Decision-Making Processes, GCSE Coursework Example

Summary of selected research that supports Decision-making processes used when planning health promotion projects

The research article selected is, ‘The Use of Research Evidence in Public Health Decision Making Processes: Systematic Review’ by Lois Orton, Ffion Lloyd-Williams and David Taylor-Robinson (2011) retrieved from the United States National Library of Medicine Website. The authors’ aim in this systemic review was to ‘synthesize empirical evidence on the use of research evidence by public health decision makers in settings with universal health care systems’ (Orton, Lloyd-Williams &Taylor-Robinson, 2011, p. e21704.). This was in response to previous observations that there seems to be very little research evidence regarding implementing programs aligned to a specific decision making processes in public health promotion ventures.

After reviewing 13 databases researchers selected 18 studies, three surveys and 15 qualitative design studies. A total of 1063 public health decision makers and 72 researchers were reviewed. One hundred and seventy four of the public health decision makers were engaged in overlapping roles as researcher and public health decision maker. Barriers towards producing more evidence based health promotion interventions among public health decision makers were identified as their specific decision making culture; competing influences regarding decision making process and practical constraints such as inequalities among public health decision makers (Orton et.al, 2011).

These researchers discovered that it was difficult finding the role research played in providing evidence to reduce inequalities among decision makers in public health. More importantly, they concluded that implementing research evidence as a decision making device in designing public health promotion programs has a long road still to travel. As such, action is required by decision makers and researchers alike to address breaking the barriers infiltrating the transference of evidence from research into practice as it relates to decision making in among public health practitioners. Precisely, these researchers advance that the need is urgent if the decision making process is to become relevant in meeting twenty-first century public health need for reducing inequalities within professional practice (Tannahill, 2008).

References

Orton, L. Lloyd-Williams, F., & Taylor-Robinson, D. (2011). The Use of Research Evidence in Public Health Decision Making Processes: Systematic Review. PLoS One.  6(7); e21704.

Tannahill A. (2008). Beyond evidence–to ethics: a decision-making framework for health promotion, public health and health improvement. Health Promot Internation. 23(4);380–90