About the Contextualized Health Research Synthesis Program (CHRSP)
NLCAHR works with researchers, decision makers, health economists, experts in research synthesis, and subject experts to identify the health research issues that are of most pressing interest to Newfoundland and Labrador. These issues are then addressed through our Contextualized Health Research Synthesis Program (CHRSP).
Evidence in Context Reports
In preparing our Evidence in Context Reports, CHRSP synthesizes findings from high-level rersearch already conducted in the subject area, such as systematic reviews, meta-analyses and health technology assessments.
The approach to the synthesis varies from topic to topic, but we generally begin with consultations with the province’s health decision makers and health professionals to identify topics that are of the greatest interest to the provincial health and community services system and to prioritize those on which a substantial body of high quality research is available.
For each topic that is selected, a team is created to gather and synthesize the findings of this research and then contextualize it to the requirements, resources, and circumstances of Newfoundland and Labrador. An external reviewer then reviews the work of the project team, providing feedback to ensure validity.
The results of the synthesis project are then communicated to the province’s decision makers and health professionals in formats and forums designed to maximize their uptake into the local decision-making process.
The first CHRSP project was carried out in 2007 and focused on the provision of dialysis services in rural and remote populations in Newfoundland and Labrador. Since that time, CHRSP has conducted a number of projects, as listed below:
Completed Evidence in Context Reports:
Dialysis (March 2008)
Updated Evidence on Rural Dialysis (January 2013)
Obesity (March 2009)
PET-CT (March 2009)
Youth Residential Treatment (October 2010)
Reuse of Single-Use Medical Devices (October 2010)
Chronic Disease Management (Fall 2012)
Hyperbaric Oxygen (Fall 2012)
Age-friendly Acute Care (Fall 2012)
Telehealth (Spring 2013)
Reports in Progress
Community-Based Service Models for Seniors (Spriing 2013)
Rapid Evidence Reports
In 2012, NLCAHR introduced Rapid Evidence Reports to provide support for evidence-based decision making in the Newfoundland and Labrador healthcare system on an expedited basis as compared to the Evidence in Context reports described above. Through these expedited reports, NLCAHR provides a brief overview of the research evidence on a high-priority research topic selected by decision makers in the province.
Rapid Evidence Reports include:
- a clear statement of the issue and the background to the issue/problem
- a description of the scope and nature of the pertinent scientific literature
- a summary of the principal features of the available evidence - points of consensus, points of disagreement, areas of uncertainty, areas that lack evidence - on some or all of the following: effectiveness of interventions, potential benefits and harms/risks, costs and cost effectiveness
- a comprehensive reference list of scholarly, peer-reviewed research literature from the past five years, as well as a more selective list of policy reports and other grey literature on the issue; and
- a brief analysis of the types of issues that might influence the applicability of the evidence to the Newfoundland and Labrador context.
Rapid Evidence Reports provide decision makers with a solid view of the scope and nature of the scientific literature on the topic in question, an initial assessment of the strengths and gaps in this literature, and a review of the key points of agreement and disagreement among researchers.
Completed Rapid Evidence Reports:
Flu Vaccination for Healthcare Workers in NL
Mobile Mental Health Crisis Intervention in the Western Health Region of NL
Safe Patient Handling Programs and Injury Prevention for Eastern Health in NL
Other CHRSP Documents