SEARCHING FOR GREY LITERATURE FOR RAPID COMPILATION OF MALAYSIA’S HEALTH SYSTEMS RESPONSE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: CHALLENGES AND LESSONS LEARNT
https://doi.org/10.22452/jummec.vol26no2.9
- Author:
Shakirah Md. Sharif
1
;
Zen Yang Ang
1
;
Weng Hong Fun
1
;
Kit Yee Cheah
1
;
Yuke Lin Kong
1
;
Anis Syakira Jailani
1
;
Nur Balqis Zahirah Ali
1
;
Sondi Sararaks
1
Author Information
1. Institute for Health Systems Research, National Institutes of Health, Block B2, Kompleks Institut Kesihatan Negara (NIH), No.1, Jalan Setia Murni U13/52, Seksyen U13 Setia Alam, 40170 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia.
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Rapid review;
grey literature;
COVID-19;
health systems;
strategies
- MeSH:
Gray Literature
- From:Journal of University of Malaya Medical Centre
2023;26(2):81-88
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Grey literature is a valuable source of information for evidence synthesis in public health, particularly when swift action is needed to address issues. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was an example where rapid knowledge sharing was quintessential as the world grappled with the management of a novel coronavirus that was spreading at an alarming rate. To document and contextualise the health systems strategies used to address the COVID-19 pandemic in Malaysia from January 2020 to April 2020, we conducted a rapid review of publicly available documents from WHO Global Research on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) (WHO database), official government websites and local newspapers. This paper aims to describe the methods and discuss the lessons learnt from the review. In the early stage of the pandemic, published articles in the WHO database focused on clinical knowledge, hence we relied on grey literature as a primary source of information, mainly official government websites, which provided real-time information relevant to our study. Grey literature can be a good source of information for a rapid review of nascent and urgent topics particularly in the area of public health, however, a trade-off between comprehensiveness and efficiency has to be considered.
- Full text:2025082111311843755114136.pdf
