Developing a rapid evidence response to COVID-19: The collaborative approach of Saskatchewan, Canada

Gary Groot; Susan Baer; Andreea Badea; Michelle Dalidowicz; Maryam Yasinian; Anum Ali; Tracey Carr; Bruce Reeder; COVID‐19 Evidence Support Team (CEST)

doi:10.1002/lrh2.10280

Developing a rapid evidence response to COVID-19: The collaborative approach of Saskatchewan, Canada

Learn Health Syst. 2021 Jun 22;6(1):e10280. doi: 10.1002/lrh2.10280. eCollection 2022 Jan.

Authors

Gary Groot^{1

2}, Susan Baer², Andreea Badea¹, Michelle Dalidowicz², Maryam Yasinian¹, Anum Ali¹, Tracey Carr¹, Bruce Reeder¹; COVID‐19 Evidence Support Team (CEST)

Collaborators

COVID‐19 Evidence Support Team (CEST):
Amir Reza Azizian, Jenny Basran, Catherine Boden, Vicky Duncan, Courtney Ellsworth, Fiona Fick, Lance Fox, Brianna Howell-Spooner, Stephen Lee, Michelle McCarron, Lukas Miller, Mark Mueller, Nazeem Muhajarine, Cory Neudorf, Geoffrey Shumilak, James Stempien, Molly Trecker, Susan Tupper, Sabira Valiani, Jason Vanstone, Heather Ward, Hazel Williams-Roberts, Brandy Winquist, Catherine Young

Affiliations

¹ Department of Community Health and Epidemiology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada.
² Saskatchewan Health Authority Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada.

Abstract

Introduction: The COVID-19 Evidence Support Team (CEST) was a provincial initiative that combined the support of policymakers, researchers, and clinical practitioners to initiate a new learning health cycle (LHS) in response to the pandemic. The primary aim of CEST was to produce and sustain the best available COVID-19 evidence to facilitate decision-making in Saskatchewan, Canada. To achieve this objective, four provincial organizations partnered to establish a single, data-driven system.

Methods: The CEST partnership was driven by COVID-19 questions from Emergency Operational Committee (EOC) of the Saskatchewan Health Authority. CEST included three processes: (a) clarifying the nature and priority of COVID-19 policy and clinical questions; (b) providing Rapid Reviews (RRR) and Evidence Search Reports (ESR); and (c) seeking the requestors' evaluation of the product. A web-based repository, including a dashboard and database, was designed to house ESRs and RRRs and offered a common platform for clinicians, academics, leaders, and policymakers to find COVID-19 evidence.

Results: In CEST's first year, 114 clinical and policy questions have been posed resulting in 135 ESRs and 108 RRRs. While most questions (41.3%) originated with the EOC, several other teams were assembled to address a myriad of questions related to areas such as long-term care, public health and prevention, infectious diseases, personal protective equipment, vulnerable populations, and Indigenous health. Initial challenges were mobilization of diverse partners and teams, remote work, lack of public access, and quality of emerging COVID-19 literature. Current challenges indicate the need for institutional commitment for CEST sustainability. Despite these challenges, the CEST provided the Saskatchewan LHS with a template for successful collaboration.

Conclusions: The urgency of COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of the CEST served to catalyze collaboration between different levels of a Saskatchewan LHS.

Keywords: COVID‐19; Saskatchewan; collaboration; decision‐making; evidence; learning health system.