Eva A Rehfuess, Lisa Pfadenhauer, Monika Nothacker, Brigitte Strahwald
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Problem: At the beginning of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, reliable, globally applicable recommendations for safe and continuous school operations were lacking.
Approach: In October 2020, the German Association of Scientific Medical Societies' task force for COVID-19 guidelines and public health researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München initiated the rapid development of a living evidence- and consensus-based guideline to reduce severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 transmission in schools. To facilitate transparent, structured and comprehensive decision-making with a whole-of-society perspective, they applied the WHO-INTEGRATE evidence-to-decision framework. This framework supported a broad, multisectoral composition of the guideline panel. The panel used newly synthesized evidence on nine school measures. Participating medical societies or the guideline secretariat completed evidence-to-decision tables. They also drafted recommendations for the guideline panel, who discussed and revised them during moderated consensus conferences.
Local setting: In Germany, each state is responsible for organizing schooling. The German Association of Scientific Medical Societies coordinates development of evidence- and consensus-based guidelines.
Relevant changes: The first version of the guideline was published in February 2021, and the guideline dissemination created much media attention. Of the 16 state education ministries, almost all knew about the guideline, nine recognized it as a relevant source of information and five used it to check existing directives.
Lessons learnt: The WHO-INTEGRATE framework facilitated a comprehensive assessment of school measures from the start of guideline development, considering the broad societal impact of the measures. Using the framework in rapid mode was feasible, but it fell short of its potential.
期刊介绍:
The Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Journal Overview:
Leading public health journal
Peer-reviewed monthly journal
Special focus on developing countries
Global scope and authority
Top public and environmental health journal
Impact factor of 6.818 (2018), according to Web of Science ranking
Audience:
Essential reading for public health decision-makers and researchers
Provides blend of research, well-informed opinion, and news