BACKGROUND: Current international recommendations in generating and using evidence in Health Research Priority Setting (HRPS) include the use of systematic reviews, and systematic or scientific situational analysis. In the Philippines, the Philippine National Health Research System's (PNHRS) National Guidelines for Health Research Prioritization recommends the use of either a Combined Approach Matrix (CAM) or situational analysis in generating and using evidence for HRPS. At present, there is a lack of a gold standard in generating and utilizing evidence in HRPS.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this paper is to document a practical yet alternative/innovative approach on how evidence was generated and utilized in the process of HRPS as observed in the development of the National Unified Health Research Agenda (NUHRA) in the Philippines. Specifically, it identifies the types of knowledge products produced and their role in the process of health research agenda setting; how evidence was used and managed in the course of NUHRA development; and, the lessons learned from the experience.

METHODS: This case study is descriptive of the experience of generating and utilizing evidence for HRPS in the Philippines. The study utilized primary and secondary data. Knowledge Management (KM) was used as a lens to describe the process of generating and managing information for the NUHRA. Document analysis was used in comparing and aligning data with the integrated KM framework.

RESULTS: Pre-selected data were captured and created; shared and disseminated; and subsequently acquired and applied voluntarily by stakeholders during the process of HRPS. Relevant data was presented into various information products designed with a specific stakeholder in mind. Technical papers were developed to cater to national level stakeholders and focused on broad, nationally-relevant issues. Regional situational analysis reports focused on regional and local data and were designed for regional stakeholders to use during the development of Regional Unified Health Research Agenda (RUHRA). Infographics were developed to present the findings of the technical papers creatively and concisely and the NUHRA methodology and were presented to both national and regional stakeholders. The RUHRAs and the NUHRA were the outputs of the health research prioritization activities and will be made available through local and national channels of the PNHRS.

RECOMMENDATIONS: Opportunities for formalization and institutionalization of knowledge management for generating and using evidence in HRPS may be explored to address health information fragmentation across the health research system.