There is a clear need for research evidence to drive policymaking and emergency responses so lives are saved and resources are not wasted. The need for evidence support for health and humanitarian crisis is pertinent because of the time and practical constraints that decision makers in these settings face. To improve the use of research evidence in policy and practice, it is important to provide evidence resources tailored to the target audience. This study aims to gain real-world insights from decision makers about how they use evidence summaries to inform real-time decision making in crisis settings, and to use the findings to improve the format of evidence summaries.

This study used an explanatory sequential mixed method study design. First, a survey was used to identify the views and experiences of those who were directly involved in crisis response in different contexts, and who may or may not have used evidence summaries. Second, the insights generated from the survey helped inform qualitative interviews with decision makers in crisis-settings to derive an in-depth understanding of how they use evidence summaries and their desired format for evidence summaries.

Twenty-six decision-makers working in health and humanitarian emergencies were interviewed. The study identified challenges decision makers face when trying to find and use research evidence in crises, including insufficient time and increased burden of responsibilities during crises. Decision makers preferred the following components in evidence summaries: title, target audience, presentation of key findings in an actionable checklist, implementation considerations, and assessment of the quality of evidence presented. The study developed an evidence summary template with accompanying training material to inform real-time decision making in crisis settings.

The study provided a deeper understanding of the preferences of decision-makers working in health and humanitarian emergencies regarding the format of evidence summaries to enable real-time evidence-informed decision-making.