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McSween-Cadieux E, Lane J, Hong QN, Houle AA, Lauzier-Jobin F, Saint-Pierre Mousset E, Prigent O, Ziam S, Poder T, Lesage A, Dagenais P. Production and use of rapid responses during the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec (Canada): perspectives from evidence synthesis producers and decision makers. Health Res Policy Syst 2024; 22:22. [PMID: 38351054 PMCID: PMC10863098 DOI: 10.1186/s12961-024-01105-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic has required evidence to be made available more rapidly than usual, in order to meet the needs of decision makers in a timely manner. These exceptional circumstances have caused significant challenges for organizations and teams responsible for evidence synthesis. They had to adapt to provide rapid responses to support decision-making. This study aimed to document (1) the challenges and adaptations made to produce rapid responses during the pandemic, (2) their perceived usefulness, reported use and factors influencing their use and (3) the methodological adaptations made to produce rapid responses. METHODS A qualitative study was conducted in 2021 with eight organizations in the health and social services system in Quebec (Canada), including three institutes with a provincial mandate. Data collection included focus groups (n = 9 groups in 8 organizations with 64 participants), interviews with decision makers (n = 12), and a document analysis of COVID-19 rapid responses (n = 128). A thematic analysis of qualitative data (objectives 1 and 2) and a descriptive analysis of documents (objective 3) were conducted. RESULTS The results highlight the teams and organizations' agility to deal with the many challenges encountered during the pandemic (e.g., increased their workloads, adoption of new technological tools or work processes, improved collaboration, development of scientific monitoring, adaptation of evidence synthesis methodologies and products). The challenge of balancing rigor and speed was reported by teams and organizations. When available at the right time, rapid responses have been reported as a useful tool for informing or justifying decisions in a context of uncertainty. Several factors that may influence their use were identified (e.g., clearly identify needs, interactions with producers, perceived rigor and credibility, precise and feasible recommendations). Certain trends in the methodological approaches used to speed up the evidence synthesis process were identified. CONCLUSIONS This study documented rapid responses producers' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Quebec, and decision makers who requested, consulted, or used these products. Potential areas of improvements are identified such as reinforce coordination, improve communication loops, clarify guidelines or methodological benchmarks, and enhance utility of rapid response products for decision makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther McSween-Cadieux
- Department of School and Social Adaptation Studies, Faculty of Education, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada.
- Centre RBC d'expertise Universitaire en Santé Mentale, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada.
| | - Julie Lane
- Department of School and Social Adaptation Studies, Faculty of Education, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
- Centre RBC d'expertise Universitaire en Santé Mentale, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Quan Nha Hong
- School of Rehabilitation, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Andrée-Anne Houle
- Centre RBC d'expertise Universitaire en Santé Mentale, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
- Department of Psychoeducation, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - François Lauzier-Jobin
- Centre RBC d'expertise Universitaire en Santé Mentale, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Eliane Saint-Pierre Mousset
- Department of School and Social Adaptation Studies, Faculty of Education, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
- Centre RBC d'expertise Universitaire en Santé Mentale, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Ollivier Prigent
- Department of School and Social Adaptation Studies, Faculty of Education, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
| | - Saliha Ziam
- School of Business Administration, Université TÉLUQ, Montreal, Canada
| | - Thomas Poder
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal (CR-IUSMM), CIUSSS-de-l'Est-de-l'île-de-Montréal, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Management, Evaluation and Health Policy, School of Public Health, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Alain Lesage
- Centre de Recherche de l'Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal (CR-IUSMM), CIUSSS-de-l'Est-de-l'île-de-Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Pierre Dagenais
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, University of Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Canada
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Waste to Energy in Developing Countries—A Rapid Review: Opportunities, Challenges, and Policies in Selected Countries of Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia towards Sustainability. SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14073740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Daily per capita waste generation will increase by 40% and 19%, for developing and developed countries by 2050, respectively. The World Bank estimates that total waste generation is going to triple in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and double in South Asia (SA) by 2050. This article conducts a rapid review and aims to demonstrate the current waste management scenario and the potential of waste to energy generation in the developing world, focusing on SSA and SA. Although many review articles related to waste to energy (WtE) in developing countries are available in the literature, a rapid review particularly focusing on countries in SSA and SA is rarely seen. An analysis of different WtE generation technologies, and current waste management practices in developing countries in SSA and SA are also presented. The analysis shows that about three-fourths of waste is openly dumped in developing countries of SSA and SA. In terms of waste composition, on average, about 48.70% and 51.16% of waste generated in developing economies of SSA and SA are organic. Opportunities to convert this waste into energy for developing countries are highlighted, with a case study of Bangladesh, a country in SA. Major challenges regarding the waste to energy (WtE) projects in the developing world are found to be the composition of waste, absence of waste separation scheme at source, ineffective waste collection method, lack of suitable WtE generation technology in place, lack of financial support and policies related to a WtE project, and absence of coordination between different governmental institutions.
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