Selected Topics - Research

The WWW Virtual Library: Public Health

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Global policies and related documents

• Global Health Surveillance and the New International Health Regulations
  "The new International Health Regulations adopted by the World Health Assembly in May 2005 (IHR 2005) represents a major development in the use of international law for public health purposes. One of the most important aspects of IHR 2005 is the establishment of a global surveillance system for public health emergencies of international concern. This article assesses the surveillance system in IHR 2005 by applying well-established frameworks for evaluating public health surveillance. The assessment shows that IHR 2005 constitutes a major advance in global surveillance from what has prevailed in the past. Effectively implementing the IHR 2005 surveillance objectives requires surmounting technical, resource, governance, legal, and political obstacles. Although IHR 2005 contains some provisions that directly address these obstacles, active support by the World Health Organization and its member states is required to strengthen national and global surveillance capabilities."

Reports, guidelines and projects

• A checklist for health research priority setting: nine common themes of good practice
  Health research priority setting processes assist researchers and policymakers in effectively targeting research that has the greatest potential public health benefit. Many different approaches to health research prioritization exist, but there is no agreement on what might constitute best practice. Moreover, because of the many different contexts for which priorities can be set, attempting to produce one best practice is in fact not appropriate, as the optimal approach varies per exercise. Therefore, following a literature review and an analysis of health research priority setting exercises that were organized or coordinated by the World Health Organization since 2005, we propose a checklist for health research priority setting that allows for informed choices on different approaches and outlines nine common themes of good practice. It is intended to provide generic assistance for planning health research prioritization processes. The checklist explains what needs to be clarified in order to establish the context for which priorities are set; it reviews available approaches to health research priority setting; it offers discussions on stakeholder participation and information gathering; it sets out options for use of criteria and different methods for deciding upon priorities; and it emphasizes the importance of well-planned implementation, evaluation and transparency. [author abstract] [Health Research Policy and Systems 2010, 8: 36]
• A Framework to measure the impact of investments in health research
  "This paper describes the approach taken by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to develop a framework and indicators to measure the impact of health research. The development process included national and international consultations. Key methodology challenges and measurement requirements were identified. The framework that has resulted from this process includes definitions of key concepts, methodology, guidelines, identification of the different stakeholders for impact information and the individual concerns of each stakeholder group..."
• A historical reflection on research evaluation studies, their recurrent themes and challenges
  "This report critically examines studies of how scientific research drives innovation which is then translated into socio-economic benefits. It focuses on research evaluation insights that are relevant not only to the academic community, but also to policymakers and evaluation practitioners – and particularly to biomedical and health research funders. First, it provides a predominantly descriptive historical overview of some landmark studies in the research evaluation field, from the late 1950s until the present day, and highlights some of their key contributions. Then, it reflects on the historical overview analytically, in order to discuss some of the methodological developments and recurrent themes in research evaluation studies. The report concludes by discussing the enduring challenges in research evaluation studies and their implications." [Rand Europe, 2009]
• Best Resaerch for Best Health
  This report sets out the UK government's goals for medical research and development over the next five years.
• Building Effective Research Policy Networks: Linking Function and Form
  We know that networks matter for international development. This short paper, published by the ODI addresses some of the main characteristics of networks to identify a set of criteria worth looking into to explain how networks can better carry out their given functions. This paper is based on the same premise as previous work: that, ideally, the process of setting up networks needs to begin by defining the functions they want to play and then choosing their structure accordingly.
• Building the Field of Health Policy and Systems Research: Framing the Questions
  Following the First Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Montreux in November 2010, PLoS Medicine commissioned three articles on the state-of-the-art in Health Policy and Systems Research (HPSR). Three Policy Forum articles, authored by a diverse group of global health academics, critically examine the current challenges to the field and lay out what is needed to build capacity in HPSR and support local policy development and health systems strengthening, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Paper 1: Kabir Sheikh and colleagues. Building the Field of Health Policy and Systems Research: Framing the Questions. Paper 2: Lucy Gilson and colleagues. Building the Field of Health Policy and Systems Research: Social Science Matters. Paper 3: Sara Bennett and colleagues. Building the Field of Health Policy and Systems Research: An Agenda for Action. [publication summary] [PLoS Med 8(8): e1001073. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001073 - August 16, 2011]
• Casebook of Primary Healthcare Innovations
  "After almost three decades in the doldrums, primary healthcare renewal has accelerated dramatically in Canada since 2000. However, progress has been uneven across the country, with some jurisdictions striding boldly forward while others have been more tentative in undertaking reform. Although innovation in primary healthcare is occurring in every province and territory, what sets the past decade apart is the implementation and scaling up of innovations in the organization, funding and delivery of primary healthcare to the system level in several provinces. This casebook documents many of the innovations being implemented across Canada." [Canadian Health Services Research Foundation, 2010]
• Communicating research for evidence-based policymaking: A practical guide for researchers in socio-economic sciences and humanities
  "The social and economic challenges which we face require policymaking at all levels – regional, national and European – to move beyond traditional paradigms and create responses which offer sustainable solutions now and in the future. The European Economic Recovery Plan (1) and the EU 2020 strategy (2) create the broad policy context for this approach. ‘Smart’ investment, which focuses on the skills that are needed for the future, is seen as a major pillar of Europe’s strategy to respond to the challenges it faces. The research projects funded under the Framework Programmes can play a major role in giving shape to this approach. The Directorate-General for Research is supporting researchers and project coordinators in meeting these challenges. In wide-ranging discussions with policymakers and researchers it has explored how to best ensure dialogue between both areas. This dialogue is crucial if the policy messages provided by the research supported by the EU are to contribute to the development of the strategies and approaches necessitated by the realities we face. This guide is the most recent stage of this process of identifying needs and developing appropriate support. It builds on the work undertaken in our earlier publication ‘Scientific evidence for policymaking’ which identified the key priorities for deepening communication and strengthening the transfer of knowledge and experience between research and policymaking. This publication is designed to offer an easy-to-read guide which identifies the most important stages in the development of a dynamic communication strategy and which will ensure that the projects funded under the Framework Programmes make a real difference in enabling policymakers to respond to the significant challenges we face. Divided into three parts – Concept, Policy Briefs and Practical Means – this guide is intended to help exploit research concepts into genuine policy action." [publication summary] [Directorate-General for Research, Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg 2010 (EUR 24230 EN)]
• Comparing public-health research priorities in Europe
  Background: Despite improving trends, countries in Europe continue to face public-health challenges. This study investigated the priorities of stakeholders for research to meet these challenges. Methods: Public-health research includes population-level and health-system research, but not clinical or biomedical research. The study drew on data from three surveys undertaken through collaboration in SPHERE (Strengthening Public Health Research in Europe). There was participation of ministries in 18 of 28 (64% response) European countries, from 22 of 39 (56% response) member national associations of the European Public Health Association, and from 80 civil society health organisations (53% of members of the European Public Health Alliance). Results: Public-health research fields included disease control, health promotion and health services. Ministries of health, rather than ministries of science or education, mostly took responsibility for public-health research: they reported varied but well-defined areas for research in relation to national health plans and programmes. National public health associations reported research priorities across most fields of public health, although with some European regional differences. Civil society health organisations prioritised health promotion research nationally, but also health services research internationally. There was less research reported on methods, such as modelling and economic analysis, wider determinants of health, and public-health interventions. Conclusion: Systematic collaboration between stakeholders across European countries would enhance knowledge and promote innovation to address contemporary public-health challenges. [author abstract] [Health Research Policy and Systems 2009, 7: 17]
• Contextual Influences on the Individual Life Course: Building a Research Framework for Social Epidemiology
  Individual health is not only individual responsibility, but also depends on the social contexts that condition the individual across the life course. However, while it is of high public health relevance to identify these contextual influences, they still remain poorly understood, and the research performed so far has suffered from severe limitations. This paper presents a research agenda for social epidemiology that underlines a number of novel concepts, ideas, and unanswered questions deserving future investigation. The paper presents a conceptual framework intended to organize the investigation of geographical, socioeconomic, and cultural disparities in health. This framework identifies five main areas of research: (1) identifying the relevant contexts that influence individual health by measuring general contextual effects, (2) measuring contextual characteristics, the specific effects of these characteristics on individual health and their underlying cross-level mechanisms, (3) investigating general and specific contextual effects from a longitudinal, a life-course perspective and across generations, (4) developing quasi-experimental methods (e.g., family-based designs) for the analysis of causal effects in contextual analyses, and (5) using the achieved scientific knowledge for planning and evaluating interventions. The proposed framework emphasizes that future research in social epidemiology should question the current means-centric reductionism that is mostly concerned with the identification of (contextual) risk factors, and it stresses the need to deliberately investigate determinants of variance. In fact, social epidemiology is not only interested in increasing the (mean) health of the population, but also in understanding and decreasing inappropriate health inequalities (variance). [author abstract] [Psychosocial Intervention, Vol. 20, No. 1, 2011, pp.109-118]
• Ecohealth research in practice: innovative applications of an ecosystem approach to health
  "This book provides examples of how ecohealth projects can be used to develop environmentally friendly interventions. It also shows that there are many scientifically sound strategies to conduct research with an ecosystem approach to achieve successful outcomes. However, there remain conspicuous challenges to the implementation of an ecohealth approach, and these are discussed in the last chapter. The normal tensions that arise from the interactions and different interests of the diversity of participating stakeholders reflect the complex nature of human interactions. No recipes can be offered. Navigating through these hardships requires visionary leadership and constructive imagination to build trusting partnerships. Readers can imagine the magnitude of these difficulties by considering the complexity of the processes involved in attaining the many achievements described in the projects. Nevertheless, what permeates the case studies is that, malgré tout, conducting this type of research is not only effective but also much fun." [International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada, 2012]
• Ethical issues in epidemiological research and public health practice
  "A rich and growing body of literature has emerged on ethics in epidemiologic research and public health practice. Recent articles have included conceptual frameworks of public health ethics and overviews of historical developments in the field. Several important topics in public health ethics have also been highlighted. Attention to ethical issues can facilitate the effective planning, implementation, and growth of a variety of public health programs and research activities. ...Published in Emerging Themes in Epidemiology 3:16, 2006 this article by Steven S Coughlin provides an overview of ethical issues in epidemiologic research and public health practice for readers who do not necessarily have an in-depth knowledge of public health ethics."
• Eurodad - European Network on Debt and Development
  "A network of 55 European NGOs, it tracks and influences development finance policies that help poorer people influence decisions that affect their lives." A wide selection of reports on debt reduction can be found on this website.
• Evaluating Health Research Capacity: An Evidence-Based Tool
  "An increasingly important goal of governments and external agencies in developing countries is the need for “capacity building” in health research. The goal of building capacity to improve the ability to conduct research, to use results effectively, and to promote demand for research. There is thus an urgent need for an evidence-based tool for determining whether the required infrastructure is present in a given setting, as well as for underpinning the design and evaluation of capacity-building programmes in health research. This article, published in PLoS Medicine Volume 3, Issue 8, describes the development and use of such a tool through analysis of published models and effective capacity-building principles, together with structured reflection and action by stakeholders at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ghana."
• Evaluation of Healthcare Services: Asking the Right Questions to Develop New Policy and Program-Relevant Knowledge for Decision-Making
  This article presents a framework for thinking about the key questions that need to be answered to develop new policy and program-relevant knowledge that can be used to make more informed decisions. It is a primer for administrators, policy makers and others about how to identify the knowledge they need to make decisions regarding new or existing programs. The article covers three related dimensions in evaluation: types of evaluations, key domains of inquiry and generic research questions. While the questions are generic, they can be readily adapted to any new and/or existing healthcare program evaluation. Examples of how the generic questions can be adapted to primary healthcare clinics and home care are presented. Program evaluation is an extensive topic and it is beyond the scope of this article to outline all relevant aspects. Rather, this article presents a framework for thinking about the key questions which need to be answered to develop new policy and program-relevant knowledge that can be used to make more informed decisions. Thus, this article is essentially a primer for administrators, policy makers and others about how to identify the knowledge they need to make decisions about new or existing programs. It covers three related dimensions in evaluation: types of evaluations, key domains of inquiry and generic research questions. The questions are fairly generic but, as will be shown later, can be readily adapted to the evaluation of any new or existing healthcare program. [author abstract] [Healthcare Quarterly, 13(4) 2010: 40-47]
• Evidence for Social Policy and Practice: Perspectives on how research and evidence can influence decision making
  "From criminal justice, children’s services to poverty reduction, this report contains essays from organisations using different methodologies and approaches to generate evidence and influence policy and practice in a number of service areas. The idea that policy and practice should be underpinned by rigorous evidence is internationally accepted, yet there is recognition that the level of rigour in evaluating ‘what works’ in social policy remains limited. In a time of public service reform and more decentralised decision making, the need for timely, accessible and reliable evidence is becoming ever more important." [Public and Social Innovation, NESTA UK, April 2011]
• Evidence summaries tailored to health policy-makers in low- and middle-income countries
  Objective: To describe how the SUPPORT collaboration developed a short summary format for presenting the results of systematic reviews to policy-makers in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Methods: We carried out 21 user tests in six countries to explore users’ experiences with the summary format. We modified the summaries based on the results and checked our conclusions through 13 follow-up interviews. To solve the problems uncovered by the user testing, we also obtained advisory group feedback and conducted working group workshops. Findings: Policy-makers liked a graded entry format (i.e. short summary with key messages up front). They particularly valued the section on the relevance of the summaries for LMICs, which compensated for the lack of locally-relevant detail in the original review. Some struggled to understand the text and numbers. Three issues made redesigning the summaries particularly challenging: (i) participants had a poor understanding of what a systematic review was; (ii) they expected information not found in the systematic reviews and (iii) they wanted shorter, clearer summaries. Solutions included adding information to help understand the nature of a systematic review, adding more references and making the content clearer and the document quicker to scan. Conclusion: Presenting evidence from systematic reviews to policy-makers in LMICs in the form of short summaries can render the information easier to assimilate and more useful, but summaries must be clear and easy to read or scan quickly. They should also explain the nature of the information provided by systematic reviews and its relevance for policy decisions. [author abstract] [Bull World Health Organ 2011; 89: 54–61]
• Expediting systematic reviews: methods and implications of rapid reviews
  Background: Policy makers and others often require synthesis of knowledge in an area within six months or less. Traditional systematic reviews typically take at least 12 months to conduct. Rapid reviews streamline traditional systematic review methods in order to synthesize evidence within a shortened timeframe. There is great variation in the process of conducting rapid reviews. This review sought to examine methods used for rapid reviews, as well as implications of methodological streamlining in terms of rigour, bias, and results. Methods: A comprehensive search strategy--including five electronic databases, grey literature, hand searching of relevant journals, and contacting key informants--was undertaken. All titles and abstracts (n = 1,989) were reviewed independently by two reviewers. Relevance criteria included articles published between 1995 and 2009 about conducting rapid reviews or addressing comparisons of rapid reviews versus traditional reviews. Full articles were retrieved for any titles deemed relevant by either reviewer (n = 70). Data were extracted from all relevant methodological articles (n = 45) and from exemplars of rapid review methods (n = 25). Results: Rapid reviews varied from three weeks to six months; various methods for speeding up the process were employed. Some limited searching by years, databases, language, and sources beyond electronic searches. Several employed one reviewer for title and abstract reviewing, full text review, methodological quality assessment, and/or data extraction phases. Within rapid review studies, accelerating the data extraction process may lead to missing some relevant information. Biases may be introduced due to shortened timeframes for literature searching, article retrieval, and appraisal. Conclusions: This review examined the continuum between diverse rapid review methods and traditional systematic reviews. It also examines potential implications of streamlined review methods. More of these rapid reviews need to be published in the peer-reviewed literature with an emphasis on articulating methods employed. While one consistent methodological approach may not be optimal or appropriate, it is important that researchers undertaking reviews within the rapid to systematic continuum provide detailed descriptions of methods used and discuss the implications of their chosen methods in terms of potential bias introduced. Further research comparing full systematic reviews with rapid reviews will enhance understanding of the limitations of these methods. [author abstract] [Implementation Science 2010, 5: 56]
• Exploring the impact of primary health care research
  "This report presents the results of a study conducted in 2007 by the Primary Health Care Research and Information Service, on seventeen diverse primary health care research projects funded by national competitive grants in Australia. The study aimed to examine, from the perspective of the chief investigators (CIs), the impact of these research projects and to explore how their projects made an impact."
• Frameworks for Determining Research Gaps During Systematic Reviews
  Research Objective: Systematic reviews, in addition to summarizing the evidence, generally also discuss needs for future research. However, in contrast to the methods of the systematic review, future needs are not identified systematically. There is limited literature describing organizing principles or frameworks for determining research gaps. We developed and pilot-tested a framework for the identification of research gaps from systematic reviews. Study Design: We reviewed the research gaps identification practices of organizations involved with evidence synthesis. We contacted: (i) evidence-based practice centers (EPCs) (n=12) associated with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) in the US and Canada, and (ii) other organizations around the world (n=64) that conduct systematic reviews, cost-effectiveness analyses, or technology assessments. Based on the responses, we developed a framework for identifying research gaps. We obtained feedback from two technical experts at our institution and pilot-tested this framework on two randomly selected EPC evidence reports. We also developed a simple, user-friendly worksheet with instructions to facilitate the use of the framework by investigators during or after a systematic review. Population Studied: Not Applicable. Principal Findings: Four (33.3%) EPCs and 3 (8.1%) of the other organizations reported currently using an explicit framework to determine research gaps. We did not identify one framework that captured all elements needed to determine and characterize research gaps. Variations of the PICO (population, intervention, comparison, outcomes) framework were most common. It is also important to classify the reason(s) for the gap to help determine how to address the gap. Therefore, we propose a framework that includes both the characterization of the gap using PICOS elements (also including setting) and the identification of the reason(s) why the gap exists. The framework allows investigators to classify reasons for the existence of a research gap as: (a) insufficient or imprecise information, (b) biased information; (c) inconsistency or unknown consistency, and (d) not the right information. We mapped each of these reasons to concepts from three commonly used evidence grading systems: the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE); the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF); and the Strength of Evidence (SOE) used by EPCs. This allows leveraging of work already being completed during evidence grading. During pilot-testing, we identified challenges including difficulty in applying the framework for completed systematic reviews and differences in the specificity of research gaps abstracted by different users. These could be tackled with a priori discussions amongst investigators. Further testing should determine if these challenges are ameliorated if the framework is used during a systematic review. Conclusions: We developed a framework to identify and characterize research gaps from systematic reviews. The framework provides for the classification of where and why the current evidence falls short. [publication abstract] [Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality AHRQ - U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Rockville, USA, August, 2011]
• Getting results used: evidence from reproductive health programmatic research in Guatemala
  This article reviews 44 operations research projects aiming to improve reproductive health services in Guatemala, conducted by the Population Council from 1988 to 2001. It documents the experience of the research programme, traces the extent to which research results are identifiable in existing programmes, and analyses factors influencing utilization. Utilization of research results occurs as a gradual process of information sharing, where researchers influence decision-makers through a continual stream of information rather than a single set of findings. Utilization depends on leadership, collaborative planning and implementation, close monitoring, and feasible research designs, among other factors. To influence policy formulation, organizations should form enduring links among institutions and develop critical research skills among personnel who collaborate with or manage service programmes. To understand how operations research affects policy and programme change, one must consider not just individual projects, but rather the synergistic impact of multiple projects on a broad range of themes over time. [author abstract] [Health Policy and Planning 2007; 22: 234–245]
• How Can We Support the Use of Systematic Reviews in Policymaking?
  (i) Policymakers need many types of research evidence — synthesized and packaged for them — and the use of this evidence supported in multiple complementary ways. Stakeholders who seek to influence the policymaking process have the same requirements. (ii) Policymakers and stakeholders need many types of systematic reviews. For example, reviews of qualitative studies can help to identify alternative framings of the problem, to understand how or why a policy or program option works, and to appreciate stakeholders’ perspectives on particular options. (iii) Policymakers and stakeholders now have access to many review-derived products: (a) summaries of systematic reviews highlighting decision-relevant information; (b) overviews of systematic reviews providing a ‘‘map’’ of the policy questions addressed by systematic reviews and the insights derived from them; and (c) policy briefs drawing on many systematic reviews to characterize a problem, policy or program options to address the problem, and implementation strategies. (iv) A range of activities are being undertaken to support the use of reviews and review-derived products in policymaking, all of which warrant rigorous evaluation. (v) Future challenges include: (a) examining whether and when any apparent duplication of efforts occurs in the production of review-derived products at the international level; and (b) scaling up activities that are found to be effective in supporting the use of reviews and review-derived products in policymaking. [publication summary points] [PLoS Medicine | www.plosmedicine.org – November 2009, Vol. 6, Iss. 11, pp. | e1000141]
• Incentivising Research and Development for the Diseases of Poverty
  This paper from the International Policy Network "...provides an overview of proposals intended to improve the prospects of developing new drugs for the diseases of poverty. Part 1 considers the need for new medicines in the wider context of addressing the diseases of poverty. Part 2 examines barriers to innovation. Part 3 considers various mechanisms for funding R&D into new drugs."
• International Clinical Trials Registry Platform
  "The World Health Organisations's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform is taking the lead in setting international norms and standards for trial registration and reporting. The Registry Platform consults with relevant stakeholders worldwide to produce consensus-based policies that uphold scientific and ethical principles on clinical trials but that are also practical and feasible."
• Interventions Encouraging the Use of Systematic Reviews by Health Policymakers and Managers: A Systematic Review
  Background: Systematic reviews have the potential to inform decisions made by health policymakers and managers, yet little is known about the impact of interventions to increase the use of systematic reviews by these groups in decision-making. Methods: We systematically reviewed the evidence on the impact of interventions for seeking, appraising, and applying evidence from systematic reviews in decision-making by health policymakers or managers. Medline, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Methodology Register, Health Technology Assessment Database, and LISA were searched from the earliest date available until April 2010. Two independent reviewers selected studies for inclusion if the intervention intended to increase seeking, appraising, or applying evidence from systematic reviews by a health policymaker or manager. Minimum inclusion criteria were a description of the study population and availability of extractable data. Results: 11,297 titles and abstracts were reviewed leading to retrieval of 37 full-text articles for assessment; four of these articles met all inclusion criteria. Three articles described one study where five systematic reviews were mailed to public health officials and followed up with surveys at three months and two years. The articles reported from 23% to 63% of respondents declaring they had used systematic reviews in policymaking decisions. One randomised trial indicated that tailored messages combined with access to a registry of systematic reviews had a significant effect on policies made in the area of healthy body weight promotion in health departments. Conclusions: The limited empirical data renders the strength of evidence weak for the effectiveness and the types of interventions that encourage health policymakers and managers to use systematic reviews in decision making. [provisional abstract] [Implementation Science 2011, 6: 43]
• "Knowledge to Policy":” Making the Most of Development Research
  "Does research influence public policy and decision-making and, if so, how? This book is the most recent to address this question, investigating the effects of research in the field of international development. It starts from a sophisticated understanding about how research influences public policy and decision-making. It shows how research can contribute to better governance in at least three ways: by encouraging open inquiry and debate; by empowering people with the knowledge to hold governments accountable; and by enlarging the array of policy options and solutions available to the policy process. ‘Knowledge to Policy’ examines the consequences of 23 research projects funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre. Key findings and case studies from Asia, Africa, and Latin America are presented in a reader-friendly, journalistic style, giving the reader a deeper grasp and understanding of approaches, contexts, relationships, and events."
• Managing evidence-based knowledge: the need for reliable, relevant and readable resources
  "Nowadays few would argue against the need to base clinical decisions on the best available evidence. In practice, however, clinicians face serious challenges when they seek such evidence. Research-based evidence is generated at an exponential rate, yet it is not readily available to clinicians. When it is available, it is applied infrequently. A systematic review of studies examining the information-seeking behaviour of physicians found that the information resource most often consulted by physicians is textbooks, followed by advice from colleagues. The textbooks we consult are frequently out of date, and the advice we receive from colleagues is often inaccurate. Also, nurses and other health care professionals refer only infrequently to evidence from systematic reviews in clinical decision-making. The sheer volume of research-based evidence is one of the main barriers to better use of knowledge. About 10 years ago, if general internists wanted to keep abreast of the primary clinical literature, they would have needed to read 17 articles daily. Today, with more than 1000 articles indexed daily by MEDLINE, that figure is likely double. The problem is compounded by the inability of clinicians to afford more than a few seconds at a time in their practices for finding and assimilating evidence. These challenges highlight the need for better infrastructure in the management of evidence-based knowledge."
• Mapping Knowledge Domains. US National Academy of Sciences - NAS Colloquium – 2004, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
  A series of contributions on information visualisation and methods of mapping the connectivities of knowledge bases
• Monitoring and Evauation : Some Tools, Methods and Approaches
  This World Bank booklet presents a sample of Monitoring & Evaluation tools, methods and approaches, including several data collection methods, analytical frameworks, and types of evaluation and review. For each of these, a summary is provided of the following: their purpose and use; advantages and disadvantages; costs, skills, and time required; and key references. The booklet also discusses: Performance indicators, The logical framework (logframe) approach, Theory-based evaluation, Formal surveys, Rapid appraisal methods, Participatory methods, Public expenditure tracking surveys, Impact evaluation and Cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analysis.
• No Development Without Research: A Challenge for research capacity strengthening
  This publication reviews the literature and surveys the successes and failures of research capacity strengthening in the health field, in the context of its potential to contribute to health, development and equity. It points very clearly to the need for all stakeholders in the field – funders, producers, users and beneficiaries of health research – to be organized into a health research system in which the resources, drivers and priorities are aligned to produce results that are needed, valued and utilised…
• Peer Review and the Relevance of Science
  "Underlying the question of the social relevance of science is the matter of decision-making and quality control in science, usually via the peer-review process. Peer review plays a central role in many of the key moments in science. It is the main form of decision-making around grant selection, academic publishing and the promotion of individual scientists within universities and research institutions. It also underpins methods used to evaluate scientific institutions. Yet peer review as currently practised can be narrowly scientific, to the exclusion of other pressing quality criteria relating to social relevance. It is often also controlled and practised by scientists to the exclusion of wider groups that might bring valuable perspectives. This article sets out to examine peer review through the lens of social relevance. It challenges peer review as currently practised and makes some suggestions for ways forward…..”
• Personal Histories in Health Research
  Over the past few decades, research in health and health care has been an important area of interest across a wide range of disciplinary perspectives. Those who have been engaged in these efforts often have rich stories to relate on how they became involved in this area, their views on the development of health and health care research, and the lessons they have learned. This collection brings together the personal histories of twelve eminent specialists in the field.
• Present status and future strategy for medical research in Europe
  This 2007 White Paper from the European Medical Research Councils examines how "to strengthen and improve European medical research, which in turn will result in better healthcare and improved human welfare. If funding for medical research in Europe is doubled within the next 10 years, and this is combined with the implementation of 'best practice' for collaboration and organisation of medical research, there will be major benefits for European society, with a better health, welfare and hospital treatment, and a thriving medical industry…."
• Priority Setting for Health Research: Toward a management process for low and middle income countries
  This paper presents discussion of a think tank consultation by the Council on Health Research and Development and health research managers from Brazil, South Africa, The Netherlands, The Philippines, the private sector, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Global Forum for Health Research. Rather than having priorities ‘reviewed’ and ‘set’ through a workshop or national activity that produces a plan reflecting the situation at one point in time, the discussion in this think tank examined what process is needed so that national health research priorities are managed in a dynamic way, and are measured, updated and can evolve with the reality of the national, operational and political context.
• Promising Practices in Research Use
  Many healthcare organizations would like to ensure they are routinely making better use of research as they develop policies or make day-to-day decisions. Promising Practices in Research Use highlights organizations that have invested their time, energy and resources to try and improve their ability to use research. Each story in this series highlights the experience of one organization in identifying an area to improve, developing a strategy to do so, and experiencing the benefits.
• Public Scholarship: A New Perspective for the 21st Century
  Stephen R. Graubard, Professor emeritus of history at Brown University, former editor of Daedalus, the journal of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, 2004, Carnegie Corporation of New York - “While we are told by countless critics, educators and pundits that we are living in the most “informed” of times—indeed, a time when we are bombarded by information from all sides, every minute, every hour of the day and night (and, perhaps even more worrisome, I’m sure there are those who are already working on ways in which they can have information reach us even while we sleep)—we are also, sadly, living in the least analytical and insightful of times. Thoughtful individuals, however, have almost always been concerned about how to transform raw information into useful, structured knowledge. According to Carlos Fuentes, for example, “the greatest challenge facing modern society and civilization is how to cope with and how to transform information to knowledge.”
• Qualitative Techniques for Health Equity Analysis: Technical Notes
  These Technical Notes published by the World Bank, outline, through worked examples, the issues that arise in the quantitative analysis of health equity. The first set of notes outline issues that arise in the measurement of key variables, such as health outcomes and living standards. The next set outline various generic tools that can be used to analyze a variety of questions. The final set outlines various applications of these and other techniques.
• Setting the stage for equity-sensitive monitoring of the maternal and child health Millennium Development Goals
  This study uses a population based survey to analyse several indicators and stratifiers to demonstrate that establishing a helath equity baseline is necessary and feasible. The data reveal that inequities are complex and interactive; inference cannot be drawn about the nature and extent of inequalities in health outcomes from a single stratifier or indicator.
• Social sciences research in neglected tropical diseases 1: the ongoing neglect in the neglected tropical diseases
  Centuries of scientific advances and developments in biomedical sciences have brought us a long way to understanding and managing disease processes, by reducing them to simplified cause-effect models. For most of the infectious diseases known today, we have the methods and technology to identify the causative agent, understand the mechanism by which pathology is induced and develop the treatment (drugs, vaccines, medical or surgical procedures) to cure, manage or control. Disease, however, occurs within a context of lives fraught with complexity. For any given infectious disease, who gets it, when, why, the duration, the severity, the outcome, the sequelae, are bound by a complex interplay of factors related as much to the individual as it is to the physical, social, cultural, political and economic environments. Furthermore each of these factors is in a dynamic state of change, evolving over time as they interact with each other. Simple solutions to infectious diseases are therefore rarely sustainable solutions. Sustainability would require the development of interdisciplinary sciences that allow us to acknowledge, understand and address these complexities as they occur, rather than rely solely on a form of science based on reducing the management of disease to simple paradigms. In this review we examine the current global health responses to the ‘neglected’ tropical diseases, which have been prioritised on the basis of an acknowledgment of the complexity of the poverty-disease cycle. However research and interventions for neglected tropical diseases, largely neglect the social and ecological contextual, factors that make these diseases persist in the target populations, continuing instead to focus on the simple biomedical interventions. We highlight the gaps in the approaches and explore the potential of enhanced interdisciplinary work in the development of long term solutions to disease control. [author abstract] [Health Research Policy and Systems 2010, 8: 32]
• Social sciences research in neglected tropical diseases 2: A bibliographic analysis
  Background: There are strong arguments for social science and interdisciplinary research in the neglected tropical diseases. These diseases represent a rich and dynamic interplay between vector, host, and pathogen which occurs within social, physical and biological contexts. The overwhelming sense, however, is that neglected tropical diseases research is a biomedical endeavour largely excluding the social sciences. The purpose of this review is to provide a baseline for discussing the quantum and nature of the science that is being conducted, and the extent to which the social sciences are a part of that. Methods: A bibliographic analysis was conducted of neglected tropical diseases related research papers published over the past 10 years in biomedical and social sciences. The analysis had textual and bibliometric facets, and focussed on chikungunya, dengue, visceral leishmaniasis, and onchocerciasis. Results: There is substantial variation in the number of publications associated with each disease. The proportion of the research that is social science based appears remarkably consistent (<4%). A textual analysis, however, reveals a degree of misclassification by the abstracting service where a surprising proportion of the “social sciences” research was pure clinical research. Much of the social sciences research also tends to be “hand maiden” research focused on the implementation of biomedical solutions. Conclusion: There is little evidence that scientists pay any attention to the complex social, cultural, biological, and environmental dynamic involved in human pathogenesis. There is little investigator driven social science and a poor presence of interdisciplinary science. The research needs more sophisticated funders and priority setters who are not beguiled by uncritical biomedical promises. [author abstract] [Health Research Policy and Systems 2011, 9: 1]
• Social Sciences and Humanties in Health Research
  This Candian report provides an overview of the role of the social sciences and humanities in health research. It provides a snapshot of fields of study and innovative approaches to understanding and addressing health issues.
• Statistics Canada - Health Indicators Vol.2 (November 2003)
• Support Tools for evidence-informed health Policymaking (STP)
  This book is based on a series of articles published in Health Research Policy and Systems. It is written for people responsible for making decisions about health policies and programmes and for those who support these decision makers. The book is intended to help such people ensure that their decisions are well-informed by the best available research evidence. The SUPPORT tools and the ways in which they can be used are described in more detail in the Introduction. A glossary can be found at the end of the book. Links to Spanish, Portuguese, French and Chinese translations can be found on the SUPPORT website. [publisher summary] [Report from Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services, Oslo, Norway (Nasjonalt kunnskapssenter for helsetjenesten): No 4–2010]
• Towards better use of evidence in policy formation: a discussion paper
  "Many policies developed in isolation from the available evidence, or initiated and continued in the absence of monitoring and formal evaluation of impact and effectiveness, may well be ineffective in meeting their primary or secondary policy objectives and in some cases may even have unknown and unexpected adverse consequences. Accordingly, evidence-based approaches must also lead to greater efficiency in the provision of public services. One suspects that there are many Government-funded programmes now in place that when properly assessed would not meet objective tests of effectiveness; such evidence of non-performance would allow both the public and politicians to accept, and indeed require, redirection of effort. It is also important to note that there are limits to scientific knowledge and to the scientific approach; governments and their advisors must be aware of such limitations, otherwise science can be misused to justify decisions that should legitimately be made on the basis of other considerations. Conversely, this limitation cannot be used as a reason to avoid the application of scientific findings where such knowledge can help define or resolve the range of options for the policy maker." [Office of the Prime Minister’s Science Advisory Committee, Auckland, New Zealand, April 2011]
• Using evidence: Advances and debates in bridging health research and action
  "This monograph grew out of a symposium on health and knowledge translation (KT) held at 13 Norham Gardens, Green Templeton College, University of Oxford, in May 2008. The purpose of the symposium was to examine ways of thinking about and doing knowledge translation and to debate issues central to moving research into action… Global health issues, such as access to clean air and water, obesity, poverty and health, cardiovascular disease prevention, and clinical effectiveness, need high quality evidence so that problems can be understood and addressed. There is a widespread belief that research evidence can and should be used more effectively in health-related decision-making – from broad government actions that have an impact on health, to practitioner decisions in clinical and public health practice. A major development in health research over the past 10 years has been the growth in knowledge translation (KT) and the diffusion and use of research. Knowledge translation (KT) is about the diffusion and use of research. There have been a number of terms used to describe elements of this process, including knowledge utilization, knowledge transfer, diffusion of innovation, evidence-based practice, and evidence-based medicine." [Dalhousie University, Canada, 2010]
• Women’s Health Research: Progress, Pitfalls, and Promise
  Even though slightly over half of the U.S. population is female, medical research historically has neglected the health needs of women. However, over the past two decades, there have been major changes in government support of women’s health research—in policies, regulations, and the organization of research efforts. To assess the impact of these changes, Congress directed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ask the IOM to examine what has been learned from that research and how well it has been put into practice as well as communicated to both providers and women. In this report, the IOM finds that women’s health research has contributed to significant progress over the past 20 years in lessening the burden of disease and reducing deaths from some conditions, while other conditions have seen only moderate change or even little or no change. Gaps remain, both in research areas and in the application of results to benefit women in general and across multiple population groups. Given the many and significant roles women play in our society, maintaining support for women’s health research and enhancing its impact are not only in the interest of women, they are in the interest of us all. [publication abstract] [Institute of Medicine (IOM) (US), September 2010]

Educational resources

• Canadian Institute of Health Information - Health Indicators
• Centres for Medicare and Medical Services (USA)
• ChildStats.gov - America's Children 1999 - Health Indicators
• Demographic Entrapment
  A web-site by Maurice King (University of Leeds) and Charles Elliott (Cambridge University) on which they argue that "[t]here is strong evidence to suggest that large parts of the world, including most of Africa and parts of South Asia, are demographically trapped' in that communities there have exceeded, or are expected to exceed,
  - the carrying capacity of their local ecosystems, and
  - their opportunities for migration, and
  - the ability of their economies to produce the necessary goods and services which they can exchange for food and other necessities.
  When this happens, they are faced with starvation and slaughter"
• Directory of Grants and Fellowships in Global Health Sciences
  "The beginning of the 21st century has witnessed a tremendous expansion and vitalization of the field of global health. Organizations never before engaged in the endeavor of global health research have entered the field, while long-standing supporters have redoubled their efforts. The interest of undergraduate students, graduate students, and incipient researchers, both in the U.S. and abroad, is perhaps at its greatest ever. The Fogarty International Center (FIC) of the U.S. National Institutes of Health has compiled this directory as a service to students and researchers around the world."
• Discussion paper: "Development of National Public Health Indicators"
• Funding Roadmap
  The Funding Road Map is provided by the Canadian Coalition for Health Research. The Road Map contains summary information about funding sources for global health projects, both within Canada and internationally, including eligibility criteria, application procedures and contact information. It includes funding sources that support specifically global health research, as well as those that support global research projects that involve health elements and global health projects that involve research elements.
• GreyLIT Network
  Developed by the Department of Energy's Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI), in collaboration with DOD/DTIC, NASA, and EPA, the GrayLIT Network is a portal for technical report information generated through federally funded research and development projects. The GrayLIT Network makes the gray literature of U.S. Federal Agencies easily accessible over the Internet. It taps into the search engines of distributed gray literature collections, enabling the user to find information without first having to know the sponsoring agency.
• Health Impact Assessment Guidance
  Developed by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland on behalf of the Ministerial Group on Public Health, this document describes Health Impact Assessment (HIA) and the steps involved in HIA. It gives advice based on the experience of HIA practitioners and provides tools to help carry out these steps and adapt HIA to local circumstances.
• Healthy Anchorage Indicators
  "Helping Anchorage to measure its health and quality of life - a Project of the Anchorage Department of Health and Human Services Community Health Promotion Program. HAI's purpose is to provide information about how our community is doing health-wise—information that will help us make smarter choices about our personal health and the health of our community"
• Healthy People - Leading Health Indicators
  The Leading Health Indicators (LHIs) established by Healthy People 2010 will be used to measure the health of the Nation over the next 10 years.
• Hesperian Foundation
  The Hesperian Foundation is a non-profit publisher of books and educational materials that help people take the lead in their own health care and organize to improve health conditions in their communities.
• HSRProj (Health Services Research Projects in Progress)
  A free, online database of current HSR projects. the HSRProj (Health Services Research Projects in Progress) database contains descriptions on more than 6,000 ongoing health services research projects funded by government and state agencies, foundations, and private organisations. Records include both grants and contracts awarded by major public and private funding agencies and foundations. Individuals can retrieve names of organisations that are either conducting or sponsoring research, principal investigator contact information, beginning and end dates of a project, and information about study design and methodology.
• Indicators of child and youth well-being
  from: Trends in the Well-Being of America's Children and Youth: 1996, published by the Department of Health and Human Services
• International Data Base (IDB)
  A resource offered by the US Census Bureau, "a computerized data bank containing statistical tables of demographic, and socio-economic data for 227 countries and areas of the world"
• Joint Canada/United States Survey of Health - The Daily, Wedensday 2 June 2004
• MAPI Research Institute - Distribution of Health Outcomes Instruments - a good questionnaire resource.
• Medical Geography Page - "Medical Geography can be defined as the branch of Human Geography concerned with the geographic aspects of health (status) and health care (systems). It seeks, along with 'sister' disciplines such as Medical Anthropology, Medical Sociology and Health Economics, to broaden our understanding of the various factors which affect the health of populations"
• Michigan Department of Community Health - Critical Health Indicators
• New Mexico Department of Health - Health Indicators
• NHS Scotland - Clinical Indicators Support Team - contains links to Health Indicator and Outcomes resources
• OpenEpi - Epidemiological Calculators
  "OpenEpi provides statistics for counts and person-time rates in descriptive and analytic studies, stratified analysis with exact confidence limits, matched pair analysis, sample size calculations, random numbers, chi-square for dose-response trend, sensitivity, specificity and other evaluation statistics, R x C tables, and links to other useful sites."
• Public Health Information and Data: A Training Manual
  This training manual provides instruction to those assisting members of the public health workforce on issues related to information access and management. The topics covered include "...Staying informed of developments and events relating to public health, finding reliable and authoritative consumer oriented materials to support health education, retrieval of statistical information and access data sets relevant to public health and retrieve and evaluate information in support of evidence based practice."
• Redefining Progress
  "seeks to shift the prevailing definition of progress, from one based exclusively on a growing economy, to one that resonates with people's sense of the quality of their lives. We believe that, as it stands today, our society faces a troubling future. By using traditional financial measures as our primary compass, we steer society on a course that all too frequently points us away from progress"
  - National Indicators Project
  - Community Indicators Project
• Requiem
  "Our civilization is dying from "system" problems; problems such as the population explosion, natural resource depletion, and war. Problems which have no technical solutions. Moreover, our system problems have no current political solutions. If there is any hope at all, it is that people will come to understand the key systems in their world and then find the courage to make the hard decisions necessary for survival. We must find political means to abandon the competitive, consumptive social system -- or we shall perish" - this is an extremely rich resource, highly recommended
• Research Matters in Governance Equity and Health Videos
  This page provides access to videos produced by International Development Research Centre, Canada's Research Matters in Governance, Equity and Health. The first video 'Does Research Matter?' was filmed at the 2004 Global Forum for Health Research. "Making Research Matter" and "Researching the Rollout" examine the project " Public Sector Anti-Retroviral Therapy" currently underway in the Free State, South Africa.
• Resources for Methods and Evaluation in Social Research
  "The focus is on "how-to" do evaluation research and the methods used: surveys, focus groups, sampling, interviews, and other methods. Most of these links are to resources that can be read over the web"
• Supercourse: Epidemiology, the Internet and Global Health
  "Designed to provide an overview on epidemiology and the Internet for medical- and health-related students around the world".
• The Security Demographic - Population and Civil Conflict in the Post Civil War Period
  "Do the dynamics of human population — rates of growth, age structure, distribution and more — influence when and where warfare will next break out? The findings of this report suggest that the risks of civil conflict (deadly violence between governments and non-state insurgents, or between state factions within territorial boundaries) that are generated by demographic factors may be much more significant than generally recognized, and worthy of more serious consideration by national security policymakers and researchers. Its conclusions — drawn from a review of literature and analyses of data from 180 countries, about half of which experienced civil conflict at some time from 1970 through 2000 — argue that: Recent progress along the demographic transition — a population’s shift from high to low rates of birth and death — is associated with continuous declines in the vulnerability of nation-states to civil conflict. If this association continues through the 21st century, then a range of policies promoting small, healthy and better educated families and long lives among populations in developing countries seems likely to encourage greater political stability in weak states and to enhance global security in the future."
• US-Demography
• WHO - Consultation on Increased Investments in Health Outcomes for the Poor, October 2003
• WWW Virtual Library: Epidemiology

Organisations and Networks

UN and multinational

• European Association of Population Studies
  "an international and multidisciplinary forum for the study of Europe's population. It stimulates the interest in population issues among governments, national and international organizations and the general public. To this end, EAPS fosters the exchange and dissemination of population-related information"
• UNESCAP Population Program- Reproductive Health Indicators
• Unicef - Monitering and Statistics - comprehensive set of economic and social statistics, by country/territory
• United Nations Population Information Network (POPIN)
  "Founded: 9 May 1979, by resolution 1979/33 of the United Nations Economic and Social Council. Commenced operations January 1981. To identify, establish, strengthen and coordinate population information activities at international, regional and national levels; to facilitate and enhance the availability of population information in collaboration with the regional commissions, the specialized agencies and the NGO population community; and to provide a forum for the exchange of experiences among developed and developing countries on population information issues"
• WHO Database in PRSPs
  “How do Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers – PRSPs – reflect health? Are they leading to the creation of more "pro-poor" health policies in low-income countries? To greater recognition of the role of health in economic development? This database will help to answer these questions. Using the original PRSP document as its reference point, the database provides an analysis of the health component of each country’s PRSP from a poverty perspective. In addition, it summarizes what PRSPs say about the health challenges in a particular country, the proposed health strategies to meet those challenges, and the mechanism to monitor progress.”
• WHO Department of Reproductive Health and Research
• WHO/ AFRO Division of Non-Communicable Diseases
• WHO Statistical Information Service (WHOSIS)
• WHO Library and Information Netwroks for Knowledge
  “ …The WHO Library and Information Networks for Knowledge (LNK) provides comprehensive library and information services on WHO-produced recorded information in print and other media. In addition, library services give access to worldwide health, medical and development information resources to WHO headquarters, regions and country offices, ministries of health and other government offices, health workers in Member States, other UN and international agencies, and diplomatic missions. The WHO library programmes help regions and developing countries achieve self-sufficiency in providing information services to the health sector. …”
• WHO: Weekly Epidemiological Record

Government

• Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
• Florida Dept. of Health: Health Statistics - Global Demography Project at the National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis (USA)
• Office of Research Integrity (USA)
  'The Office of Research Integrity (ORI) promotes integrity in biomedical and behavioral research supported by the Public Health Service (PHS) at about 4,000 institutions worldwide. ORI monitors institutional investigations of research misconduct and facilitates the responsible conduct of research through educational, preventive, and regulatory activities. ..."

Non Government

• AIDPEOPLE
  Aidpeople.org is an online community for people involved in humanitarian aid and development work, enabling them to keep in touch, network, find infornation and share knowledge.
• European Clearing House on Health Outcomes (ECHHO) - funded by the European Commission as part of its BIOMED program
• Canadian Health Services Research Foundation
  The Canadian Health Services Research Foundation supports the evidence-based management of Canada's healthcare system by facilitating knowledge transfer and exchange - bridging the gap between research and healthcare management and policy.
• Centre for Collaborative Research in Health Outcomes and Policy (CRHOP)
• Irish Clearing House on Health Outcomes
  The general aim is: to enable those engaged in evaluating the impact of their practice and those who have an interest in the effect of current practice on the health status of the Irish population, to have access to a range of information and advice
• National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health (Australia)
• New England Research Institutes (NERI)
  Small research institute of the highest quality; drop in and learn more about a different type of epidemiology and public health research, strong women's research institute
• Network for Integrated European Population Studies (NIEPS) - " brings together for the first time national population institutes in Europe. They form a platform, which aims at promoting a dialogue on policy relevant domains of population and family dynamics on the one hand and socio-economic processes on the other"
• NSW Health Centre for Health Research in Criminal Justice
  The Centre for Health Research in Criminal Justice (CHRCJ) was formed in 2003 and arose out of the need to establish a centre of excellence to conduct quantitative research in the areas of prisoner health, and health matters that impact on, and are impacted on by, the criminal justice system. The CHRCJ is the only organisation in the world devoted to the study of prisoner health issues; its work is recognised at the national and international level.
• Population Council
  "a nonprofit, nongovernmental research organization established in 1952, seeks to improve the wellbeing and reproductive health of current and future generations around the world and to help achieve a humane, equitable, and sustainable balance between people and resources"
• Population Reference Bureau (USA)
  "founded in 1929 and is America's oldest population organization. We are a nonprofit, nonadvocacy, educational organization. We work with both public and private sector partners to increase the amount, accuracy and usefulness of information concerning changes in population and the impact those changes may have"

Academic Institutions with particular focus in this area

• Australian National University: The Australian Demography and Social Research Institute
  Rich resources on population development, public health
• Center for Demography and Ecology (University of Wisconsin, USA)
  "A multi-disciplinary faculty research cooperative for social scientific demographic research whose membership includes sociologists, rural sociologists, economists, and historians. Current and planned research activities of CDE focus on population composition and distribution within the United States, especially on changes in family structure and process and social inequality, but the total range of research and training activities of CDE members is far broader in content and scope"
• Centre for Health Outcomes and PharmacoEconomic Research - located at the University of Arizona
• Center for Health Quality, Outcomes, and Economic Research (CHQOER) - located at Boston University
• Centre for Health Outcomes and Policy Research - located at the University of Pennsylvania
• Centre for Health Outcomes, Policy and Evaluation Studies (HOPES) - located at Ohio State University
• European Center for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology
  Based at the Charles University in Prague (Czech Republic), the Center aims: "1) to create and European teaching network for higher education in medical informatics, statistics and epidemiology, to organize and launch graduate and postgraduate education on international level, and 2) to initiate international joint research and development programs in the interdisciplinary field of medical informatics, statistics and epidemiology, to cooperate closely with health care sector"
• Family Health Outcomes Project (FHOP) - located at UCSF (USA) - Health Indicators
• College of Population Studies, Chulalongkorn University (Thailand)
• Population Studies Center of the University of Michigan - one of the oldest in the USA with a strong interdisciplinary component
• Population Studies Center of the University of Pennsylvania - rich demographic resources of particular interest to public health
• University of North Carolina - Program on Health Outcomes
• University of California, San Fransisco - Family Health Outcomes Project (FHOP)

Key Conferences, conference and workshop reports

Conference reports

Journals, Newsletters, Forums

• BMC Medical Research Methodology
  BioMed Central Medical Research Methodology is an open access journal publishing original peer-reviewed research articles in methodological approaches to healthcare research. Articles on the methodology of epidemiological research, clinical trials and meta-analysis/systematic review are particularly encouraged, as are empirical studies of the associations between choice of methodology and study outcomes.
• Global Public Health
  Global Public Health is a new peer-reviewed journal that hopes to energetically engage with key public health issues that have come to the fore in the global environment — mounting inequalities between rich and poor; the globalization of trade; new patterns of travel and migration; epidemics of newly-emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases; the HIV/AIDS pandemic; the increase in chronic illnesses; escalating pressure on public health infrastructures around the world; and the growing range and scale of conflict situations, terrorist threats, environmental pressures, natural and human-made disasters.

Bibliographies, Libraries

Public health bookshops

• Public Health bookshop