Title: Sheffield HS&DR Evidence Synthesis Centre
Funder: Department of Health and Social Care

Abstract: We understand that the role of the Evidence Synthesis Centre is to produce reviews, and diverse products to support getting evidence into practice, that are of the highest quality and value to decision makers, together with acting as a leading site for the further development and application of new and robust methodologies. Together these drive forward the role of evidence synthesis in directly addressing current issues for NHS health service organisation, management and delivery. Our understanding of the requirements of the HS&DR programme has been enhanced over the last two years through day-to-day operation of the current Evidence Synthesis Centre (ESC-Sheffield). Outputs to date have been used to support decisions on the optimal configuration of services (Paediatric Cardiac Surgery for NHS England); to inform research priorities (HS&DR Nursing Manpower desk-based research) and to explore issues related to relocation of acute hospital diagnostic services (HS&DR Community Diagnostics) or alternative methods of clinic delivery (HS&DR Group Clinics). The demands of cross-agency working have been emphasised by our recent HS&DR work on Tuberculosis Contact Tracing with Public Health England (PHE). Our existing strategic contacts with staff in PHE greatly facilitated consultation on the review brief and access to topic specialists and information specialists. Finally the HS&DR Urgent Care Review (and the current HS&DR review on the Frail Elderly) offer excellent exemplars of the need to conduct timely and politically-sensitive syntheses within a critical policy window. More recently the successful participation of ESC-Sheffield staff in winning two HS&DR research grants to evaluate New Models of Care has offered opportunities to identify the specific challenges when evaluating experimental models of service delivery and a consequent need to develop new and evolving methods of synthesis. These recent insights are derived against a backdrop of long-standing work on the information needs of managers and commissioners of services. From the outset of ScHARR our information team was involved in supporting the needs of the Trent Working Group on Acute Purchasing, a precursor of NICE while we currently have strong links with the Midlands and Lancashire Commissioning Unit. The information team was a joint contributor, with the King's Fund, to the National Library of Health Management Library for almost five years. This initiative built on Dr Booth's (Lead Applicant) previous experience of managing national information services located at the King's Fund in topics such as health and race, organisational quality assurance, and purchasing innovations. Dr Booth has supervised PhD level students and taught Masters students on managers' information needs.. Academically our unit is located within the emerging science of rapid review, critical to programmes such as HS&DR. This is seen in the diversity of our scoping, rapid, and mapping reviews and rapid evidence assessments for organisations (e.g. NIHR, NICE, Department of Health, Home Office, Social Care Institute for Excellence). Abbreviated and accelerated techniques are critical to the success of research programmes housed at NIHR. We are the only academic unit in the UK to formally teach a regular short course in Rapid Review methods and we are members of the Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group. We also run a Masters module by online learning on rapid evidence assessment

Lay abstract: We have an internationally renowned track record in evidence synthesis methods (See Project Supporting Information), contributing to guidance from the Cochrane Qualitative and Implementation Methods Group, Centre for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) guidance Guidance, the Cochrane Handbook and to NICE methods development. We actively shape the evidence synthesis agenda through methodological workshops at the Cochrane Colloquia and HTA-I meetings, presentations to national and international synthesis groups as well as hosting successful annual workshop events in Sheffield and contributing to events internationally. This track record, is exemplified in four international evidence synthesis collaborations (NIHR PHR COPES, NIHR HSDR Referral Management, EU Framework 7 INTEGRATE-HTA, EVIDENT Nutrition network). We collaborate on the GRADE-CERQual Approach for qualitative evidence and in innovative use of theory in complex interventions via the Cochrane Methodology Fund. Evidence synthesis is central to ScHARR activity; we remain the leading contributor to the NIHR HTA report series. Over two-thirds of our peer-reviewed institutional outputs (2013-2016) are associated with synthesis/review activities. Specific products from our HSDR portfolio include rapid reviews, a logistics review, a pathway review and a Web-enabled research in progress digest (HS&DR Nursing Manpower). Our experience in diverse evidence products is attested to by our review methods textbook, Systematic Approaches to a Successful Literature Review (2nd Edition, Sage, 2016). This expands our highly-cited typology of review types and informs our teaching at Masters, PhD and external short course level. We now offer the only dedicated regular external short course on Rapid Reviews and Masters modules in rapid reviews and a new taught MPH module on rapid evidence assessment. Documents from two European projects attest to our familiarity with a toolkit of review outputs (EU F7 INTEGRATE-HTA and EVIDENT), offering guidance on selection of qualitative synthesis methods and review outputs respectively. Our core team delivers review methodology workshops at such events as the SSM Conference and the What Works Global Summit. We have a particular interest in knowledge translation and tailoring to decision-making audiences. Our synthesis teams contribute to the design, development and evaluation of tailored synthesis products for diverse decision makers. Dissemination outputs for NHS managers and clinicians, public health and other practitioners, patients and the public include: For NICE and SCIE: We designed and developed the original model for the SCIE research briefing series. Collaborating with NICE we have evaluated the impact of different review methods for technology assessment. For DH and other government departments: Our highest profile reviews on alcohol pricing and health and crime were submitted as a REF2014 Impact Case study generating review work for the NICE Public Health Collaborating Centre. Reviews relating to prehospital care have directly informed policy in the UK and Denmark. For NIHR: We produce diverse summaries of primary and secondary research findings for NHS and public audiences, specifically through the South Yorkshire and latterly Yorkshire & Humber CLAHRCs. For other diverse clients: We have continued to produce a range of products for diverse clients: e.g. Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Citizens Advice charities, and Stoke City Council.

Research activity codes: 8.1 ORGANISATION AND DELIVERY OF SERVICES
Health categories: GENERIC HEALTH RELEVANCE