Métodos de priorización de investigación para la salud: su revisión como instrumento para la construcción de la agenda nacional en Panamá

Abstract

Panama does not have a National Health Research Agenda and it is an opportune time to establish it on the basis of favorable circumstances for interagency cooperation. The lack of systematic prioriti-zation practices reinforced by broad consensus and led by the governance health agencies have contributed to the absence of that agenda in the country. In this work, a systematic review of current methods of prioritization in health research is presented, highlighting their individual characteristics such as main purpose, the process approach, the use of criteria and values, their application in some countries, their advantages and limitations. Although, there is no a specific method for prioritization at country level, the analysis presented here provides alternative methodologies and strategies that can be used in the near prioritization process in order set an agenda aligned with the health needs of the population and established in a fair way by consensus of a wide group of stakeholders.