Introduction
Methods
N | % | |
---|---|---|
Gender
| ||
Male | 81 | 62% |
Female | 49 | 38% |
Country where researchers are currently working
| ||
Lebanon | 19 | 13% |
Palestine | 19 | 13% |
USA | 14 | 10% |
Jordan | 13 | 9% |
Oman | 10 | 7% |
Syria | 9 | 6% |
Morocco | 7 | 5% |
Yemen | 6 | 4% |
Egypt | 5 | 4% |
Bahrain | 5 | 4% |
UK | 5 | 4% |
Sudan | 4 | 3% |
Saudi Arabia | 3 | 2% |
Canada | 3 | 2% |
Iran | 3 | 2% |
Kuwait | 2 | 1% |
Iraq | 2 | 1% |
Germany | 2 | 1% |
Italy | 2 | 1% |
Libya | 1 | 1% |
Mali | 1 | 1% |
Switzerland | 1 | 1% |
Qatar | 1 | 1% |
Nigeria | 1 | 1% |
France | 1 | 1% |
Ireland | 1 | 1% |
Sweden | 1 | 1% |
Denmark | 1 | 1% |
Age
| ||
Mean (Standard Deviation) | 48.77 (9.87) | |
Degrees (the 133 respondents were allowed to choose multiple degrees)
| ||
PhD | 91 | 68% |
MD | 79 | 59% |
MS | 55 | 41% |
BS | 50 | 38% |
MPH | 23 | 17% |
MBA | 16 | 12% |
Diploma | 10 | 8% |
MA | 8 | 6% |
BA | 7 | 5% |
BSN | 7 | 5% |
Other | 3 | 2% |
Midwife | 2 | 2% |
MSN | 2 | 2% |
PharmD | 1 | 1% |
Main research domains
| ||
Other public health related research | 100 | 57% |
Health Systems and Policy | 75 | 43% |
Type of institution where respondents work
| ||
Academic University | 112 | 84% |
Teaching hospital setting | 46 | 35% |
Government department or agency | 25 | 19% |
Regional health authority or equivalent | 13 | 10% |
Research Institute (not within a University) | 12 | 9% |
Non-teaching hospital setting | 7 | 5% |
Total N (%) | 95% Confidence Interval | |
---|---|---|
Transferring research frequently or always to the following categories of potential users
| ||
Other researchers or academic institutions (e.g., conferences, forums). | 88 (67%) | 57.77% to 73.76% |
Policy makers in the government (e.g., Ministry of Health, Ministry of Social Affairs, Ministry of Education,...). | 53 (41%) | 31.93% to 48.34% |
Service providers (e.g., clinicians, nurses, pharmacists,...). | 44 (34%) | 25.66% to 41.46% |
Directors in healthcare institutions (e.g., hospitals, Primary Healthcare Centers). | 36 (28%) | 20.24% to 35.18% |
Directors in donor agencies (e.g., United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations, World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO),...). | 35 (27%) | 19.57% to 34.39% |
General public or service recipients (e.g., citizens, patients, clients). | 27 (21%) | 14.34% to 27.93% |
Directors of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). | 25 (19%) | 13.07% to 26.28% |
Directors in a health professional association or group (e.g., Syndicate of Hospitals, Order of Physicians, Order of Nurses). | 22 (17%) | 11.18% to 23.78% |
Knowledge transfer and exchange activities conducted frequently or always in relation to the production and dissemination of evidence
| ||
Produce articles and reports of high priority to health policy and systems. | 54 (41%) | 32.63% to 49.10% |
Translate high priority policy concerns into priority research themes and/or questions. | 48 (37%) | 28.42% to 44.54% |
Disseminate articles and reports to health policy makers and stakeholders. | 35 (27%) | 19.57% to 34.39% |
Disseminate messages that specified possible actions to health policy makers and stakeholders. | 32 (24%) | 17.59% to 31.99% |
Provide health policy makers and stakeholders with research results through the web (emails, newsletters, listserves) | 26 (20%) | 13.70% to 27.10% |
Produce policy briefs to inform discussions of high priority policy issues | 19 (15%) | 9.34% to 21.24% |
Contacting and exchanging research frequently or always with health policy makers and stakeholders
| ||
Involved policy makers and stakeholders but had difficulty contacting them. | 38 (29%) | 21.58% to 36.77% |
Provided technical assistance to policy makers and stakeholders through short-term work through expert advisory committees, conferences, or forums. | 38 (29%) | 21.58% to 36.77% |
Interacted with health policy makers and stakeholders through informal conversations with personal contacts. | 36 (28%) | 20.24% to 35.18% |
Participated in meetings for presentation of results from HPSR and/or your own research to health policy makers and stakeholders. | 35 (27%) | 19.57% to 34.39% |
Actively participated in health policy development committees or technical committees that help in decision making. | 34 (26%) | 18.91% to 33.59% |
Provided technical assistance through long-term formal collaborations between your institution and policy makers and stakeholders for sustained technical capacity development. | 30 (23%) | 16.28% to 30.37% |
Involved policy makers and stakeholders in your research (in the development of joint proposals/research methodology and tools/analysis & write-up/publications). | 26 (20%) | 13.70% to 27.10% |
Interacted with health policy makers and stakeholders as part of a priority-setting process to identify high-priority health policy issues and research themes. | 21 (16%) | 10.57% to 22.93% |
Trained health policy makers and stakeholders to acquire, assess, interpret, and apply health research findings. | 21 (16%) | 10.57% to 22.93% |
Interacted with credible messengers/sources (i.e., people who are not researchers but are seen by policy makers and stakeholders as credible sources of research) to promote use of evidence from HPSR and/or your own research | 20 (15%) | 9.95% to 22.09% |
Developed relationships with print, radio and/or television journalists to promote use of evidence from HPSR and/or your own research. | 17 (13%) | 8.14% to 19.52% |
Total N (%) | |
---|---|
Answered 'Yes' to the following questions regarding their skills and training for KTE activities
| |
Undertook any knowledge transfer and exchange activities | 77 (58%) |
Feel that they have sufficient skills and training to produce Systematic reviews | 73 (66%) |
Produced Newspaper articles | 65 (59%) |
Produced Systematic Reviews (e.g., reviews of the research literature that follows explicit rules to reduce bias in searching the literature, identifying eligible articles, extracting data, etc.) | 53 (48%) |
Feel that they have sufficient skills and training to produce Policy briefs | 50 (46%) |
Produced Policy briefs | 45 (41%) |
Had training on how to communicate research evidence to policymakers and stakeholders | 25 (23%) |
Consider that their engagement/exchange with policymakers and stakeholders compromises their intellectual and academic independence | 19 (14%) |
Total N (%) | 95% Confidence Interval | |
---|---|---|
Agreed or Strongly Agreed with the following statements concerning the support for knowledge transfer and exchange in country/region
| ||
Policymakers and stakeholders have access to HPSR through a network of researchers or academic institutions. | 60 (46%) | 36.91% to 53.59% |
Policymakers and stakeholders have access to HPSR through a searchable database with an Internet connection within their organization. | 59 (45%) | 336.19% to 52.84% |
Policymakers and stakeholders show little regard for the value of evidence. | 56 (43%) | 34.05% to 50.60% |
Policymakers and stakeholders have the expertise for acquiring, assessing quality and local applicability of HPSR, and applying it in health policymaking. | 40 (31%) | 22.93% to 38.34% |
Policymakers and stakeholders systematically access HPSR (i.e., regularly search databases for HPSR) in your country. | 27 (21%) | 14.34% to 27.93% |
Agreed or Strongly Agreed with the following statements on use of evidence from HPSR by health policymakers and stakeholders in your country/region
| ||
Lack of coordination between policymakers and researchers hindered the use of evidence from HPSR in the health policymaking process. | 85 (65%) | 55.46% to 71.58% |
Policymakers and stakeholders consider that the available evidence has little practical policy applications. | 52 (40%) | 31.22% to 47.59% |
Evidence from HPSR was not presented to policymakers and stakeholders in a timely manner and in a format that they can understand. | 48 (37%) | 28.42% to 44.54% |
Policymakers and stakeholders do not use scientific evidence in the policymaking process whenever it is available and supplied to them. | 37 (28%) | 20.91% to 35.98% |
Evidence from HPSR did not help health policymakers and stakeholders to identify and/or choose policy alternatives. | 30 (23%) | 16.28% to 30.37% |
Evidence from HPSR did not help raise health policymakers and stakeholders' awareness on policy issues. | 30 (23%) | 16.28% to 30.37% |
Policymakers and stakeholders consider that the available evidence lacks credibility. | 19 (15%) | 9.34% to 21.24% |
Agreed or Strongly Agreed with the following statements on investments and resources available for the production and transfer and exchange of evidence from HPSR
| ||
Funding sources (e.g., granting agencies) encourage knowledge transfer and exchange activities. | 73 (65%) | 46.41% to 63.09% |
International funding is available for undertaking HPSR. | 55 (50%) | 33.34% to 49.85% |
Funders formulate their priorities and calls for proposals in response to national and regional needs. | 52 (47%) | 31.22% to 47.59% |
Regional funding is available for undertaking HPSR. | 42 (38%) | 24.29% to 39.90% |
National funding is available for undertaking HPSR. | 38 (34%) | 21.58% to 36.77% |
Incentives for knowledge transfer and exchange are available (e.g., performance incentives for knowledge transfer and exchange and proper criteria of promotion) within your organization | 26 (23%) | 13.70% to 27.10% |
Policymakers and stakeholders clearly articulate priorities for health systems and policy research. | 23 (21%) | 11.81% to 24.61% |
Policymakers and stakeholders provide adequate funding for priority research. | 22 (20%) | 11.18% to 23.78% |
Agreed or Strongly Agreed with the following factors
that influence the use of evidence in health policymaking in the region
| ||
Use of evidence from HPSR in policy was hindered by insufficient policy dialogue opportunities, networking, and collaboration between researchers and policymakers and stakeholders. | 72 (68%) | 45.67% to 62.37% |
Use of evidence from HPSR in policy was hindered by practical constraints to implementation such as financial implications. | 70 (66%) | 44.19% to 60.92% |
Use of evidence from HPSR in policy was hindered by a non-receptive policy environment. | 65 (61%) | 40.53% to 57.28% |
Use of evidence from HPSR in policy was hindered by findings that were politically sensitive or were inconsistent with a policy direction. | 61 (58%) | 37.63% to 54.33% |
Agreed or Strongly Agreed with the following factors that influence health policymaking in the region
| ||
Lack of coordination in governmental/ministerial relations across different ministries (such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, etc.) hindered the health policymaking process. | 82 (82%) | 53.17% to 69.48% |
Policy formulation is usually based on internal Ministry of Health discussions, donor preferences, and ad hoc process rather than evidence based processes. | 76 (76%) | 48.65% to 65.24% |
There is insufficient information about how health policies are being made. | 74 (73%) | 47.16% to 63.81% |
Lack of coordination in government/health provider relations hindered the health policymaking process. | 70 (70%) | 44.19% to 60.92% |
Limited health funding exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. | 62 (62%) | 38.35% to 55.07% |
Donor organizations (e.g., United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations, World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO)) exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. | 59 (59%) | 36.19% to 52.84% |
Values of governing parties exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. | 50 (50%) | 29.82% to 46.07% |
Media exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. | 47 (47%) | 27.73% to 43.77% |
Other countries' health policies exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. | 43 (43%) | 24.97% to 40.68% |
Physician associations exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. | 37 (37%) | 20.91% to 35.98% |
Public opinion exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. | 32 (32%) | 17.59% to 31.99% |
Private health providers exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. | 29 (29%) | 15.63% to 29.56% |
Private insurers exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. | 27 (27%) | 14.34% to 27.93% |
Research about problems related to healthcare or health systems exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. | 25 (25%) | 13.07% to 26.28% |
Other types of health professional associations exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process (e.g., Syndicate of hospitals). | 22 (22%) | 11.18% to 23.78% |
Nursing associations exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. | 6 (6%) | 2.08% to 9.49% |
Sampling
Survey administration
Data analysis
Results
Quantitative section
Descriptive analysis
Total N (%) | |
---|---|
Answered 'Yes' to the following statements regarding their needs to support KTE activities
| |
Knowledge transfer and exchange support units/institutional mechanisms in academic institutions | 91 (68%) |
Funding for knowledge transfer and exchange as part of the research process | 83 (62%) |
Training on communicating evidence from research to policymakers and stakeholders | 78 (59%) |
Knowledge brokers (i.e., people who bring researchers and their target audiences together and build relationships among them to make knowledge transfer and exchange more effective) | 60 (45%) |
Web support | 50 (78%) |
Other | 11 (8%) |
Linear regression models
Researchers' engagement in transferring research to policymakers and providers organizations
Transferring research to policymakers | Transferring research to providers organizations | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Beta† (Standard Error) | P-Value | Beta (Standard Error) | P-Value | |
Constant | 0.368 (0.493) | 0.457 | 0.364 (0.493) | 0.505 |
Frequency of undertaking each of these knowledge transfer and exchange activities related to contact and exchange with health policymakers and stakeholders
| ||||
1- Interacted with credible messengers/sources (i.e., people who are not researchers but are seen by policymakers and stakeholders as credible sources of research) to promote use of evidence from HPSR and/or your own research | -0.022 (0.081) | 0.817 | 0.127 (0.089) | 0.229 |
2- Developed relationships with print, radio and/or television journalists to promote use of evidence from HPSR and/or your own research. | 0.229 (0.091) |
0.026
| -0.168 (0.101) | 0.142 |
3- Participated in meetings for presentation of results from HPSR and/or your own research to health policymakers and stakeholders. | -0.027 (0.091) | 0.805 | 0.008 (0.100) | 0.946 |
4- Tried to involve policymakers and stakeholders but had difficulty contacting them. | -0.033 (0.068) | 0.699 | 0.301 (0.075) |
0.002
|
5- Provided technical assistance to policymakers and stakeholders through short-term work through expert advisory committees, conferences, or forums. | 0.03 (0.106) | 0.819 | -0.402 (0.116) |
0.008
|
6- Provided technical assistance through long-term formal collaborations between your institution and policymakers and stakeholders for sustained technical capacity development. | 0.012 (0.111) | 0.931 | 0.296 (0.122) | 0.056 |
7- Interacted with health policymakers and stakeholders through informal conversations with personal contacts. | 0.056 (0.091) | 0.584 | -0.007 (0.100) | 0.948 |
8- Interacted with health policymakers and stakeholders as part of a priority-setting process to identify high-priority health policy issues and research themes. | 0.196 (0.118) | 0.144 | 0.114 (0.13) | 0.446 |
9- Involved policymakers and stakeholders in your research (in the development of joint proposals/research methodology and tools/analysis & write-up/publications). | 0.314 (0.091) |
0.004
| 0.314 (0.100) |
0.01
|
10- Actively participated in health policy development committees or technical committees that help in decisionmaking. | 0.079 (0.084) | 0.447 | 0.103 (0.092) | 0.38 |
11- Trained health policymakers and stakeholders to acquire, assess, interpret, and apply health research findings. | 0.025 (0.081) | 0.799 | 0.106 (0.089) | 0.345 |
Investments/resources available to you for the production and transfer and exchange of evidence from HPSR
| ||||
1. National funding is available for undertaking HPSR. | -0.062 (0.091) | 0.554 | 0.178 (0.100) | 0.133 |
2- Regional funding is available for undertaking HPSR. | -0.066 (0.103) | 0.539 | 0.00 (0.113) | 0.998 |
3- International funding is available for undertaking HPSR. | 0.346 (0.105) |
0.001
| -0.131 (0.116) | 0.239 |
4- Funding sources (e.g., granting agencies) encourage knowledge transfer and exchange activities. | 0.021 (0.084) | 0.801 | 0.203 (0.093) |
0.028
|
5- Funders formulate their priorities and calls for proposals in response to national and regional needs. | 0.011 (0.089) | 0.91 | -0.003 (0.098) | 0.977 |
6- Policymakers and stakeholders provide adequate funding for priority research. | 0.068 (0.093) | 0.487 | 0.037 (0.102) | 0.739 |
7- Policymakers and stakeholders clearly articulate priorities for health systems and policy research. | -0.198 (0.108) | 0.078 | 0.03 (0.119) | 0.81 |
8- Incentives for knowledge transfer and exchange are available (e.g., performance incentives for knowledge transfer and exchange and proper criteria of promotion) within your organization. | -0.036 (0.077) | 0.655 | -0.028 (0.085) | 0.755 |
Adjusted R2
| 0.465 | 0.331 | ||
F | 6.030 | 3.8585 | ||
P-value | < 0.001 | < 0.001 | ||
N | 110 | 110 |
Researchers' engagement in the production and dissemination of evidence
Production and dissemination of evidence | ||
---|---|---|
Beta (Standard Error) |
P-Value
| |
Constant | 0.786 (0.348) |
0.026
|
Frequency of undertaking each of these knowledge transfer and exchange activities related to contact and exchange with health policymakers and stakeholders
| ||
1- Interacted with credible messengers/sources (i.e., people who are not researchers but are seen by policymakers and stakeholders as credible sources of research) to promote use of evidence from HPSR and/or your own research | 0.017 (0.057) | 0.825 |
2- Developed relationships with print, radio and/or television journalists to promote use of evidence from HPSR and/or your own research. | 0.071 (0.065) | 0.398 |
3- Participated in meetings for presentation of results from HPSR and/or your own research to health policymakers and stakeholders. | 0.172 (0.064) | 0.058 |
4- Tried to involve policymakers and stakeholders but had difficulty contacting them. | 0.087 (0.048) | 0.211 |
5- Provided technical assistance to policymakers and stakeholders through short-term work through expert advisory committees, conferences, or forums. | 0.033 (0.075) | 0.766 |
6- Provided technical assistance through long- term formal collaborations between your institution and policymakers and stakeholders for sustained technical capacity development. | -0.025 (0.078) | 0.824 |
7- Interacted with health policymakers and stakeholders through informal conversations with personal contacts. | 0.053 (0.064) | 0.526 |
8- Interacted with health policymakers and stakeholders as part of a priority-setting process to identify high-priority health policy issues and research themes. | 0.364 (0.084) |
0.001
|
9- Involved policymakers and stakeholders in your research (in the development of joint proposals/research methodology and tools/analysis & write-up/publications). | 0.019 (0.064) | 0.833 |
10- Actively participated in health policy development committees or technical committees that help in decisionmaking. | 0.121 (0.059) | 0.161 |
11- Trained health policymakers and stakeholders to acquire, assess, interpret, and apply health research findings. | 0.19 (0.057) |
0.023
|
Investments/resources available to you for the production and transfer and exchange of evidence from HPSR
| ||
1. National funding is available for undertaking HPSR. | 0.125 (0.064) | 0.154 |
2- Regional funding is available for undertaking HPSR. | -0.12 (0.073) | 0.181 |
3- International funding is available for undertaking HPSR. | 0.105 (0.074) | 0.202 |
4- Funding sources (e.g., granting agencies) encourage knowledge transfer and exchange activities. | -0.08 (0.06) | 0.234 |
5- Funders formulate their priorities and calls for proposals in response to national and regional needs. | 0.072 (0.063) | 0.359 |
6- Policymakers and stakeholders provide adequate funding for priority research. | -0.049 (0.065) | 0.55 |
7- Policymakers and stakeholders clearly articulate priorities for health systems and policy research. | -0.009 (0.076) | 0.92 |
8- Incentives for knowledge transfer and exchange are available (e.g., performance incentives for knowledge transfer and exchange and proper criteria of promotion) within your organization. | -0.064 (0.054) | 0.342 |
Adjusted R2
| 0.634 | |
F | 11.040 | |
P-value | < 0.001 | |
N | 110 |
Responses to Open-Ended Questions
Researchers' recent KTE activities and most effective strategies
Examples on the formulation of a health policy where evidence was available but not used, available and used, or needed but not available
Formulation of a health policy where evidence was available but not used (n = 43) | Formulation of a health policy where evidence was available and used (n = 39) | Formulation of a health policy where evidence was needed but was not available (n = 40) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
• Evidence- based practice and healthcare quality | 9(21%) | • Establishing screening programs for chronic diseases | 11(28%) | • Reproductive health and maternal health | 7(18%) |
• Health financing especially national health insurance | 7(16%) | • Establishing prevention programs for infectious diseases | 7(18%) | • Implementing healthcare quality procedures and measuring performance | 5(13%) |
• Tobacco control | 4(9%) | • Nutrition | 4(10%) | • HIV Transmission and prevalence | 4(10%) |
Formulation of a health policy where evidence was available but not used
Formulation of a health policy where evidence was available and used
Formulation of a health policy where evidence was needed but not available
Barriers and facilitators to the use of evidence in policymaking of health policymaking and strategies to improve evidence to policy
Barriers to evidence-informed policies (n = 150) | Facilitators to evidence-informed policies (n = 83) | Strategies to improve evidence to policy (n = 119) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
• Lack of funding for health research | 30(20%) | • Communication and networking | 15(18%) | • Communication, networking, and dialogue | 24(20%) |
• Over-riding political forces | 19(13%) | • Availability of funding for health research | 15(18%) | • Increase funding and investments in health research | 16(13%) |
• Lack of political will and corruption | 15(10%) | • Availability of health research on policy priorities | 10(12%) | • Build capacity of policymakers | 9(8%) |
• Lack of communication and insufficient dialogue | 14(9%) | • Political pressure to use research in policymaking in certain fields | 7(8%) | • Train researchers on conducting health systems and policy research and KTE strategies | 7(6%) |
• Lack of appropriately trained policymakers in use of evidence | 13(9%) | • Wide dissemination of research | 5(6%) | • Improve dissemination of research | 7(6%) |
• Belief in the importance of evidence-informed policymaking | 4(5%) | • Conduct sensitization and awareness workshops on evidence informed policymaking | 6(5%) | ||
• Public opinion and stakeholders pressures | 4(5%) | • Provide incentives or legislations for policymakers to use evidence in policymaking | 6(5%) |