Heroes of the Pandemic 07: NCCMT - Arming public health leaders with the best available evidence

The pandemic triggered an unprecedented explosion of information and research, challenging public health leaders to determine the best evidence to follow to keep their communities safe.

That’s when the National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (NCCMT) stepped in to help.

“There are hundreds of COVID-19 studies being published almost on a weekly basis – much of which are not peer-reviewed, making it difficult for decision-makers to use,” said Dr. Maureen Dobbins, Scientific Director, NCCMT, an organization created out of SARS, hosted by McMaster University and funded by Public Health Agency of Canada.

“We have an important role in continuing to support public health decision-makers access the best available evidence related to COVID-19 in a timely way so they can use the best of what’s out there to inform their decisions.”

Delivering the best public health evidence across the country

Public health professionals from local to federal levels face mounting evidence as they need to quickly determine how to contact trace, or who should be tested, for example.

NCCMT first created a rapid review repository to share and access COVID-19 knowledge with Canadian public health professionals, reducing duplication, fostering collaboration, and ensuring the best evidence is accessible. The web-based repository has more than 100 rapid reviews and 20,000 visits to the website.

Dr. Dobbins and her team did not stop there – they launched a rapid evidence response service that expedites delivery of validated evidence within days of each request.

“We jumped into the middle to have public health decision-makers send us their questions and we quickly find the evidence, appraise it, compile it and send it back as something they can use in their decision making, said Dr. Dobbins, whose team typically focuses on public health knowledge and capacity building.

Expanding their impact globally

NCCMT has also partnered with COVID-END that supports COVID-19 decision-makers worldwide.

“We need to have coordination of evidence,” reflected Dr. Dobbins. “We have come together through COVID-END to figure out how we help the world identify the best evidence and get researchers and others to work together.”

The initiative has more than 50 partner organizations representing every continent.

“We’ve had the opportunity to hear what it’s been like on the frontline in public health during COVID-19 and that’s motivated us so much more to help them do their jobs,” explained Dr. Dobbins.

“They’re the heroes in the background.”