The BIGG-REC database makes available all WHO/PAHO evidence informed recommendations

Martín Ragusa; Fernando Tortosa; Gabriel Rada; Camilo Vergara; Leslie Zaragoza; Jenee Farrell; Marcela Torres; Veronica Abdala; Ariel Izcovich; Michelle Haby; Holger J Schunemann; Sebastian Garcia-Saiso; Ludovic Reveiz

doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.04.004

The BIGG-REC database makes available all WHO/PAHO evidence informed recommendations

J Clin Epidemiol. 2023 Jul:159:257-265. doi: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.04.004. Epub 2023 Apr 12.

Affiliations

¹ Knowledge Translation and Evidence Program, Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health Department, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Washington, DC, USA.
² Epistemonikos Foundation, Santiago de Chile, Chile.
³ Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, 1280 Main St West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4L8, Canada; Michael G. DeGroote Cochrane Canada & McMaster GRADE Centres, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada; Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche Humanitas University, Milan, Italy; Institute for Evidence in Medicine, Medical Center & Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
⁴ Knowledge Translation and Evidence Program, Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health Department, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), Washington, DC, USA. Electronic address: reveizl@paho.org.

PMID: 37059238
DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2023.04.004

Abstract

Objectives: To build and maintain a living database of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) recommendations developed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE).

Study design and setting: Guidelines are identified from WHO and PAHO databases. We periodically extract recommendations, according to the health and well-being targets of sustainable development goal 3 (SDG-3).

Results: As of March 2022, the International database of GRADE guidelines (https://bigg-rec.bvsalud.org/en) database hosted 2,682 recommendations contained in 285 WHO/PAHO guidelines. Recommendations were classified as follows: communicable diseases (1,581), children's health (1,182), universal health (1,171), sexual and reproductive health (910), noncommunicable diseases (677), maternal health (654), COVID-19 (224), use of psychoactive substances (99), tobacco (14) and road and traffic accidents (16). International database of GRADE guidelines allows searching by SDG-3, condition or disease, type of intervention, institution, year of publication, and age.

Conclusion: Recommendation maps provide an important resource for health professionals, organizations and member states that use evidence-informed guidance to make better decisions, providing a source for the adoption or adaptation of recommendations to meet their needs. This one-stop shop database of evidence-informed recommendations built with intuitive functionalities undoubtedly represents a long-needed tool for decision-makers, guideline developers, and the public at large.

Keywords: Evidence-based practice; GRADE; Health policy; Internet portal; Knowledge translation; Living recommendations.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Child
Health Personnel
Humans
Pan American Health Organization*
World Health Organization

Grants and funding

001/WHO_/World Health Organization/International