Making the health inequalities evidence-base more useful to policy

Posted on 27 March 2024

Researchers from CRD and the EPPI-Centre have recently published a methodological study in the Journal of Clinical Epidemiology on the methods, tools and frameworks used as a conceptual basis for investigating dimensions of equity impacts of public health interventions in systematic reviews.

The work was undertaken after a roundtable with colleagues at the Department of Health and Social Care highlighted the need for better and more consistent reporting in research addressing inequalities, particularly in relation to the differential impact of interventions and policies. It found that PROGRESS-Plus is the predominant framework used in systematic reviews, but identified practical, measurement and conceptual challenges with its use. The paper provides recommendations for how investigations of equity impact in systematic reviews could be made more useful.

This project received funding from the University of York. Emily South and Amanda Sowden from CRD were involved in the project, working with Gareth Hollands, Ian Shemilt and James Thomas from the EPPI-Centre, University College London.

Hollands GJ, South E, Shemilt I, Oliver S, Thomas J, Sowden AJ. Methods used to conceptualise dimensions of health equity impacts of public health interventions in systematic reviews. J Clin Epidemiol 2024 Mar 1 [Epub ahead of print]