Article type
Year
Abstract
Background:
At present, health policy decision-making is divergent and lacks co-ordination in India. Since its inception, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been working towards the generation of evidence on diseases of public health importance for the benefit of patients and healthcare consumers. The knowledge generated through the research organization has influenced policy development to some extent; however, a lot remains to be achieved. There is a need to translate the evidence into clinical practice for the benefit of patients. ICMR intends to re-strategize how it can make the research more credible so that policy-makers feel more inclined to use evidence in healthcare decision-making for the benefit of healthcare consumers.
Objectives:
To strengthen mechanisms for the use of evidence in healthcare practice in India to increase the benefits for healthcare consumers.
Methods:
Three strategies are proposed to build capacity for evidence-based healthcare practice in India:
1) Creation of of an 'evidence to policy' training centre for skill-building in the conduct of systematic reviews.
2) Constitution of a Health Technology Assessment Board (HTAB) to facilitate the transfer of affordable indigenous technologies to healthcare consumers.
3) Accelerated knowledge translation (KT) activities and engagement with policy-makers, consumers and stakeholders on sharing relevant, reliable and timely research evidence and syntheses.
Results:
The 'evidence to policy' centre would create an online database of policy briefs/rapid reviews based on systematic reviews, which is available to health policy-makers and practitioners/clinical decision-makers. An established, functional HTAB would yearly evaluate and select three to five cost-effective technologies/processes (new drugs, diagnostics and vaccines) leading to cost savings in this resource-limited environment. Media briefings, national consultation and dissemination meetings would be conducted to share research findings with patient communities/consumers, policy-makers and the media. E-portals for dissemination would be available for wider dissemination under KT activities
Conclusions:
Currently in India there remains a gap between research evidence, decision-making and clinical practice. Success with the above strategies would close the ‘know-do gap’ and promote the use of evidence.
At present, health policy decision-making is divergent and lacks co-ordination in India. Since its inception, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has been working towards the generation of evidence on diseases of public health importance for the benefit of patients and healthcare consumers. The knowledge generated through the research organization has influenced policy development to some extent; however, a lot remains to be achieved. There is a need to translate the evidence into clinical practice for the benefit of patients. ICMR intends to re-strategize how it can make the research more credible so that policy-makers feel more inclined to use evidence in healthcare decision-making for the benefit of healthcare consumers.
Objectives:
To strengthen mechanisms for the use of evidence in healthcare practice in India to increase the benefits for healthcare consumers.
Methods:
Three strategies are proposed to build capacity for evidence-based healthcare practice in India:
1) Creation of of an 'evidence to policy' training centre for skill-building in the conduct of systematic reviews.
2) Constitution of a Health Technology Assessment Board (HTAB) to facilitate the transfer of affordable indigenous technologies to healthcare consumers.
3) Accelerated knowledge translation (KT) activities and engagement with policy-makers, consumers and stakeholders on sharing relevant, reliable and timely research evidence and syntheses.
Results:
The 'evidence to policy' centre would create an online database of policy briefs/rapid reviews based on systematic reviews, which is available to health policy-makers and practitioners/clinical decision-makers. An established, functional HTAB would yearly evaluate and select three to five cost-effective technologies/processes (new drugs, diagnostics and vaccines) leading to cost savings in this resource-limited environment. Media briefings, national consultation and dissemination meetings would be conducted to share research findings with patient communities/consumers, policy-makers and the media. E-portals for dissemination would be available for wider dissemination under KT activities
Conclusions:
Currently in India there remains a gap between research evidence, decision-making and clinical practice. Success with the above strategies would close the ‘know-do gap’ and promote the use of evidence.