Developing a decision aid to guide public sector health policy decisions: a study protocol

Area of Science:

• Health Policy Research
• Decision Science
• Evidence-Informed Policy Making

Background:

• Existing decision aids are primarily for clinical contexts, not the complex policy environment.
• Health policy decision-making requires integrating diverse evidence types, including non-research-based factors.
• There is a gap in structured guidance for health policymakers to make evidence-informed decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a decision aid for public sector health policy makers.
• To facilitate the systematic incorporation of research evidence and other factors into policy decisions.
• To support transparent policy decisions that balance all relevant considerations for population health.

Main Methods:

• A three-phase approach: modified meta-narrative review, focus groups, and Delphi method.
• Meta-narrative review to identify policy decision factors and desirable methodological features.
• Focus groups and Delphi method to refine the decision aid with end-user input.

Main Results:

• A working version of a decision aid for population-based health policy decisions.
• Identification of key factors and methodological guidance for policy decision-making.
• Refinement of the decision aid through iterative feedback from potential users.

Conclusions:

• The developed decision aid provides a structured approach for health policymakers.
• It addresses the need for systematic integration of diverse evidentiary sources.
• The aid aims to enhance the transparency and evidence base of population health policy.