A FLOW DIAGRAM TO FACILITATE SELECTION OF INTERVENTIONS AND RESEARCH FOR HEALTH-CARE

Decisions about health care should be informed by systematic review of valid research evidence on the effects of interventions on health out comes that matter. If systematic review suggests it is likely that a h ealth care intervention does more good than harm in some settings, que stions must be addressed about the local applicability of the interven tion, its cost-effectiveness, and feasibility of implementation. If sy stematic review suggests that it is unlikely that an intervention does more good than harm in any setting its use should be discouraged, whi le existing interventions are improved or alternative interventions de veloped. If it is uncertain whether an intervention does more good tha n harm, further analysis of existing data or new controlled trials are required. The article contains a flow diagram, which provides a struc ture for making such decisions.