Abstract
BackgroundGroups or institutions funding or conducting systematic reviews in health policy and systems research (HPSR) should prioritise topics according to the needs of policymakers and stakeholders. The aim of this study was to develop and validate a tool to prioritise questions for systematic reviews in HPSR.MethodsWe developed the tool following a four-step approach consisting of (1) the definition of the purpose and scope of tool, (2) item generation and reduction, (3) testing for content and face validity, (4) and pilot testing of the tool. The research team involved international experts in HPSR, systematic review methodology and tool development, led by the Center for Systematic Reviews on Health Policy and Systems Research (SPARK). We followed an inclusive approach in determining the final selection of items to allow customisation to the user’s needs.ResultsThe purpose of the SPARK tool was to prioritise questions in HPSR in order to address them in systematic reviews. In the item generation and reduction phase, an extensive literature search yielded 40 relevant articles, which were reviewed by the research team to create a preliminary list of 19 candidate items for inclusion in the tool. As part of testing for content and face validity, input from international experts led to the refining, changing, merging and addition of new items, and to organisation of the tool into two modules. Following pilot testing, we finalised the tool, with 22 items organised in two modules – the first module including 13 items to be rated by policymakers and stakeholders, and the second including 9 items to be rated by systematic review teams. Users can customise the tool to their needs, by omitting items that may not be applicable to their settings. We also developed a user manual that provides guidance on how to use the SPARK tool, along with signaling questions.ConclusionWe have developed and conducted initial validation of the SPARK tool to prioritise questions for systematic reviews in HPSR, along with a user manual. By aligning systematic review production to policy priorities, the tool will help support evidence-informed policymaking and reduce research waste. We invite others to contribute with additional real-life implementation of the tool.
Highlights
Groups or institutions funding or conducting systematic reviews in health policy and systems research (HPSR) should prioritise topics according to the needs of policymakers and stakeholders
Evidence from HPSR can help inform critical health systems decisions, including who delivers health services and where and how these services are financed and organised [5,6,7]. It can be used in the design and evaluation of innovative health system interventions that can help improve the quality of health services and reduce health inequities [8]
Step 1: Definition of the purpose and scope The tool is intended to prioritise questions of HPSR in order to address them in systematic reviews
Summary
Groups or institutions funding or conducting systematic reviews in health policy and systems research (HPSR) should prioritise topics according to the needs of policymakers and stakeholders. Evidence from HPSR can help inform critical health systems decisions, including who delivers health services and where and how these services are financed and organised [5,6,7]. A prioritisation process can increase the likelihood that the best available evidence informs health policy decision-making [13, 14]. It can promote optimal allocation of scarce resources in order to pursue the review questions that are likely to have a significant impact on knowledge, policy or practice [15]. A carefully-planned and inclusive priority setting process provides a platform for interaction and trust building among diverse stakeholders, both of which are important for the eventual uptake of research in decision-making [16, 17]
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