Table 2.
Factors that influence health policymaking and views and practices on the use of evidence in the region
| Strongly Disagree/Disagree | Neither Agree nor Disagree | Strongly Agree/Agree | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Factors that Influence Health Policymaking |
|
|
|
| 1-Lack of coordination in governmental/ministerial relations across different ministries (such as the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Finance, etc.) hindered the health policymaking process. |
31 (13.2%) |
28 (11.9%) |
176 (74.9%) |
| 2-Lack of coordination in government/ health provider relations hindered the health policymaking process. |
44 (18.9%) |
37 (15.9%) |
152 (65.2%) |
| 3-Physician associations exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. |
117 (50.4%) |
56 (24.1%) |
59 (25.4%) |
| 4-Nursing associations exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. |
146 (63.8%) |
63 (27.5%) |
20 (8.7%) |
| 5-Other types of health professional associations exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process (e.g., Syndicate of hospitals). |
115 (49.4%) |
66 (28.3%) |
52 (22.3%) |
| 6-Private health providers exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. |
91 (39.6%) |
61 (26.5%) |
78 (33.9%) |
| 7-Private insurers exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. |
120 (54.8%) |
62 (28.3%) |
37 (16.9%) |
| 8-Values of governing parties exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. |
58 (25%) |
49 (21.1%) |
125 (53.9%) |
| 9-Public opinion exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. |
78 (33.2%) |
64 (27.2%) |
93 (39.6%) |
| 10-Media exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. |
56 (23.8%) |
81 (34.5%) |
98 (41.7%) |
| 11-Research about problems related to healthcare or health systems exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. |
74 (31.5%) |
54 (23%) |
107 (45.5%) |
| 12-Limited public funding for health exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. |
31 (13.1%) |
18 (7.6%) |
187 (79.2%) |
| 13-Other countries’ health policies exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. |
60 (25.6%) |
78 (33.3%) |
96 (41%) |
| 14-Donor organizations (e.g., United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations, World Bank, World Health Organization (WHO)) exerted a strong influence on the health policymaking process. |
25 (10.6%) |
40 (16.9%) |
171 (72.5%) |
|
Views and practices on the use of evidence |
|
|
|
| 1-I generally look and/or ask for scientific evidence to support my work in formulating and implementing health policies. |
9 (3.8%) |
18 (7.7%) |
208 (88.5%) |
| 2-I have access to health research through an internet connection at my organization. |
29 (12.3%) |
21 (8.9%) |
185 (78.7%) |
| 3-There are contact and collaborative relations between researchers and health policymakers/ decision makers in my organization. |
68 (29.3%) |
64 (27.6%) |
100 (43.1%) |
| 4-I participated in meetings with researchers to identify high-priority policy issues for which research is needed to inform how to address these issues. |
34 (14.5%) |
37 (15.8%) |
163 (69.7%) |
| 5-Health policymakers request scientific evidence in the policymaking process. |
66 (28.1%) |
55 (23.4%) |
114 (48.5%) |
| 6-The scientific evidence is delivered at the right time. |
99 (42.9%) |
68 (29.4%) |
64 (27.7%) |
| 7-There are summaries of evidence with messages that specify possible actions about health policies issues I confronted in my organization. |
83 (35.5%) |
69 (29.5%) |
82 (35.0%) |
| 8-The available scientific evidence provides sufficient information on the impacts, costs and concrete benefits of the studied or soon-to-implement health policies. |
75 (32.2%) |
67 (28.8%) |
91 (39.1%) |
| 9-The available scientific evidence is delivered with information about its quality and local applicability. |
93 (40.1%) |
67 (28.9%) |
72 (31.0%) |
| 10-There is a sufficient quantity of health research that may contribute to inform the health policymaking/decision making process. |
85 (36.8%) |
50 (21.6%) |
96 (41.6%) |
| 11-There are clearly identified places to find or to ask for scientific evidence that may inform the health policymaking/decision making process. |
78 (33.3%) |
44 (18.8%) |
112 (47.9%) |
| 12-Health policymakers use scientific evidence in the policymaking process whenever it is available and supplied to them. |
56 (23.9%) |
56 (23.9%) |
122 (52.1%) |
| 13-I have received training to acquire, assess the quality and local applicability of scientific evidence, and apply scientific evidence in health policymaking/decision making. |
76 (32.5%) |
34 (14.5%) |
124 (53%) |
| 14-There is explicit budget or funding for both research and evidence- informed health policymaking within my organization. |
130 (55.3%) |
47 (20%) |
58 (24.7%) |
| 15-There is an administrative structure suitable to support an evidence- informed health policymaking process (for example; a policy analysis department or a decision support unit, or the availability of resources, incentives and time for the use of scientific evidence in health policymaking). |
123 (52.6%) |
45 (19.2%) |
66 (28.2%) |
| 16-The political actors related with health (political parties, ministers, parliament, other ministries, etc.) value the use of scientific evidence in the policymaking process. | 84 (35.9%) | 83 (35.5%) | 67 (28.6%) |