Article type
Abstract
"Background: Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH)’s struggle to use evidence in decision making was due to 1. No Institutional culture of checking best available evidence when making policy decisions, 2. Staff did not have skills to extract the relevant information, and 3. Evidence availability was limited as many of the relevant databases. Ethiopian Evidence based Healthcare and Development Centre (EEBH&DC) in Jimma University took initiative to promote evidence-based health policy making in the country.
Process/Methods: We established National Advisory Committee (NAC) for following Rapid Review Response System (RRRS) consisting of various stakeholders. Committee is chaired by head of the state health minister’s office. NAC approved above structure for RRRS between Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and evidence-based research institutions. 21 ministry experts were engaged for 5 days intensive training on question prioritization, systematic review and policy brief. Policy makers were engaged in research question identification, commissioning it through Policy Analysis Case Team (PACT) to EEBH&DC and EEBH&DC produced rapid reviews and disseminated to PACT members. Co-creation method was adopted engaging the expert who generated the question from ministry and the rapid review producer (researcher) interacting until dissemination to uptake the results in policy making and guideline preparation. Production and utilization of rapid review results:
Results: Until now 8 rapid reviews produced, disseminated to policy makers in FMOH and they used it in their policy making, guideline preparations and continuous training. Another 10 research topics have been sent to EEBHCC by FMOH at the time of this abstract submission.
Challenges faced were busy ministry, busy people, lack of time. Interrupted electricity and internet, access to information data sources, mixed group training – Planning and policy staff vs service providing staff e.g., legal, clinical, blood bank, ethics etc. Struggle for Sustainability/Institutionalization of knowledge translation approaches.
Conclusion: This demand and supply system for utilization of research is permanently created linking FMOH and evidence-based institutions and will be sustaining. Now ministry has established a separate department called Policy and Systems research (replacing PACT) in the ministry to strengthen research coordination and collaboration as well as utilization of health research outputs in policy making.
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Process/Methods: We established National Advisory Committee (NAC) for following Rapid Review Response System (RRRS) consisting of various stakeholders. Committee is chaired by head of the state health minister’s office. NAC approved above structure for RRRS between Federal Ministry of Health (FMOH) and evidence-based research institutions. 21 ministry experts were engaged for 5 days intensive training on question prioritization, systematic review and policy brief. Policy makers were engaged in research question identification, commissioning it through Policy Analysis Case Team (PACT) to EEBH&DC and EEBH&DC produced rapid reviews and disseminated to PACT members. Co-creation method was adopted engaging the expert who generated the question from ministry and the rapid review producer (researcher) interacting until dissemination to uptake the results in policy making and guideline preparation. Production and utilization of rapid review results:
Results: Until now 8 rapid reviews produced, disseminated to policy makers in FMOH and they used it in their policy making, guideline preparations and continuous training. Another 10 research topics have been sent to EEBHCC by FMOH at the time of this abstract submission.
Challenges faced were busy ministry, busy people, lack of time. Interrupted electricity and internet, access to information data sources, mixed group training – Planning and policy staff vs service providing staff e.g., legal, clinical, blood bank, ethics etc. Struggle for Sustainability/Institutionalization of knowledge translation approaches.
Conclusion: This demand and supply system for utilization of research is permanently created linking FMOH and evidence-based institutions and will be sustaining. Now ministry has established a separate department called Policy and Systems research (replacing PACT) in the ministry to strengthen research coordination and collaboration as well as utilization of health research outputs in policy making.
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