The utilisation of health research in policy-making: concepts, examples and methods of assessment

The importance of health research utilisation in policy-making, and of understanding the mechanisms involved, is increasingly recognised. Recent reports calling for more resources to improve health in developing countries, and global pressures for accountability, draw greater attention to research-informed policy-making. Key utilisation issues have been described for at least twenty years, but the growing focus on health research systems creates additional dimensions.The utilisation of health research in policy-making should contribute to policies that may eventually lead to desired outcomes, including health gains. In this article, exploration of these issues is combined with a review of various forms of…

• WB
  World Bank Group
• WH
  World Health Organization
• HR
  Health Resources and Services Administration
• AF
  Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research
• TU
  Tufts University School of Medicine