Improving the use of research evidence in guideline development: 15. Disseminating and implementing guidelines
2006

Improving the Use of Research Evidence in Guideline Development

publication Evidence: low

Author Information

Author(s): Atle Fretheim, Holger J. Schünemann, Andrew D. Oxman

Primary Institution: Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services

Hypothesis

What strategies can be implemented to improve the uptake of health care recommendations by decision-makers?

Conclusion

WHO needs to adopt more effective strategies for disseminating and implementing health care guidelines to ensure they are used appropriately.

Supporting Evidence

  • Most research on implementation strategies has focused on clinical practice guidelines.
  • Passive approaches to guideline dissemination are generally ineffective.
  • WHO needs to consider the benefits and costs of different implementation strategies.

Takeaway

This study looks at how to help doctors and health officials use the best research when making health recommendations.

Methodology

The review examined existing systematic reviews and relevant methodological research without conducting new systematic reviews.

Potential Biases

There is a risk of bias due to the lack of rigorous evaluations of implementation strategies.

Limitations

The evidence base for implementation strategies is weak, and many evaluations are not rigorous.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1478-4505-4-27

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