PAHO and the Center for Health Technology Assessment (CETS) of the National Institute of Health of Peru offered a workshop to promote internationally recommended standards and processes for evidence-informed decision-making.
Peruvian experts participated on August 22, and 23 in this workshop aimed at the actors responsible for the Health Technology Assessments with Multicriteria Evaluation carried out by the National Network for Health Technology Assessment (RENETSA), which produces products that include the development of evidence syntheses, rapid reviews, clinical practice guidelines, and technology assessment reports.
The workshop was led by Dr. Hernan Rodriguez, Health Systems and Services Advisor, PAHO Peru; Dr. Ludovic Reveiz, Regional Advisor; and Dr. Marcela Torres, consultant of the Science and Knowledge for Impact Unit of PAHO's Evidence and Health Action Intelligence Department.
The workshop lasted a day and a half and was held at PAHO Peru's headquarters. It was attended by the PAHO technical team, the executive president of the INS, the management team of the Subdirectorate of Health Technology Assessment and decision-makers, including representatives of the Intangible Solidarity Health Fund (FISSAL), General Directorate of Medicines, Supplies and Drugs (DIGEMID), Comprehensive Health Insurance (SIS), Social Health Insurance (EsSalud), General Directorate of Insurance and Benefit Exchange (DGAIN), Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), General Directorate of Strategic Interventions in Public Health (DGIESP), General Directorate of Strategic Interventions in Public Health (DGIESP), General Directorate of Strategic Interventions in Public Health (DGIESP), General Directorate of Public Health (DGAIN), Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), General Directorate of Strategic Interventions in Public Health (DGIESP), Directorate of Life Course Interventions and Comprehensive Care (DVICI), Directorate of Prevention and Control of HIV/AIDS, Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Hepatitis (DPVIH), Directorate of Cancer Prevention and Control (DPCAN) and National Institute of Neoplastic Diseases (INEN).
“The workshop focused on building capacity to use the GRADE approach in health products and technologies. GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) is a method to assess the certainty of evidence and to formulate recommendations that help in health decision-making,” explained Dr. Ludovic Reveiz, Regional Advisor for Science and Knowledge for Impact of PAHO's Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health department.
The organizers and participants of the workshop “Evidence-informed decision making” recommended:
1. To support capacity building in the use of the GRADE approach in the INS for the different products of the evidence ecosystem; 2. support capacity building in the use of the GRADE approach in the INS for the different products of the evidence ecosystem.
2. In coordination between REDETSA and EVIPNet, strengthen collaboration between agencies in different countries to avoid duplication in developing evidence syntheses and reports and improve the quality and relevance.
Evidence-informed decision making (EIDM) involves identifying, evaluating, and mobilizing the best available evidence to support health policies and programs. Evidence-informed decision making is a pillar of the World Health Organization's evidence-informed mandate and a fundamental steppingstone to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. EIDM supports government bodies in the health decision-making process by placing the available research evidence at the center of health policy development and implementation1.
