title: Australian health policy makers' priorities for research synthesis: a survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Health policy making is complex, but can be informed by evidence of what works, including systematic reviews. We aimed to inform the work of the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) Group by identifying systematic review topics relevant to Australian health policy makers and exploring whether existing Cochrane reviews address these topics.
  
  
  METHODS
  We interviewed 30 senior policy makers from State and Territory Government Departments of Health to identify topics considered important for systematic reviews within the scope of health services research, including professional, financial, organisational and regulatory interventions to improve professional practice and the organisation of services. We then looked for existing Cochrane reviews relevant to these topics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty-five priority topics were identified by policy makers, including advanced practice roles, care for Indigenous Australians, care for chronic disease, coordinating across jurisdictions, admission avoidance, and eHealth. Sixty published Cochrane reviews address these issues, and 34 additional reviews are in progress. Thirty-four topics are yet to be addressed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This survey has identified questions for which Australian policy makers have indicated a need for systematic reviews. Further, it has confirmed that existing reviews do address issues of importance to policy makers, with the potential to inform policy processes.
authors.affiliation: Australasian Cochrane Centre, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, The Alfred Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia. miranda.cumpston@monash.edu
authors.forename: Miranda S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cumpston
authors.forename: Emma J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Tavender
authors.forename: Heather A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Buchan
authors.forename: Russell L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Gruen
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D001315:Australia; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012196:Review Literature as Topic