McMaster Health Forum
December, 2011
Website: <http://bit.ly/tdZgSi>
Health Systems Evidence is a valuable resource for policymakers,
stakeholders and researchers seeking to address today’s most
pressing health challenges. It provides answers on questions
about how to strengthen or reform health systems, or how to get
cost-effective programs, services and drugs to those who need them.
The redeveloped website offers numerous enhancements, including
new open search and advanced search functionalities, and is available
in seven languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Portuguese,
Russian and Spanish.
Health Systems Evidence, a continuously updated repository of
syntheses of research evidence about health system governance,
financial and delivery arrangements, has expanded dramatically since
its launch less than two years ago. It also includes syntheses of
research about implementation strategies that can support change in
health systems, and is now adding economic evaluations in these
same domains, descriptions of health system reforms, and descriptions
of health systems.
The database currently contains nearly 2,000 records that are coded
with additional details such as the quality of the synthesis, how
recently the search for the studies was conducted, and the countries
in which the studies included in the synthesis were conducted.
Key findings of the documents are available through links to
user-friendly summaries written by any of nine groups in the world.
Other enhancements added with the relaunch of Health Systems
Evidence include a comprehensive synonyms dictionary that cuts
through the different jargon in use within and across countries, a filter
that allows users to identify evidence that targets low- and middle-
income countries, and a customizable evidence service that will provide
monthly email alerts identifying new documents available in the
database specific to someone’s individual interests.
Video tutorial about Health Systems Evidence - <http://bit.ly/tf88y9>
on how to make the best use of the site is provided, which will assist
users to rapidly identify the best available research on a particular
health system topic.