The DOI matches its Crossref record; 32 of the 32 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Use of evidence in WHO recommendations
Open accessAbstract
Background WHO regulations, dating back to 1951, emphasise the role of expert opinion in the development of recommendations. However, the organisation's guidelines, approved in 2003, emphasise the use of systematic reviews for evidence of effects, processes that allow for the explicit incorporation of other types of information (including values), and evidence-informed dissemination and implementation strategies. We examined the use of evidence, particularly evidence of effects, in recommendations developed by WHO departments.Methods We interviewed department directors (or their delegates) at WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, and reviewed a sample of the recommendation-containing reports that were discussed in the interviews (as well as related background documentation). Two individuals independently analysed the interviews and reviewed key features of the reports and background documentation.Findings Systematic reviews and concise summaries of findings are rarely used for developing recommendations. Instead, processes usually rely heavily on experts in a particular specialty, rather than representatives of those who will have to live with the recommendations or on experts in particular methodological areas.Interpretation Progress in the development, adaptation, dissemination, and implementation of recommendations for member states will need leadership, the resources necessary for WHO to undertake these processes in a transparent and defensible way, and close attention to the current and emerging research literature related to these processes.
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“Without international guidelines, healthcare professionals in already resource strapped settings may be pushed to rely on unvalidated information, leading to patient harm”
From Global Burden of Skin Disease: Inequities and Innovations (2017) · cites this paper as [32]
Citations
Cites
Effectiveness and efficiency of guideline dissemination and implementation strategies
Grimshaw, J., Thomas, R., MacLennan, G., Fraser, C., Ramsay, C., Vale, L., Whitty, P., Eccles, M., Matowe, L., Shirran, L., et al. (2004) · Health Technology Assessment · doi:10.3310/hta8060 · Cited by 3,044
Consensus development methods, and their use in clinical guideline development.
Murphy, M., Black, Lamping, McKee, M., Sanderson, Askham, & Marteau (1998) · Health Technology Assessment · doi:10.3310/hta2030 · Cited by 2,076
Grimshaw, J., Shirran, L., Thomas, R. E., Mowatt, G., Fraser, C. M., Bero, L. A., Grilli, R. G., Harvey, E., Oxman, A., & O’Brien, M. A. (2001) · Medical Care · doi:10.1097/00005650-200108002-00002 · Cited by 1,805
Self-citation(2001) · PubMed · Cited by 1,709
Self-citationSystematic Reviews: Rationale for systematic reviews
Mulrow, C. D. (1994) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.309.6954.597 · Cited by 1,677
(2003) · Quality and Safety in Health Care · doi:10.1136/qhc.12.1.18 · Cited by 1,446
Health policy-makers' perceptions of their use of evidence: a systematic review
Innvær, S., Vist, G., Trommald, M., & Oxman, A. (2002) · Journal of Health Services Research & Policy · doi:10.1258/135581902320432778 · Cited by 1,006
Self-citationAre Guidelines Following Guidelines?
Shaneyfelt, T. M., Mayo‐Smith, M. F., & Rothwangl, J. (1999) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.281.20.1900 · Cited by 853
National Institute for Clinical Excellence and its value judgments
Rawlins, M. D., & Culyer, A. J. (2004) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7459.224 · Cited by 775
Practice guidelines developed by specialty societies: the need for a critical appraisal
Grilli, R. G., Magrini, N., Penna, A., Mura, G., & Liberati, A. (2000) · The Lancet · doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(99)02171-6 · Cited by 670
Research works printed but not linked: 2
- Gove, 1997, Integrated management of childhood illness by outpatient health workers: technical basis and overview, Bull World Health Organ, 75, 7
- Burgers, 2003, Towards evidence-based clinical practice: an international survey of 18 clinical guideline programs, Int J Qual Health Care, 15, 31, 10.1093/intqhc/15.1.31 · DOI
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Defining knowledge translation
Straus, S. E., Tetroe, J., & Graham, I. D. (2009) · Canadian Medical Association Journal · doi:10.1503/cmaj.081229 · Cited by 984
“Similarly, evidence from systematic reviews has been found to be used infrequently by WHO policy-makers.(12) Dobbins and colleagues(13) observed that, although systematic reviews were used in making guidelines for public health in Ontario, the recommendations were not adopted at the level of policy.”
Knowledge Translation in Health Care: Moving from Evidence to Practice
(2009) · International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance · doi:10.1108/ijhcqa.2009.06222fae.002 · Cited by 689
Knowledge translation is the use of knowledge in health care decision making
Straus, S. E., Tetroe, J. M., & Graham, I. D. (2011) · Journal of Clinical Epidemiology · doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2009.08.016 · Cited by 383
“Similarly, evidence from systematic reviews was not frequently used by World Health Organization policy makers [13].”
Oxman, A. D., Lavis, J. N., Lewin, S. A., & Fretheim, A. (2009) · Health Research Policy and Systems · doi:10.1186/1478-4505-7-s1-s1 · Cited by 399
Self-citationGlobal Burden of Skin Disease: Inequities and Innovations
Seth, D., Cheldize, K., Brown, D., & Freeman, E. E. (2017) · Current Dermatology Reports · doi:10.1007/s13671-017-0192-7 · Cited by 366
Metadata
- Authors
- Oxman, A. D., Lavis, J. N., & Fretheim, A.
- Affiliations
- Nasjonalt Kunnskapssenter for Helsetjenesten (NO)
- McMaster University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Oxman, Andrew D
- Venue
- The Lancet
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2007-06
- Volume
- 369
- Issue
- 9576
- Pages
- 1883-1889
- ISSN
- 0099-5355 (ISSN-L)
- 0140-6736
- OpenAlex
- W2112003434
- Cited by
- 287
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 14 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 81 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 23.26
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- hdl.handle.net
- Licence
- Locations
- The Lancet (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- BIBSYS Brage (BIBSYS (Norway)) (acceptedVersion)
- NORA - Norwegian Open Research Archives (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Clinical practice guidelines implementation
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › General Health Professions › Health Policy Implementation Science
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Delphi Technique in Research
- Keywords
- World Health Organization, health advice, evidence use, systematic reviews, expert opinion, evidence-informed decision-making, WHO guidelines, dissemination and implementation
- MeSH terms
- Expert Testimony, Health Planning Guidelines, Health Policy, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Physician Executives, World Health Organization, Evidence-Based Medicine
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