Coverage
The new normal: Just-in-time evidence for health system decision-making
April 2, 2024 | This blog, published on AcademyHealth and written by John N. Lavis and Jeremy Grimshaw, focuses on two innovations showing particular promise for meeting decision-maker evidence needs. The first is ultra-rapid evidence support units and the second is a ‘general contractor’ model. If we want to realize a new normal – just in time evidence for health system decision-making – then we must continue to learn from innovations like rapid evidence support units.
Organizations can help journalists navigate deluge of climate research
January 22, 2024 | This article, published by J-Source and written by Jenn Thornhill Verma and Kerry Waddell, focuses on how evidence syntheses aggregate scientific studies on climate change in the rapidly growing field so that reporters can bring more context and understanding to their reporting. Using best evidence in news reporting – in climate change and beyond — can help journalists repair public trust and also help catalyze action.
Strengthening domestic evidence-support systems | Global Commission on Evidence to Address Societal Challenges
March 16, 2023 | This article, published in Panorama: Solutions for a healthy planet, focuses on the Evidence Commission's work to formalize and strengthen domestic evidence-support systems. Our secretariat and partners in 12 countries are conducting rapid evidence-support system assessments (RESSAs) and sharing lessons learned through the RESSA Country Leads Group.
A better future for evidence and evidence use
November 2, 2022 | This blog, published on Transforming Evidence for policy and practice and written by Jenn Thornhill Verma and John N. Lavis, focuses on how we can work together to formalize and strengthen national evidence-support systems.
Wanted: better systems for turning evidence into action
February 28, 2022 | This article, published in Nature, highlights how lessons learnt from COVID-19 provide an opportunity for change, for injecting more-rigorous research and evidence into the way that decisions are reached.
Joe Rogan is a drop in the ocean of medical misinformation
February 8, 2022 | This article, published in the New York Times and written by Evidence Commission co-lead John Lavis and Commissioner Julia Belluz, highlights how alongside the torrent of health junk, there’s been a quiet revolution to surface the best-available research and make it accessible for all.
5 ways to tackle ignorance about evidence during and after the COVID-19 pandemic
February 6, 2022 | This article, published in The Conversation and written by Evidence Commission co-lead John Lavis, highlights solutions to making more systematic use of evidence to address a range of societal challenges.
You may not be relying on the best available evidence to make decisions and design programs - here's why
December 8, 2021 | This article published in Future of Good and written by Jenn Verma, executive lead of the Evidence Commission secretariat, in partnership with the Canadian Red Cross, argues that relying on the best local and global evidence is crucially important, but it shouldn’t take an active crisis to invest in the infrastructure needed for reliable and decision-relevant data and evidence.
Podcast from the WHO Global Evidence-to-Policy Summit
November 3, 2021 | In this podcast, John Lavis, co-lead of the Evidence Commission secretariat, shares his most important lessons learned on how to bridge the gap between evidence and policy. He also reflects upon what the COVID-19 pandemic has taught the world about translating evidence into policy and practice, and discusses three strategies on how to improve evidence-informed decision-making during health crises and beyond the pandemic.
Interview with John Lavis
September 14, 2021 | In this interview with Cochrane, John Lavis (one of the Evidence Commission’s co-Leads) talks about critical challenges for the evidence community, the development of the Evidence Commission and what he hopes will come out of Cochrane Convenes.
Interview with Jeremy Grimshaw
September 1, 2021 | In this interview with Cochrane, Jeremy Grimshaw (one of the Evidence Commission’s co-Leads) talks about the development of the Evidence Commission and what he hopes will come out of Cochrane Convenes.
Cochrane Reviews in times of COVID-19 with Dr John Lavis
May 16, 2021 | Available on Spotify, iTunes, and SoundCloud, this episode of the Science Basement Podcast—a podcast hosted by young scientists and scientists-in-training having conversations with scientists with the aim of making complicated ideas understandable to non-scientists— hosts Tomàs Garnier Artiñano and Lea Urpa interview the Evidence Commission’s Co-Lead Dr. John Lavis. John is a member of the Cochrane editorial board, member of the Cochrane knowledge-translation advisory group, and founder and director of the McMaster Health Forum, which hosts COVID-END. John speaks about what we know about COVID-19 so far, the importance of evidence synthesis and Living Systematic Reviews, how the media covers science, and Cochrane's Plain Language Summaries, translation work, and how Cochrane works with patients and careers. This episode is first in a three-part series featuring Cochrane.
How COVID broke the evidence pipeline: The pandemic stress-tested the way the world produces evidence — and revealed all the flaws
May 12, 2021 | Published in Nature, this news feature by Helen Pearson reveals what’s been gleaned about relying on best evidence to inform the pandemic response globally. The Evidence Commission’s Co-Lead, Dr. Jeremy Grimshaw and Commissioner Dr. Julian Elliott offer their take on how to learn from what’s worked and shore up what didn’t for applying best evidence to decision-making. COVID-19 Evidence Network to support Decision making (COVID-END) also features prominently.