Health Research Priority Setting in Oman: Towards better utilization of the available resources

Abstract

Objective: This concept paper aims to portray the steps and strategies followed in setting the health research priorities in Sultanate of Oman. Methods: This exercise was developed based on COHRED management process to priority setting for planning a high-quality health research priority setting exercise at national and sub national levels. Ranking for the diseases and risk factors in Oman was based on the estimates obtained from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2016 study by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). The most important topics were generated from a panel of experts to tackle the above ranked problems, which was supported with a feasibility score to plan for conducting research. Results: A list of top 30 diseases and 10 risk factors based on DALYs estimates was ranked and listed. Sub-research topics were listed under each category. Feasibility scores were obtained from all the sub-national levels based on available human resources, infrastructure, financing, technology, legality, and ethical consideration. A plan for the next 15 years was developed for each sub national level based on the feasibility score. Conclusion: Prioritisation mechanisms are necessary to facilitate the current demand for increased harmonisation of health research to meet health services needs particularly in combination with translating the results into actions that improve overall population health. Due to the immense importance of health research in improving the health system and health services, the decision to prioritise health research was the first step in the direction to enhance health research and thereby enhance health service in Oman by the Centre of Studies & Research. This intervention will lead the health system to achieve better planning for effective utilization of available resources.