Research and Evaluation

Overview

Following the establishment of the HSE Public Health: National Health Protection Office in 2022, a new organisational model was implemented which encompasses the research and health intelligence functions delivered by the Research and Guideline Development Unit (RGDU). These functions are important tools in both prioritising and driving public health actions.

The HSE Health Protection Strategy (2022-2027) outlines the importance of these functions as follows:

  • A culture of research and evidence synthesis—both academic and operational—promotes consistent best practice, sharing of learning, and development of new ways of thinking and working.
  • The benefits of a culture of research and evidence synthesis also benefit patients, populations, and the organisation as a whole, including staff performance and retention.

The RGDU supports a culture of research in health protection that includes both local and international collaboration.

Evidence Surveillance

The RGDU team conduct weekly evidence surveillance every Friday, see here for more information.

Evidence Reviews

Evidence requests may arise from a number of sources, including actions from the National Crisis Management Team (NCMT) meetings, Advisory Committee for Severe Acute Respiratory Infections (AC-SARI) meetings, Outbreak Control Team (OCT) meetings, weekly evidence surveillance outputs and/or other sources. The RGDU processes evidence requests that are received via submission of the completed form RGDUF003, see Request Forms for more. The RGDU ensures that appropriate evidence review requests are received, screened and processed in a timely and efficient manner, and follows an appropriate evidence-based methodology when conducting evidence reviews.

Return to RGDU home

For further information please contact the Research and Guideline Development Unit at: rgdu@hpsc.ie

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