Impacts of climate change on health and health systems: Producing evidence syntheses to support decision-making

Date & Time
Monday, September 4, 2023, 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Location Name
Rutherford
Session Type
Workshop - training
Category
Capacity building in evidence synthesis
Target audience
The workshop is intended for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other professionals interested in the links between climate change and human health. No prior experience in evidence synthesis is necessary, basic familiarity with climate-health
Level of difficulty
Basic
Description

Background The climate emergency is a pressing threat to human health and health systems. Members of the Cochrane community must bring our evidence synthesis expertise to the work of supporting effective decision making to adapt to or mitigate its impacts. Because of the multi-level and systemic challenge of this topic, relevant evidence is complex and heterogeneous. Synthesis of this evidence requires appropriate methods that incorporate interdisciplinary approaches. Objective To introduce participants to the knowledge and skills needed to conduct comprehensive and rigorous evidence syntheses on climate-health topics. Participants will gain an understanding of available relevant evidence synthesis methods and will be introduced to the skills needed to conduct their own syntheses. They will also have the opportunity to network with other researchers and practitioners working in the field. Description Overview of key concepts and terminology - Introduction to climate change and human health linkages - Adaptation and mitigation initiatives related to health and health systems Decisions related to conducting a review: - Framing the PICO question - Search strategies and selecting databases - Incorporating logic models/conceptual frameworks to link health and climate variables - Decisions about scope (lumping versus splitting) and levels of analysis - Addressing equity considerations - Establishing a review advisory board There will be facilitated small-group work sessions addressing specific issues for designing a protocol on a climate-health question. Participants can bring their own topics or work from sample topics provided by the facilitators. The workshop will conclude with a brief discussion of future methods needs for climate-health syntheses.

Acknowledgements
Ebi KL1, Tong S2, Parker E3, O'Neill N4
1Center for Health and the Global Environment, Dept of Global Health, University of Washington, United States
2Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Anhui Medical University; Nanjing Medical University; Queensland University of Technology, China & Australia
3Vanderbilt University Medical Center, United States
4Directorate of Public Health, NHS Highland, United Kingdom