Abstract
Public resource allocation for research can be a challenge for many countries, especially for developing ones. Included in a project sponsored by the Brazilian Ministry of Health, this study aimed to rank relevant research topics to assist public health policies. A Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis using an Analytic Hierarchy Process (HPA) model was developed to select topics for research projects in mental health. Relevant themes were raised in a first workshop with policymakers from different sectors of the Ministry of Health. HPA criteria were selected by facilitators, according to specificities of Brazilian context. In a second workshop, twenty stakeholders weighted those criteria, scored and ranked the proposed themes. The group of stakeholders was composed by 5 society representatives, 5 health professionals, 5 mental health researchers and 5 policymakers. Twelve mental health issues in the public health system were combined into four domains: mental health care network, mental disorders epidemiology, health technology assessment, and information systems. In descending order of weighting, the six established criteria within HPA framework were: health impact, feasibility, contribution to technology incorporation, rational use of resources, contribution to clinical decision-making, social interest. The first three ranked themes were: elaboration of clinical guidelines, health technology assessment of public health interventions, and epidemiology of mental health disorders. CONCUSIONS: Research topics prioritization in a scenario of restricted budget is a complex process and should be based on a rational, structured and transparent methodology that takes into account both objective and subjective aspects. HPA method seems to be suitable for this purpose. This is an innovative initiative in Brazil, seeking to improve transparency and to strength the contribution of different health care stakeholders in decision-making process.
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