 Priority-Setting Challenge

4.6 Community Diversity Challenge

5. Strengthening the Contributions of Health Systems Research
           
5.1 Supporting Health Systems Research as a Field of Scientific Endeavour

5.1.1 Need for a Common Language

5.1.2 Need for Cross-Disciplinary and Cross-Jurisdictional Learning

5.1.3 Need for an International Society for Health Systems Research

5.2 Building National Capacity for Health Systems Research

5.2.1 Individual-Level Capacities

5.2.2 Organization-Level Capacities

5.2.3 System-Level Capacities

5.3 Embedding Health Systems Research as a Core Function of Health Systems

6. Conclusion

 

Appendix 1: Tabular Comparison of 41 Health System Frameworks

Appendix 2: Brief Summaries of 41 Health System Frameworks

Appendix 3: Institutional Partners of the Alliance for Health Policy & Systems Research

Appendix 4: Do You Know Your Health Systems Definitions?

Appendix 5: Taxonomy of the Health Systems Evidence Database

 

KMC/2012/HSS
Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho

 *      *     *
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/ KMC Area]
Washington DC USA

“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
Equity List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html
Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho

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 dispose of and delete this transmission.

Thank you.

[EQ] Assessing How Much Confidence to Place in Health Systems Evidence

Rationale for and Challenges of Guidance Development for Evidence-informed Policies About Health Systems


Bosch-Capblanch X, Lavis JN, Lewin S, Atun R, Røttingen J-A, et al. (2012)
PLoS Med 9(3): e1001185. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001185 - March 6, 2012


Available online at: http://bit.ly/zQJ4NU

Health systems evidence can be translated into guidance to inform policies on health systems and improve the delivery of clinical and public health interventions.

In the first article in a three-part series on health systems guidance published in PLoS Medicine, the authors make a case for developing guidance to inform decisions on health systems-level questions based on an analysis of strategic health sector documents, explores specific challenges in producing such guidance, and identifies options for addressing these challenges.
The summary points of the article are available in Arabic, French, Portuguese and Spanish.


Linking Guidance Development to Policy Development in Health Systems


Lavis JN, Røttingen J-A, Bosch-Capblanch X, Atun R, El-Jardali F, et al. (2012)

PLoS Med 9(3): e1001186. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001186 -  March 13, 2012


Available online at: http://bit.ly/wZqYpr

The second article in a series of three articles in PLoS Medicine about health systems guidance explores the links between health systems guidance development and policy development at global and national levels, and examines the range of factors that can influence policy development.

It proposes that instead of producing one-size-fits-all guidance, the World Health Organization and other normative bodies could produce ‘workbooks’ that assist those working in provincial/state and national health systems work through what needs to be done in their particular setting.
The summary points of the article are available in Arabic, French, Portuguese and Spanish..

Assessing How Much Confidence to Place in Health Systems Evidence

Lewin S, Bosch-Capblanch X, Oliver S, Akl EA, Vist GE, et al. (2012)
 PLoS Med 9(3): e1001187. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001187 -
March 20, 2012



Available online at: http://bit.ly/GJRslH

In the third and final article in a series of articles published in PLoS Medicine, the authors focus on assessing how much confidence can be placed on health systems research evidence in both guidance and policy development processes. The article describes a range of tools available to assess the different types of evidence needed to support different steps in the policymaking process, and discusses factors that are important when developing recommendations on policy options regarding health systems interventions.

Better Guidance Is Welcome, but without Blinders

David H. Peters, Sara Bennett
Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
PLoS Med 9(3): e1001188. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001188 - March 20, 2012

Available online at: http://bit.ly/GGWBZL
           

“…..The three-paper series on guidance for evidence-informed decisions about health systems, published in PLoS Medicine, and produced by members of the World Health Organization (WHO) Task Force on Developing Health Systems Guidance, offers important contributions to improving the quality of evidence-informed decision-making in health systems [1]–[3].

We recognize the importance of engendering greater structure and systematization in processes that collate and evaluate evidence, and bring it to bear on policy. However, there are significant challenges in doing this for policies related to health systems, and we caution against the adoption of rigid approaches to the development of guidance and to the application of evidence to policy…..”

KMC/2012/HSS
Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho

 *      *     *
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/ KMC Area]
Washington DC USA

“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
Equity List - Archives - Join/remove: http://listserv.paho.org/Archives/equidad.html
Twitter http://twitter.com/eqpaho

 

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 dispose of and delete this transmission.

Thank you.