Use of research to inform public policymaking

Health systems research in a low-income country: easier said than done

Small hospitals sit at the apex of the pyramid of primary care in the health systems of many low-income countries. If the Millennium Development Goal for child survival is to be achieved, hospital care for referred severely ill children will need to be improved considerably in parallel with primary care in many countries. Yet little is known about how to achieve this. This article describes the evolution and final design of an intervention study that is attempting to improve hospital care for children in Kenyan district hospitals. It illustrates many of the difficulties involved in reconciling epidemiological rigour and feasibility in studies at a health system, rather than an individual, level and the importance of the depth and breadth of analysis when trying to provide a plausible answer to the question: does it work? Although there are increasing calls for more health systems research in low-income countries, the importance of strong, broadly based local partnerships and long-term commitment even to initiate projects is not always appreciated.

Knowledge integration: conceptualizing communications in cancer control systems

OBJECTIVE

This paper was prepared by the National Cancer Institute of Canada (NCIC) Working Group on Translational Research and Knowledge Transfer. The goal was to nurture common ground upon which to build a platform for translating what we know about cancer into what we do in practice and policy.

METHODS

Methods included expert panels, literature review, and concept mapping, to develop a framework that built on earlier cancer control conceptualizations of communications that have guided researchers and end users.

RESULTS

The concept of 'knowledge integration' is used to describe the resulting refinement and the nature of evidence necessary for decision-making to at the systems level. Current evidence for knowledge integration in cancer control is presented across the levels of individual, organizational and systems level interventions and across basic, clinical and population science knowledge bases.

CONCLUSION

A systems-oriented approach to integrating evidence into action assists organizations to conduct research and policy and practice.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Practitioners can use this framework to understand the challenges of implementing and evaluating cancer control strategies.

Effects of policy options for human resources for health: an analysis of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND

Policy makers face challenges to ensure an appropriate supply and distribution of trained health workers and to manage their performance in delivery of services, especially in countries with low and middle incomes. We aimed to identify all available policy options to address human resources for health in such countries, and to assess the effectiveness of these policy options.

METHODS

We searched Medline and Embase from 1979 to September, 2006, the Cochrane Library, and the Human Resources for Health Global Resource Center database. We also searched up to 10 years of archives from five relevant journals, and consulted experts. We included systematic reviews in English which assessed the effects of policy options that could affect the training, distribution, regulation, financing, management, organisation, or performance of health workers. Two reviewers independently assessed each review for eligibility and quality, and systematically extracted data about main effects. We also assessed whether the policy options were equitable in their effects; suitable for scaling up; and applicable to countries with low and middle incomes.

FINDINGS

28 of the 759 systematic reviews of effects that we identified were eligible according to our criteria. Of these, only a few included studies from countries with low and middle incomes, and some reviews were of low quality. Most evidence focused on organisational mechanisms for human resources, such as substitution or shifting tasks between different types of health workers, or extension of their roles; performance-enhancing strategies such as quality improvement or continuing education strategies; promotion of teamwork; and changes to workflow. Of all policy options, the use of lay health workers had the greatest proportion of reviews in countries with a range of incomes, from high to low.

INTERPRETATION

We have identified a need for more systematic reviews on the effects of policy options to improve human resources for health in countries with low and middle incomes, for assessments of any interventions that policy makers introduce to plan and manage human resources for health, and for other research to aid policy makers in these countries.

Knowledge transfer and exchange: review and synthesis of the literature

Knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) is as an interactive process involving the interchange of knowledge between research users and researcher producers. Despite many strategies for KTE, it is not clear which ones should be used in which contexts. This article is a review and synthesis of the KTE literature on health care policy. The review examined and summarized KTE's current evidence base for KTE. It found that about 20 percent of the studies reported on a real-world application of a KTE strategy, and fewer had been formally evaluated. At this time there is an inadequate evidence base for doing "evidence-based" KTE for health policy decision making. Either KTE must be reconceptualized, or strategies must be evaluated more rigorously to produce a richer evidence base for future activity.

Using participatory design to develop (public) health decision support systems through GIS

Background

Organizations that collect substantial data for decision-making purposes are often characterized as being 'data rich' but 'information poor'. Maps and mapping tools can be very useful for research transfer in converting locally collected data into information. Challenges involved in incorporating GIS applications into the decision-making process within the non-profit (public) health sector include a lack of financial resources for software acquisition and training for non-specialists to use such tools. This on-going project has two primary phases. This paper critically reflects on Phase 1: the participatory design (PD) process of developing a collaborative web-based GIS tool.

Methods

A case study design is being used whereby the case is defined as the data analyst and manager dyad (a two person team) in selected Ontario Early Year Centres (OEYCs). Multiple cases are used to support the reliability of findings. With nine producer/user pair participants, the goal in Phase 1 was to identify barriers to map production, and through the participatory design process, develop a web-based GIS tool suited for data analysts and their managers. This study has been guided by the Ottawa Model of Research Use (OMRU) conceptual framework.

Results

Due to wide variations in OEYC structures, only some data analysts used mapping software and there was no consistency or standardization in the software being used. Consequently, very little sharing of maps and data occurred among data analysts. Using PD, this project developed a web-based mapping tool (EYEMAP) that was easy to use, protected proprietary data, and permit limited and controlled sharing between participants. By providing data analysts with training on its use, the project also ensured that data analysts would not break cartographic conventions (e.g. using a chloropleth map for count data). Interoperability was built into the web-based solution; that is, EYEMAP can read many different standard mapping file formats (e.g. ESRI, MapInfo, CSV).

Discussion

Based on the evaluation of Phase 1, the PD process has served both as a facilitator and a barrier. In terms of successes, the PD process identified two key components that are important to users: increased data/map sharing functionality and interoperability. Some of the challenges affected developers and users; both individually and as a collective. From a development perspective, this project experienced difficulties in obtaining personnel skilled in web application development and GIS. For users, some data sharing barriers are beyond what a technological tool can address (e.g. third party data). Lastly, the PD process occurs in real time; both a strength and a limitation. Programmatic changes at the provincial level and staff turnover at the organizational level made it difficult to maintain buy-in as participants changed over time. The impacts of these successes and challenges will be evaluated more concretely at the end of Phase 2.

Conclusion

PD approaches, by their very nature, encourage buy-in to the development process, better addresses user-needs, and creates a sense of user-investment and ownership.

Exploring health systems research and its influence on policy processes in low income countries

BACKGROUND

The interface between research and policymaking in low-income countries is highly complex. The ability of health systems research to influence policy processes in such settings face numerous challenges. Successful analysis of the research-policy interface in these settings requires understanding of contextual factors as well as key influences on the interface. Future Health Systems (FHS): Innovations for Equity is a consortium conducting research in six countries in Asia and Africa. One of the three cross-country research themes of the consortium is analysis of the relationship between research (evidence) and policy making, especially their impact on the poor; insights gained in the initial conceptual phase of FHS activities can inform the global knowledge pool on this subject.

DISCUSSION

This paper provides a review of the research-policy interface in low-income countries and proposes a conceptual framework, followed by directions for empirical approaches. First, four developmental perspectives are considered: social institutional factors; virtual versus grassroots realities; science-society relationships; and construction of social arrangements. Building on these developmental perspectives three research-policy interface entry points are identified: 1. Recognizing policy as complex processes; 2. Engaging key stakeholders: decision-makers, providers, scientists, and communities; and 3. Enhancing accountability. A conceptual framework with three entry points to the research-policy interface - policy processes; stakeholder interests, values, and power; and accountability - within a context provided by four developmental perspectives is proposed. Potential empirical approaches to the research-policy interface are then reviewed. Finally, the value of such innovative empirical analysis is considered.

CONCLUSION

The purpose of this paper is to provide the background, conceptual framework, and key research directions for empirical activities focused on the research-policy interface in low income settings. The interface can be strengthened through such analysis leading to potential improvements in population health in low-income settings. Health system development cognizant of the myriad factors at the research-policy interface can form the basis for innovative future health systems.

Preventing mental disorders in children: a systematic review to inform policy-making

BACKGROUND

At any given time, 14% of Canadian children experience clinically significant mental disorders, which frequently persist into adulthood. Canadian public policy has emphasized specialized treatment services, yet these services only reach 25% of children with disorders. Prevention programs hold potential to reduce the number of children with disorders in the population. To inform policy-making, we systematically reviewed the best available research evidence on programs for preventing conduct disorder (CD), anxiety and depression, three of the most prevalent mental disorders in children.

METHODS

We systematically identified and reviewed randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on programs intended to prevent CD, anxiety and depression in children aged 0-18 years.

RESULTS

Fifteen RCTs met selection criteria: nine (on eight programs) for preventing CD; one for anxiety; four (on three programs) for depression; and one for all three. Ten RCTs demonstrated significant reductions in child symptom and/or diagnostic measures at follow-up. The most noteworthy programs, for CD, targeted at-risk children in the early years using parent training (PT) or child social skills training (SST); for anxiety, employed universal cognitive-behavioural training (CBT) in school-age children; and for depression, targeted at-risk school-age children, also using CBT. Effect sizes for these noteworthy programs were modest but consequential. There were few Canadian studies and few that evaluated costs.

DISCUSSION

Prevention programs are promising but replication RCTs are needed to determine effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in Canadian settings. Four program types should be priorities for replication: targeted PTand child SST for preventing CD in children's early years; and universal and targeted CBTfor preventing anxiety and depression in children's school-age years. Conducting RCTs through research-policy partnerships would enable implementation in realistic settings while ensuring rigorous evaluation. Prevention merits new policy and research investments as part of a comprehensive public health strategy to improve children's mental health in the population.

Développer la capacité d’application des connaissances en santé publique

Ce document dresse l’historique et la justification du programme des Centres nationaux de collaboration en santé publique, établi par l’Agence de santé publique du Canada en 2004. Les centres ne sont pas axés sur la recherche primaire, mais plutôt sur la synthèse des preuves scientifiques mondiales qui sont pertinentes pour les politiques, les programmes et les pratiques de santé publique–et leur conversion en « produits du savoir » pour les professionnels de la santé publique, les responsables des politiques et les groupes communautaires afin de guider la prise de décision en santé publique. Les grands principes de la synthèse et de l’application/échange des connaissances (SAEC) aux fins de la santé publique sont passés en revue, de même que de récents sites Web et publications décrivant des projets internationaux dans ce domaine en plein essor. Enfin, certaines pratiques exemplaires pour la SAEC en santé publique provenant d’expériences au Canada et ailleurs dans le monde sont décrites.

Use of evidence in WHO recommendations

BACKGROUND

WHO regulations, dating back to 1951, emphasise the role of expert opinion in the development of recommendations. However, the organisation's guidelines, approved in 2003, emphasise the use of systematic reviews for evidence of effects, processes that allow for the explicit incorporation of other types of information (including values), and evidence-informed dissemination and implementation strategies. We examined the use of evidence, particularly evidence of effects, in recommendations developed by WHO departments.

METHODS

We interviewed department directors (or their delegates) at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and reviewed a sample of the recommendation-containing reports that were discussed in the interviews (as well as related background documentation). Two individuals independently analysed the interviews and reviewed key features of the reports and background documentation.

FINDINGS

Systematic reviews and concise summaries of findings are rarely used for developing recommendations. Instead, processes usually rely heavily on experts in a particular specialty, rather than representatives of those who will have to live with the recommendations or on experts in particular methodological areas.

INTERPRETATION

Progress in the development, adaptation, dissemination, and implementation of recommendations for member states will need leadership, the resources necessary for WHO to undertake these processes in a transparent and defensible way, and close attention to the current and emerging research literature related to these processes.

Health inequalities in Scotland and England: the contrasting journeys of ideas from research into policy

Both the UK's Labour Government and Scotland's devolved Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition Executive have committed themselves to reducing health inequalities. Furthermore, both institutions have emphasised the importance of using evidence to inform policy responses. In light of such political commitments, a significant amount of work has been undertaken in the field of health inequalities in order to: (i) review the available research evidence; (ii) assess the extent to which policies have been based on this research evidence; and (iii) evaluate the success (or failure) of policies to tackle health inequalities. Yet so far only limited attention has been given to exploring how key actors involved in research-policy dialogues understand the processes involved. In an attempt to address this gap, this article draws on data from semi-structured interviews with 58 key actors in the field of health inequalities research and policymaking in the UK to argue that it is ideas, rather than research evidence, which have travelled from research into policy. The descriptions of the varying journeys of these ideas fit three types--successful, partial and fractured--each of which is outlined with reference to one example. The paper then employs existing theories about research-policy relations and the movement of ideas in an attempt to illuminate and better understand the contrasting journeys. In the concluding discussion, it is argued that the third approach, which focuses on the entrepreneurial processes involved in the marketing of ideas, is most helpful in understanding the research findings, but that this needs to be discussed in relation to the political context within which negotiations take place.

Evidence-based and values-based policy, management and practice in child and adolescent mental health services

Values-based practice is a new approach to working with complex and conflicting values. It is based, primarily, on learnable skills and is being applied across a range of policy, training and service development initiatives in mental health and social care. This article outlines some of the key features of values-based practice including its complementary relationships to both regulatory ethics and evidence-based practice. We describe the systemic links between values-based approaches at the three key levels of policy, service development, prioritization and commissioning, and clinical practice and managing delivery of services, particularly as they are being developed in child and adolescent mental health services. Our article concludes by indicating some of the areas for further development of values-based practice.

Facilitating effective health promotion practice in a public health unit: lessons from the field

OBJECTIVES

Health promotion is a core function of public health services and improving the effectiveness of health promotion services is an essential part of public health service development. This report describes the rationale, the process and the outcomes of a realignment designed to improve the effectiveness of health promotion activities in a public health unit (PHU) in New Zealand.

METHODS

A practice environment analysis revealed several factors that were hindering the effectiveness of the health promotion unit's (HPU) activities. Two primary change mechanisms were implemented. The first was an outcomes-focused model of planning and service delivery (to support evidenced-based practice), the second was the reorganisation of the HPU from a topics-based structure to an integrated one based on a multi-risk factor paradigm of population health.

RESULTS

During the realignment barriers were encountered on multiple levels. At the individual level, unfavourable attitudes to changes occurred because of a lack of information and knowledge about the benefits of evidence and research. At higher levels, barriers included resourcing concerns, a lack of organisational commitment and understanding, and tensions between the political need for expedient change and research and development need for timely consideration of the impact of different models of practice.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

This realignment took place within the context of a changing public health environment, which is significantly altering the delivery of public health and health promotion. Realignments designed to facilitate more effective health promotion and public health practice will continue, but need to do so in the light of others' experience and debate.

The MESH approach: strengthening public health systems for the MDGs

This article addresses some of the complexities in the interactions both within the public health system and between that and civil society. It examines what needs to be done to improve the capacity of health systems, primarily through building relevant infrastructure (what is called MESH--management, economic, social and human - infrastructure) where this is lacking. This lack is most likely to occur in poorer communities and health districts. The problem of absorption and appropriate use of funds in disadvantaged areas has been highlighted as a critical bottleneck to the achievement of the millennium development goals (MDGs). MESH is defined as infrastructure which is built to improve the capacity of communities and other entities to implement health service programs efficiently. We employ this concept to determine how best to invest in health in poor areas so that they can better use any additional resources they receive. The article reviews some initial explorations of the relevance of MESH building strategies in South Africa. The research shows the usefulness of the MESH approach which requires inter alia a more developmental approach that goes beyond the vertical silos of much influential prioritization literature over the last two decades. In practice it is clear that MESH will vary from location to location which reflects the fact that investing in successful health strategies must take into account the voices of the local people with respect to what they want from their health services.

Improving the use of research evidence in guideline development: 13. Applicability, transferability and adaptation

BACKGROUND

The World Health Organization (WHO), like many other organisations around the world, has recognised the need to use more rigorous processes to ensure that health care recommendations are informed by the best available research evidence. This is the thirteenth of a series of 16 reviews that have been prepared as background for advice from the WHO Advisory Committee on Health Research to WHO on how to achieve this.

OBJECTIVES

We reviewed the literature on applicability, transferability, and adaptation of guidelines.

METHODS

We searched five databases for existing systematic reviews and relevant primary methodological research. We reviewed the titles of all citations and retrieved abstracts and full text articles if the citations appeared relevant to the topic. We checked the reference lists of articles relevant to the questions and used snowballing as a technique to obtain additional information. We used the definition "coming from, concerning or belonging to at least two or all nations" for the term international. Our conclusions are based on the available evidence, consideration of what WHO and other organisations are doing and logical arguments.

KEY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

We did not identify systematic reviews addressing the key questions. We found individual studies and projects published in the peer reviewed literature and on the Internet. Should WHO develop international recommendations? Resources for developing high quality recommendations are limited. Internationally developed recommendations can facilitate access to and pooling of resources, reduce unnecessary duplication, and involve international scientists. Priority should be given to international health problems and problems that are important in low and middle-income countries, where these advantages are likely to be greatest. Factors that influence the transferability of recommendations across different settings should be considered systematically and flagged, including modifying factors, important variation in needs, values, costs and the availability of resources. What should be done centrally and locally? The preparation of systematic reviews and evidence profiles should be coordinated centrally, in collaboration with organizations that produce systematic reviews. Centrally developed evidence profiles should be adaptable to specific local circumstances. Consideration should be given to models that involve central coordination with work being undertaken by centres located throughout the world. While needs, availability of resources, costs, the presence of modifying factors and values need to be assessed locally, support for undertaking these assessments may be needed to make guidelines applicable. WHO should provide local support for adapting and implementing recommendations by developing tools, building capacity, learning from international experience, and through international networks that support evidence-informed health policies, such as the Evidence-informed Policy Network (EVIPNet). How should recommendations be adapted? WHO should provide detailed guidance for adaptation of international recommendations. Local adaptation processes should be systematic and transparent, they should involve stakeholders, and they should report the key factors that influence decisions, including those flagged in international guidelines, and the reasons for any modifications that are made.

Improving the use of research evidence in guideline development: introduction

In 2005 the World Health Organisation (WHO) asked its Advisory Committee on Health Research (ACHR) for advice on ways in which WHO can improve the use of research evidence in the development of recommendations, including guidelines and policies. The ACHR established the Subcommittee on the Use of Research Evidence (SURE) to collect background documentation and consult widely among WHO staff, international experts and end users of WHO recommendations to inform its advice to WHO. We have prepared a series of reviews of methods that are used in the development of guidelines as part of this background documentation. We describe here the background and methods of these reviews, which are being published in Health Research Policy and Systems together with this introduction.

Research-practice gaps in child mental health

OBJECTIVES

To present a framework for classifying research-practice gaps to increase clarity in the discourse on evidence-informed practice and policy as it applies to child mental health.

METHOD

The development of the framework was informed by the research literature about the effectiveness of clinic- and community-based interventions for the prevention and treatment of child mental health problems, patterns of uptake of these interventions, and the research literature about evidence-informed practice and policy.

RESULTS

Four types of research-practice gaps are proposed: (1) the failure to implement interventions found to be effective, and the implementation of interventions (2) that have been demonstrated to cause harm, (3) that have evidence of no effect, and (4) where the effectiveness is unknown because of the lack of rigorous evaluation. Examples from child mental health are provided for each type.

CONCLUSIONS

This framework could guide an agenda aimed at reducing research-practice gaps in child mental health. A range of strategies may be required to address the different types of gaps.

Prevention Research Strategies

Prevention of disease is the only method to substantially reduce morbidity and mortality in a population. The two key determinants of disease are the levels of risk factors/determinants and the adherence to efficacious therapies, and there are two approaches to these: public health and preventive medicine. Clinical trials remain the cornerstone for evaluating new approaches. Effectiveness studies are required to evaluate the best approaches to deliver efficacious therapies; public health and preventive medicine programs must include the entire population, and can be costly. Environmental changes have greater benefits and a greater likelihood of reaching large segments of the population, but the preventive medicine approach is better for high-risk diseases. New risk factors and diseases evolve from the upper to lower social classes, while preventive therapies evolve from the upper to lower education groups.

A new EPOC in Australian health research

Contributing to health services research, implementation and effective health policy-making.

Research, public policymaking, and knowledge-translation processes: Canadian efforts to build bridges

Public policymakers must contend with a particular set of institutional arrangements that govern what can be done to address any given issue, pressure from a variety of interest groups about what they would like to see done to address any given issue, and a range of ideas (including research evidence) about how best to address any given issue. Rarely do processes exist that can get optimally packaged high-quality and high-relevance research evidence into the hands of public policymakers when they most need it, which is often in hours and days, not months and years. In Canada, a variety of efforts have been undertaken to address the factors that have been found to increase the prospects for research use, including the production of systematic reviews that meet the shorter term (but not urgent) needs of public policymakers and encouraging partnerships between researchers and policymakers that allow for their interaction around the tasks of asking and answering relevant questions. Much less progress has been made in making available research evidence to inform the urgent needs of public policymakers and in addressing attitudinal barriers and capacity limitations. In the future, knowledge-translation processes, particularly push efforts and efforts to facilitate user pull, should be undertaken on a sufficiently large scale and with a sufficiently rigorous evaluation so that robust conclusions can be drawn about their effectiveness.

Health reform, equity and primary healthcare: taking off the make-up

The prioritisation approach at the heart of the health reform movement not only failed to improve access to services for the very poor but was based on poor methods. Its notion of efficiency ignored local contexts, the interaction of interventions and local specification of needs. The authors argue that a more efficient strategy for prioritisation involves resuscitating the primary healthcare approach and its emphasis on procedural, as well as distributive, equity. A growing body of evidence supports the link between enhancing the voice of local communities and improving the allocation and impact of resources in health service provision.

What factors induce health care decision-makers to use clinical guidelines? Evidence from provincial health ministries, regional health authorities and hospitals in Canada

This paper addresses three questions: What is the extent of clinical guideline utilization by decision-makers in provincial health ministries, regional health authorities and hospitals in Canada? Are there differences between these work settings in regard to the extent of clinical guideline utilization? What are the determinants of clinical guidelines utilization in health ministries, regional health authorities and hospitals? Based on a survey of 899 decision-makers from Canadian provincial health ministries, regional health authorities and hospitals, the results indicate that there are large differences between work settings in regard to clinical guideline utilization. Not surprisingly, work settings like hospitals rely more intensively on clinical guidelines than the other work settings (health ministries or agencies and regional health authorities). The results of the regression models indicate that cognitive factors, social factors, technological factors, organizational factors and individual attributes significantly predict the utilization of clinical practice guidelines by decision-makers. However, the results of the regression models also indicate that some factors that predict clinical guideline utilization by decision-makers in hospitals do not predict clinical guidelines utilization by decision-makers working in ministries or in regional health authorities. Therefore, these results suggest that customized interventions would be appropriate in order to efficiently increase the utilization of clinical practice guidelines in different work settings. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research.

Translating research into policy and practice in developing countries: a case study of magnesium sulphate for pre-eclampsia

Background

The evidence base for improving reproductive health continues to grow. However, concerns remain that the translation of this evidence into appropriate policies is partial and slow. Little is known about the factors affecting the use of evidence by policy makers and clinicians, particularly in developing countries. The objective of this study was to examine the factors that might affect the translation of randomised controlled trial (RCT) findings into policies and practice in developing countries.

Methods

The recent publication of an important RCT on the use of magnesium sulphate to treat pre-eclampsia provided an opportunity to explore how research findings might be translated into policy. A range of research methods, including a survey, group interview and observations with RCT collaborators and a survey of WHO drug information officers, regulatory officials and obstetricians in 12 countries, were undertaken to identify barriers and facilitators to knowledge translation.

Results

It proved difficult to obtain reliable data regarding the availability and use of commonly used drugs in many countries. The perceived barriers to implementing RCT findings regarding the use of magnesium sulphate for pre-eclampsia include drug licensing and availability; inadequate and poorly implemented clinical guidelines; and lack of political support for policy change. However, there were significant regional and national differences in the importance of specific barriers.

Conclusion

The policy changes needed to ensure widespread availability and use of magnesium sulphate are variable and complex. Difficulties in obtaining information on availability and use are combined with the wide range of barriers across settings, including a lack of support from policy makers. This makes it difficult to envisage any single intervention strategy that might be used to promote the uptake of research findings on magnesium sulphate into policy across the study settings. The publication of important trials may therefore not have the impacts on health care that researchers hope for.

Towards systematic reviews that inform health care management and policy-making

OBJECTIVES

To identify ways to improve the usefulness of systematic reviews for health care managers and policy-makers that could then be evaluated prospectively.

METHODS

We systematically reviewed studies of decision-making by health care managers and policy-makers, conducted interviews with a purposive sample of them in Canada and the United Kingdom (n = 29), and reviewed the websites of research funders, producers/purveyors of research, and journals that include them among their target audiences (n = 45).

RESULTS

Our systematic review identified that factors such as interactions between researchers and health care policy-makers and timing/timeliness appear to increase the prospects for research use among policy-makers. Our interviews with health care managers and policy-makers suggest that they would benefit from having information that is relevant for decisions highlighted for them (e.g. contextual factors that affect a review's local applicability and information about the benefits, harms/risks and costs of interventions) and having reviews presented in a way that allows for rapid scanning for relevance and then graded entry (such as one page of take-home messages, a three-page executive summary and a 25-page report). Managers and policy-makers have mixed views about the helpfulness of recommendations. Our analysis of websites found that contextual factors were rarely highlighted, recommendations were often provided and graded entry formats were rarely used.

CONCLUSIONS

Researchers could help to ensure that the future flow of systematic reviews will better inform health care management and policy-making by involving health care managers and policy-makers in their production and better highlighting information that is relevant for decisions. Research funders could help to ensure that the global stock of systematic reviews will better inform health care management and policy-making by supporting and evaluating local adaptation processes such as developing and making available online more user-friendly 'front ends' for potentially relevant systematic reviews.

Economic evaluation: what does a nurse manager need to know?

This paper considers how health economists can assist nurse managers, using the concepts and tools of economic evaluation. We aim to clarify these and also explode some of the myths about economic evaluation and its role in health care decision-making. Economic evaluation techniques compare alternative courses of action in terms of their costs and consequences. There are four principal methods; cost-minimization, cost-effectiveness, cost-utility and cost-benefit analysis, all of which synthesize costs and outcomes, at different levels of outcome. Economic evaluation is an intrinsic part of national decision-making about the efficient provision of effective treatments and services, and increasingly, organizational matters. In the UK, such technology evaluation is disseminated in guidelines from the National Institute for Clinical Effectiveness (NICE), having a top-down impact on the nurse manager. But economic evaluation is increasingly relevant to the nurse manager at local level, through newer techniques such as Programme Budgeting Marginal Analysis (PBMA), which facilitates explicit, transparent decisions, from the bottom-up. Nurse managers need to weigh up competing demands on resources and decide in ways which maximize health gain. Economic evaluation can help here because it presents evidence to challenge or support existing allocations, and provides a systematic framework to analyse health care decisions. In the current context of competition for scarce resources, we suggest that nurse managers need to embrace these techniques, or be marginalized from the resource allocation process.

Managing healthcare reform in Hungary: challenges and opportunities

The reform of healthcare services is a priority in transitional Hungary, but managing these changes is fraught with difficulties due to the political climate and managerial inexperience

From practice research to public policy--the Ministerial Summit on Health Research

OBJECTIVE

To report on the outcomes of discussions on the role of research in the improvement of population health that took place at the Ministerial Summit on Health Research.

DATA SOURCES

Information was gathered from presentations and discussions at the Ministerial Summit on Health Research conducted in Mexico City November 16-20, 2004.

DATA SYNTHESIS

Strategies to strengthen health systems through closer collaboration between researchers and policy makers were debated. Consideration was given to persisting inequalities in health research, including the 10/90 gap (10% of health research expenditure is devoted to diseases responsible for 90% of the world's disease burden), the "know-do" gap (the gap between research knowledge and professional practice), and the divide in access to health information. Adopting measures to address human resource shortages was seen as critical. Participants at the Summit issued "The Mexico Statement on Health Research."

CONCLUSIONS

All stakeholders must develop the political will to share information, resources, and experiences to ensure that practice research and public policy develop in accordance with patients' needs.

Informed choices for attaining the Millennium Development Goals: towards an international cooperative agenda for health-systems research

Health systems constraints are impeding the implementation of major global initiatives for health and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Research could contribute to overcoming these barriers. An independent task force has been convened by WHO to suggest areas where international collaborative research could help to generate the knowledge necessary to improve health systems. Suggested topics encompass financial and human resources, organisation and delivery of health services, governance, stewardship, knowledge management, and global influences. These topics should be viewed as tentative suggestions that form a basis for further discussion. This article is part of a wide-ranging consultation and comment is invited. The potential agenda will be presented at the Ministerial Summit on Health Research in November, 2004, and revised in the light of responses. Subsequently, we hope that resources will be committed to generate the evidence needed to build the equitable, effective, and efficient health systems needed to achieve the MDGs