Prioritizing clinical preventive services: a review and framework with implications for community preventive services

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Health Policy and Management

Background:

• Effective health service delivery hinges on robust prioritization methods.
• Existing prioritization efforts often lack clear rankings or decision-making guidance.
• Balancing short-term demands with long-term health objectives is a critical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel framework for setting priorities among health services.
• To guide decision-makers and clinicians in resource allocation and service selection.
• To facilitate a systematic approach to balancing competing demands in healthcare.

Main Methods:

• Development of a framework based on practical experience in prioritizing clinical preventive services.
• The framework addresses scope, criteria selection, evidence review, and results presentation.
• Guidance is provided for evaluating the fit of prioritization criteria.

Main Results:

• A comprehensive framework is proposed to aid in health service prioritization.
• The framework offers structured guidance for decision-making processes.
• It facilitates the balancing of short-term needs against long-term healthcare goals.

Conclusions:

• The proposed framework offers a systematic approach to health service prioritization.
• It is adaptable for prioritizing clinical preventive services and can serve as a starting point for other health services.
• The framework aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare resource allocation.