Developing evidence-based recommendations in public health--incorporating the views of practitioners, service users and user representatives.
BACKGROUND
Guidance based on a systematic assessment of the evidence base has become a fundamental tool in the cycle of evidence-based practice and policy internationally. The process of moving from the formal evidence base derived from research studies to the formation and agreement of recommendations is however acknowledged to be problematic, especially in public health; and the involvement of practitioners, service commissioners and service users in that process is both important and methodologically challenging.


OBJECTIVE
To test a structured process of developing evidence-based recommendations in public health while involving a broad constituency of practitioners, service commissioners and service user representatives.


METHODS
As part of the development of national public health recommendations to promote and support breastfeeding in England, the methodological challenges of involving stakeholders were examined and addressed. There were three main stages: (i) an assessment of the formal evidence base (210 studies graded); (ii) electronic and fieldwork-based consultation with practitioners, service commissioners and service user representatives (563 participants), and an in-depth analytical consultation in three 'diagonal slice' workshops (89 participants); (iii) synthesis of the previous two stages.


CONCLUSIONS
The process resulted in widely agreed recommendations together with suggestions for implementation. It was very positively evaluated by participants and those likely to use the recommendations. Service users had a strong voice throughout and participated actively. This mix of methods allowed a transparent, accountable process for formulating recommendations based on scientific, theoretical, practical and expert evidence, with the added potential to enhance implementation.
Renfrew
Mary J
MJ
Mother and Infant Research Unit, Department of Health Sciences, University of York, Heslington, York, UK. mjr505@york.ac.uk
Dyson
Lisa
L
Herbert
Gill
G
McFadden
Alison
A
McCormick
Felicia
F
Thomas
James
J
Spiby
Helen
H
D001942:Breast Feeding; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008880:Midwifery; D011247:Pregnancy; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D015980:Public Health Practice; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom