Priority setting and health policy and systems research

Area of Science:

• Health Systems Research
• Health Policy
• Research Priority Setting

Background:

• Health policy and systems research (HPSR) is vital for scaling interventions.
• Existing research priority setting often inadequately incorporates HPSR.
• Millennium Development Goals highlighted the need for effective HPSR.

Purpose of the Study:

• Assess current priority setting methods for HPSR inclusion.
• Identify lessons for enhancing HPSR priority setting.
• Promote developing country leadership in research agendas.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of priority setting processes based on level, comprehensiveness, approach (technical vs. interpretive), and stakeholders.
• Evaluation of how HPSR is valued within different priority setting frameworks.

Main Results:

• Technical, disease-driven priority setting systematically undervalues HPSR.
• Nationally-driven, interpretive approaches engaging diverse stakeholders are more effective for HPSR.
• Need for defined methods to balance disease-specific research with HPSR.

Conclusions:

• Improved methods are needed to guide research funders in allocating resources between HPSR and disease-specific research.
• Country-level research priority setting is essential for HPSR.
• Global HPSR priorities should be informed by national priorities.