The policy process

Evidence based health policies are considered critical to improving health systems performance; and yet definitions of ‘evidence-based health policy’ are varied. The most common interpretation of ‘evidence’ for health policymaking as found in the literature is the systematic review; however this has been criticized as being too narrow. Bowen and Zwi divide evidence that informs policy processes into five categories – research; knowledge and information; ideas and interests; politics; and economics. The evidence base for health policy can come from various types of data, depending on the policy being formulated.

Countries participating in FHS have planned to do substantive work in specific areas of health systems improvement. Many of these studies involve influencing health policy at various levels, either as a direct or indirect outcome of the proposed work. FHS has also been working to develop a framework and conceptual ideas around policy processes with a special focus on how research influences policies. At the same time, the need for systematic analysis of strategies to promote integration of research into policy processes is clear; the FHS consortium will respond to this gap in the global pool of knowledge.

Further reading

Syed SB, Hyder AA, Bloom G, Sundaram S, Bhuiya A, Zhenzhong Z, Kanjilal B, Oladepo O, Pariyo G, Peters DH and Future Health Systems: Innovations for Equity. Exploring evidence-policy linkages in health research plans: A case study from six countries. BioMed Central Health Research Policy and Systems. 2008; 6:4. doi:10.1186/1478-4505-6-4

Syed SB, Hyder AA. Evidence to action needs research (letter to editor). Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 2007; 85(9):732.