Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: Since Evidence-based medicine (EBM) was introduced into China, it has been largely applied to drug evaluation and clinician s selection of drug use. However, its application to drug administration and the attitudes of drug administrators toward EBM were not well defined.
Objective: To investigate what extent the health-related departments of China apply EBM in drug policy making and what attitudes the drug administrators have toward EBM, and to identify gaps between evidence-based drug study and administration.
Methods: We searched EBM resources database of Chinese Cochrane Center, including Health Technology Assessment (HTA) register, Systematic Reviews (SR) register, and EBM-related projects register (including economic evaluation, cost analysis and drug utilization studies). These resources database cover predominantly most of EBM studies in China.
All drug-related studies were researched. Inclusion of studies was based on their relation to drugs. Progress of the studies, defined as completed, near completion and ongoing, was recorded. Resources of funding and objectives of the projects were also extracted. Opinions of health administrators on evidence based drug decision-making were investigated by interview and questionnaire.
Results: In total, 91 evidence-based drug studies were searched, including 30 HTA, 60 SRs and 1 economic study (table 1). Of which, 11 HTA projects were sponsored by three health-related departments of China, and research outcomes of 3 projects have been applied to drug policy making.
Of the eleven HTA projects, three projects (including 21 drugs for treatment of allergic diseases, hypertension and Hyperlipemia) assisted adjustment of essential drugs of China in 2002. Five projects will provide evidence to formulate clinical guidelines in advanced breast and lung cancer, rheumatism, renal failure and chronic hepatitis B. The remaining 3 projects evaluated efficacy and safety of drug contraception and abortion, which would be applied to policy making on birth control in China.
Regarding health administrator s attitudes toward EBM, more than 70 percent of them accepted the concept of EBM and thought it useful to introduce EBM in drug policy making. More than 40 percent of them reported that they would practice evidence-based drug policy making. However, only a few have been applying EBM in their decision process.
Conclusions: The evidence-based drug study has been boomed since introduction of EBM into China. However, its implications have not been fully recognized by health-related departments and the application of the research outcomes by drug administrators is still at the early stage. Efforts should more focus on raising awareness of health administrators and strengthening application of evidence to decision-making.
Objective: To investigate what extent the health-related departments of China apply EBM in drug policy making and what attitudes the drug administrators have toward EBM, and to identify gaps between evidence-based drug study and administration.
Methods: We searched EBM resources database of Chinese Cochrane Center, including Health Technology Assessment (HTA) register, Systematic Reviews (SR) register, and EBM-related projects register (including economic evaluation, cost analysis and drug utilization studies). These resources database cover predominantly most of EBM studies in China.
All drug-related studies were researched. Inclusion of studies was based on their relation to drugs. Progress of the studies, defined as completed, near completion and ongoing, was recorded. Resources of funding and objectives of the projects were also extracted. Opinions of health administrators on evidence based drug decision-making were investigated by interview and questionnaire.
Results: In total, 91 evidence-based drug studies were searched, including 30 HTA, 60 SRs and 1 economic study (table 1). Of which, 11 HTA projects were sponsored by three health-related departments of China, and research outcomes of 3 projects have been applied to drug policy making.
Of the eleven HTA projects, three projects (including 21 drugs for treatment of allergic diseases, hypertension and Hyperlipemia) assisted adjustment of essential drugs of China in 2002. Five projects will provide evidence to formulate clinical guidelines in advanced breast and lung cancer, rheumatism, renal failure and chronic hepatitis B. The remaining 3 projects evaluated efficacy and safety of drug contraception and abortion, which would be applied to policy making on birth control in China.
Regarding health administrator s attitudes toward EBM, more than 70 percent of them accepted the concept of EBM and thought it useful to introduce EBM in drug policy making. More than 40 percent of them reported that they would practice evidence-based drug policy making. However, only a few have been applying EBM in their decision process.
Conclusions: The evidence-based drug study has been boomed since introduction of EBM into China. However, its implications have not been fully recognized by health-related departments and the application of the research outcomes by drug administrators is still at the early stage. Efforts should more focus on raising awareness of health administrators and strengthening application of evidence to decision-making.