Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 Health Evidence Network (HEN) Outline HEN – why, what, who, how HEN dissemination Impact of HEN reports

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 Policy-makers have difficulty using evidence Findings from research are usually not tailor-made for policy-makers Evidence is usually difficult to find and difficult to put into use The style and language of research and synthesis reports is targeted to academic audiences

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 HEN bridges the gap between research and policy-making in public health

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 HEN products Synthesis reports Summaries Access to databases HEN mailbox service Network Members HTA-agencies All UN agencies Other national organizations Editorial Board 25 international members Consultants Prof. Egon Jonsson Dr Laura Sampietro Ms Carmen Ungueran Secretariat in WHO/EURO Dr Leena Eklund Ms Kate Willows Health Evidence Network

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 HEN Technical Members collaborate in 5 areas Collaboration: Collect questions for HEN Identify authors to produce synthesis reports Review HEN synthesis reports Disseminate results Publish 1-page summaries of partners’ reports on the HEN web site Members: 35 government agencies and other public institutions in the field of public health and health care All United Nations agencies with a mandate in health

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 HEN aims 1.to support policy-making by answering questions from decision makers 2.to provide easy access to a range of information and evidence

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 HEN has four means to achieve its aims HEN reports synthesising the best available evidence Summaries of existing reports Brief responses to questions coming from the HEN box Availability of selected policy-relevant documents and databases on the web

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 Examples of the 160 questions collected by HEN What is the efficacy/effectiveness of antenatal care? What are the main risk factors for disability in old age and how can disability be prevented? Which are the most effective and cost- effective interventions for tobacco control? Should mass screening for prostate cancer be introduced at the national level?

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 HEN has a 6-step process for synthesis preparation 1.Identifying the question 2.Identifying the group or professional to draft the answer 3.HEN initial review 4.Peer reviews (external and internal) 5.Final quality control by HEN 6.Final comments by author Questions come from:  Countries  WHO technical units  HEN network  HEN box

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 Policy-makers want short answers What is the efficacy/effectiveness of antenatal care? Antenatal care is necessary but should be kept at a simplified level What are the main risk factors for disability in old age and how can disability be prevented? Encourage the elderly to exercise Which are the most effective and cost- effective interventions for tobacco control? Permanent price increases and bans on advertising Should mass screening for prostate cancer be introduced at the national level? No

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 One-page summaries of Network members Are bigger hospitals better? What is the nature of hospital accreditation in Europe? Are routine dental checks useful? Which are the best strategies in treating dementia? What are the most effective strategies for reducing the rate of teenage pregnancies? What part does voluntary insurance play in European Union health care?

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006

Main dissemination tool Synthesis reports Information on HEN network Access to HEN box Access to other sources of evidence

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006

HEN Production and Citation 34 Reports published citations on 69 sites Europe 35 Australia/New Zeeland 7 Canada /USA 13 South America 1 Africa 1 International 7 Journals 5

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 Countries translate HEN into… Lithuanian: “What are the arguments for community-based mental health care?” French: “What are the arguments for community-based mental health care?” Italian: “What are the most effective and cost-effective interventions in alcohol control?” Spanish: “What evidence is there about the effects of health care reforms on gender equity, particularly in health?” Polish: “What are the best strategies for ensuring quality in hospitals?" Finnish: “What is the efficacy/effectiveness of antenatal care?” Chinese: “How can hospital performance be measured and monitored?” Turkish: “What are the advantages and disadvantages of restructuring a health care system to be more focused on primary care services?”

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 Who asks questions to the HEN mailbox? (n=259)

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 Number of HEN mailbox questions per month received Sept Dec 2005 Filter added, April 2005

Workshop on VHL and HEN, Sao Paulo, April 2006 HEN Recommended and Described Recommended by 17 agencies European 12 North America 3 Australia 1 World Bank 1 Described in detail by 47 agencies and publications European Region 23 North America 11 South America 1 Australia/New Zealand 3 International Agencies 9