Designing deliberative methods for combining heterogeneous evidence

Given this context, the aim of this study is to help improve our understanding of deliberative methods and to provide recommendations on the use of deliberative methods as a means for combining heterogeneous evidence to inform health policy decisions in a range of decision-m aking contexts. [...] Despite the lack of evidence to address the second research question, the findings of the systematic review and qualitative scan did provide important insights into the role that deliberative methods play in combining heterogeneous evidence. [...] Purpose of the Deliberative Process With the exception of BCBSA and the Institute for Health Economics, the deliberative processes examined in the scan were linked to national-level, publicly funded organizations (Appendix A4.3). [...] Participants and Participation Participation varied widely in terms of the number and variety of participants and the nature of their involvement, from the NICE Citizens Council membership of 30 laypersons to the EPA’s solely expert membership. [...] However, as the frequency and duration of the deliberative components of these processes varied widely and were often dependent on the factors specific to the decision-making context, the appropriate level of resources required for the deliberative processes was unclear.