Production, use, dissemination, and training in Cochrane systematic reviews for patient-centered outcomes and health decision-making in Bangladesh: a scoping review

ID: 

331

Session: 

Poster session 3

Date: 

Tuesday 18 September 2018 - 12:30 to 14:00

All authors in correct order:

Shahrook S1, Mori R2
1 Population Health Research Institute, A Joint Institute of McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences, David Braley Cardiac, Vascular and Stroke Research Institute (DBCVSRI), Canada
2 Department of Health Policy, National Center for Child Health and Development, Japan
Presenting author and contact person

Presenting author:

Rintaro Mori

Contact person:

Rintaro Mori
Sadequa Shahrook
Abstract text
Background: The importance of evidence-based research and practice to support public health and policy decision-making is indispensable in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). Cochrane systematic reviews (CSR) form the heart of optimal guidance, clinical practice and shared decision making in high-income countries. Since Cochrane's inception in 1993, we have wanted to study where the Cochrane mission stands in the context of Bangladesh, especially at top academic institutes, organisations and the government, and particularly in health policy and health systems research (HP&HSR).

Objectives: To assess the production, use, promotion and training status of CSRs in Bangladesh for better health outcomes.

Methods: We searched the Cochrane Library and major electronic databases using free key words or concepts (29 December 2017), with particular focus on leading universities and organisations (central library or repository) including Google.

Results: The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh's Centres for systematic reviews of HP&HSR in LMICs is the front-runner: including numerous ongoing reviews, it published a CSR on social franchising and access to/quality of health services in LMICs involving Bangladeshi authors. Capacity-building initiatives are promising e.g. forming science base, training of medical/health professionals, engaging with stakeholders e.g. health systems researchers and undoubtedly the most warranted partner ever, the government health officials/policy makers. We found another CSR (Bangladeshi author/team composition) assessing diarrhoea vaccines. We couldn’t find any Cochrane happenings by Bangladesh Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. For the Independent University we retrieved old materials (2007 to 2010), e.g. workshop presentations. For many leading universities including BRAC University and James P Grant School of Public Health we retrieved no records and home page search fields were unable to perform basic searches, or pulled up (tertiary public medical institutions) Google/Custom search results.

Conclusions: Cochrane activities are significantly limited in Bangladesh, with little leadership from the key stakeholders. Evidence-based research can be impactful by involving patients or healthcare consumers and strategies to make this happen await future research.

Relevance to patients and consumers: 

The value of training, production, dissemination and practice of evidence-based research in Bangladesh is indispensable to strengthen health systems for enhanced care services, delivery and ultimately, patient-centered outcomes. To our best of knowledge, for the first time, this evidence indicates where evidence-based research is currently positioned in Bangladesh, the major stakeholders that are involved in, and to what extent and where evidence-based research and practice need to be improved. If patients are to be positioned in the heart of the health systems, planning and implementation of context-sensitive strategies are essential.