Use of Evidence in Health Policy Making in the Gaza Strip
Date
2020-06-06
Authors
Shade Talal Ali El-haddad
شادي طلال علي الحداد
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Al-Quds University
Abstract
استخدام الأدلة في صنع السياسات الصحية هو تحد عالمي لنظم الرعاية الصحية ، بما في ذلك دولة فلسطين. في قطاع غزة ، هناك أبحاث محدودة حول استخدام الأدلة في عملية صنع السياسات. استكشفت هذه الدراسة تصورات وممارسات ومهارات صانعي السياسات فيما يتعلق باستخدام الأدلة في السياسة الصحية في وزارة الصحة في قطاع غزة ، بما في ذلك العوامل التي تؤثر على صنع السياسات الصحية والحواجز والمسهلات لاستخدام الأدلة ومدى وجود آليات فعالة لنشر المعرفة وتبادلها. هدفت الدراسة إلى استكشاف مدى استخدام الأدلة في صنع السياسات الصحية في قطاع غزة. قد تؤدي نتائج وتوصيات هذه الدراسة إلى تحسين استخدام الأدلة البحثية في رسم السياسات الصحية في قطاع غزة ، وبالتالي ، تحسين أداء نظام الرعاية الصحية الذي تنعكس في النهاية على التحسن العام في الوضع الصحي للفلسطينيين.
في هذه الدراسة تم استخدام التصميم الوصفي التحليلي المستعرض، شمل مجتمع الدراسة جميع صانعي السياسات الصحية في وزارة الصحة أو من يشارك في صنع السياسات الصحية. استخدمنا نهجًا ثلاثيًا باستخدام الأدوات الكمية والنوعية. تم جمع البيانات الكمية من خلال استبيان مقابلته ، حيث كان مجتمع الدراسة 169 من صانعي السياسات. تم جمع البيانات النوعية من 12 من المخبرين الرئيسيين من خلال المقابلات ، حيث شمل ذلك 7 باحثين وخبراء في السياسة الصحية ، و5 صناع سياسة. كان معدل الاستجابة 85.7٪. كانت موثوقية أداة جمع البيانات عالية (كرونباخ ألفا = 0.961). تم إدخال البيانات وتحليلها باستخدام الإصدار 23 من SPSS للبيانات الكمية. تم استخدام التقنيات المواضيعية المفتوحة لتحليل البيانات النوعية.
مثل الذكور 88.8٪ من المشاركين في الدراسة ، حيث يهيمن الرجال على مناصب الإدارة العليا. أكثر من نصف المشاركين (56.4٪) يملكون درجات علمية عليا (ما بعد البكالوريوس). كما زعم أكثر من نصف المشاركين (54.5٪) أنهم يستخدمون الأدلة في عملهم ، وأكثر من نصف المشاركين (56.5٪) ردوا بأنهم تلقوا تدريباً على قرارات السياسة الصحية. لدى واضعي السياسات الصحية في وزارة الصحة في قطاع غزة تصورات إيجابية حول أهمية استخدام الأدلة في صنع السياسات الصحية بمتوسط مرجح 77.77٪ ، ولوحظ أن هناك نقص في القدرة على اكتساب وتقييم وتكييف وتطبيق أدلة البحث بمتوسط مرجح قدره 68.77٪. هناك ضعف في آليات نقل وتبادل المعرفة بمتوسط مرجح قدره 58.77٪ ، أكد المشاركون على ضعف التفاعل بين صانعي السياسات والباحثين ، ونقص الهياكل المناسبة لدعم استخدام الأدلة ، ومحدودية القدرة على فهم لغة الورقة العلمية وخاصة الإحصائيات. تمارس المنظمات المانحة والأحزاب السياسية تأثيرًا قويًا على عملية صنع السياسة الصحية. نقص الموارد والحوافز هي أهم العوائق التي تحول دون استخدام الأدلة في صنع السياسات الصحية. إن تحسين مهارات واضعي السياسات حول كيفية استخدام الأدلة وتعزيز ثقافة البحث سيزيد بشكل كبير من استيعاب استخدام الأدلة في صنع السياسات.
هناك حاجة لتعزيز البنية التحتية للبحث العلمي وتخصيص موارد كافية لها. بالإضافة إلى ذلك ، يحتاج واضعو السياسات والباحثون إلى الاتفاق على أولويات البحث. هناك حاجة ماسة إلى إنشاء مستودع موحد للبحوث ، وخاصة المحلية منها ، وتطوير برامج التعليم المستمر لواضعي السياسات الصحية لتعزيز مهارات استخدام الأدلة.
The use of evidence in health policymaking is a global challenge to healthcare systems, Palestine is not an exception. In the Gaza Strip, there is limited research on the use of evidence in the policy-making process. This study explored the perceptions, practices, and skills of policymakers with regard to the use of evidence in health policy and in decision making in the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, including factors affecting health policymaking, barriers and facilitators for the use of evidence and the presence of effective mechanisms for the dissemination and exchange of knowledge. The study aimed to explore the extent to which evidence is used in health policy-making in the Gaza Strip. The findings and recommendations of this study may improve the use of research evidence in health policymaking in the Gaza Strip, thus, improve the performance of the Healthcare system which ultimately reflected on the overall improvement in the health status of Palestinians. The design of this study is an analytical, cross-sectional one. The study population included all health policymakers at the Ministry of Health or those involved in policymaking. We utilized a triangulated approach employing both quantitative and qualitative tools. Quantitative data were collected through an interviewed questionnaire, where the study population was 169 policymakers. Qualitative data were collected from 12 Key informants through interviews, including 7 researchers and experts in health policy, and 5 policymakers. The response rate was 85.7%. The reliability of the data collection tool was high (Chronbach's alpha=0.961). Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS, version 23, for the quantitative data. Open thematic techniques were used to analyze qualitative data. Males accounted for 88.8% of the study participants, as the top management positions are dominated by men. More than half of the participants (56.4%) have postgraduate degrees. The results have shown that more than half of the participants (54.5%) used evidence in their work, and more than half of the participants (56.5%) responded that they received training in health policy decisions. Health policymakers in the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip have somewhat positive perceptions about the importance of using evidence in health policymaking with a weighted mean of 77.77%, and it has been observed that there is a lack of ability to acquire, assess, adapt, and apply research evidence with a weighted mean of 68.77%. There is a weakness in mechanisms for transferring and exchanging knowledge with a weighted mean of 58.77%, where the participants emphasized that there is a lack of interaction between policymakers and researchers, the lack of appropriate structures to support the use of evidence, and a limited ability to understand the language of the scientific paper, mainly the statistics. Donor organizations and political parties exert a strong influence on the health policy-making process. Lack of resources and incentives are the most important barriers to the use of evidence in health policy-making. Improve the skills of policymakers on how to use evidence and promoting a research culture will greatly increase the uptake of the use of evidence in policymaking. There is a need to strengthen the infrastructure for scientific research and to allocate enough resources to it. Additionally, policymakers and researchers need to agree on research priorities. Establishing a unified repository of research, especially local ones, and developing continuing education programs for health policymakers to enhance the skills of using evidence are highly needed.
The use of evidence in health policymaking is a global challenge to healthcare systems, Palestine is not an exception. In the Gaza Strip, there is limited research on the use of evidence in the policy-making process. This study explored the perceptions, practices, and skills of policymakers with regard to the use of evidence in health policy and in decision making in the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip, including factors affecting health policymaking, barriers and facilitators for the use of evidence and the presence of effective mechanisms for the dissemination and exchange of knowledge. The study aimed to explore the extent to which evidence is used in health policy-making in the Gaza Strip. The findings and recommendations of this study may improve the use of research evidence in health policymaking in the Gaza Strip, thus, improve the performance of the Healthcare system which ultimately reflected on the overall improvement in the health status of Palestinians. The design of this study is an analytical, cross-sectional one. The study population included all health policymakers at the Ministry of Health or those involved in policymaking. We utilized a triangulated approach employing both quantitative and qualitative tools. Quantitative data were collected through an interviewed questionnaire, where the study population was 169 policymakers. Qualitative data were collected from 12 Key informants through interviews, including 7 researchers and experts in health policy, and 5 policymakers. The response rate was 85.7%. The reliability of the data collection tool was high (Chronbach's alpha=0.961). Data were entered and analyzed using SPSS, version 23, for the quantitative data. Open thematic techniques were used to analyze qualitative data. Males accounted for 88.8% of the study participants, as the top management positions are dominated by men. More than half of the participants (56.4%) have postgraduate degrees. The results have shown that more than half of the participants (54.5%) used evidence in their work, and more than half of the participants (56.5%) responded that they received training in health policy decisions. Health policymakers in the Ministry of Health in the Gaza Strip have somewhat positive perceptions about the importance of using evidence in health policymaking with a weighted mean of 77.77%, and it has been observed that there is a lack of ability to acquire, assess, adapt, and apply research evidence with a weighted mean of 68.77%. There is a weakness in mechanisms for transferring and exchanging knowledge with a weighted mean of 58.77%, where the participants emphasized that there is a lack of interaction between policymakers and researchers, the lack of appropriate structures to support the use of evidence, and a limited ability to understand the language of the scientific paper, mainly the statistics. Donor organizations and political parties exert a strong influence on the health policy-making process. Lack of resources and incentives are the most important barriers to the use of evidence in health policy-making. Improve the skills of policymakers on how to use evidence and promoting a research culture will greatly increase the uptake of the use of evidence in policymaking. There is a need to strengthen the infrastructure for scientific research and to allocate enough resources to it. Additionally, policymakers and researchers need to agree on research priorities. Establishing a unified repository of research, especially local ones, and developing continuing education programs for health policymakers to enhance the skills of using evidence are highly needed.
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Citation
El-haddad، Shade Talal. (2020). Use of Evidence in Health Policy Making in the Gaza
Strip [رسالة ماجستير منشورة، جامعة القدس، فلسطين]. المستودع الرقمي لجامعة القدس. https://arab-
scholars.com/bdec10