Review

Improving the use of research evidence in guideline development: introduction

Andrew D Oxman¹ , Atle Fretheim¹ and Holger J Schünemann² for SURE³

¹  Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services, P.O. Box 7004, St. Olavs plass, N-0130 Oslo, Norway

²  INFORMA, S.C. Epidemiologia, Istitituto Regina Elena, Via Elio Chianesi 53, 00144 Rome, Italy

³  Subcommittee on the Use of Research Evidence (SURE) of the WHO Advisory Committee on Health Research (ACHR)

author email corresponding author email

Health Research Policy and Systems 2006, 4:12doi:10.1186/1478-4505-4-12

Published:	20 November 2006

Abstract

In 2005 the World Health Organisation (WHO) asked its Advisory Committee on Health Research (ACHR) for advice on ways in which WHO can improve the use of research evidence in the development of recommendations, including guidelines and policies. The ACHR established the Subcommittee on the Use of Research Evidence (SURE) to collect background documentation and consult widely among WHO staff, international experts and end users of WHO recommendations to inform its advice to WHO. We have prepared a series of reviews of methods that are used in the development of guidelines as part of this background documentation. We describe here the background and methods of these reviews, which are being published in Health Research Policy and Systems together with this introduction.