title: Priority setting for the prevention and control of cardiovascular diseases: multi-criteria decision analysis in four eastern Mediterranean countries.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the feasibility of using a simple multi-criteria decision analysis method with policy makers/key stakeholders to prioritize cardiovascular disease (CVD) policies in four Mediterranean countries: Palestine, Syria, Tunisia and Turkey.
  
  
  METHODS
  A simple multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) method was piloted. A mixed methods study was used to identify a preliminary list of policy options in each country. These policies were rated by different policymakers/stakeholders against pre-identified criteria to generate a priority score for each policy and then rank the policies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-five different policies were rated in the four countries to create a country-specific list of CVD prevention and control policies. The response rate was 100% in each country. The top policies were mostly population level interventions and health systems' level policies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Successful collaboration between policy makers/stakeholders and researchers was established in this small pilot study. MCDA appeared to be feasible and effective. Future applications should aim to engage a larger, representative sample of policy makers, especially from outside the health sector. Weighting the selected criteria might also be assessed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, Birzeit, Palestine, rghandour@birzeit.edu.
authors.forename: Rula
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ghandour
authors.forename: Azza
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shoaibi
authors.forename: Rana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Khatib
authors.forename: Niveen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Abu Rmeileh
authors.forename: Belgin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Unal
authors.forename: Kaan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sözmen
authors.forename: Bülent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kılıç
authors.forename: Fouad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fouad
authors.forename: Radwan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Al Ali
authors.forename: Habiba
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ben Romdhane
authors.forename: Wafa
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Aissi
authors.forename: Balsam
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Capewell
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Critchley
authors.forename: Abdullatif
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Husseini
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003661:Decision Support Techniques; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D003906:Developing Countries; D006291:Health Policy; D006292:Health Priorities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008877:Middle East / Q000453:epidemiology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology