Health systems and policy research evidence in health policy making in Israel: what are researchers' practices in transferring knowledge to policy makers?

Background: Ensuring the use of research evidence in health system management and policy decisions is an important challenge in this century. Knowledge transfer and exchange (KTE) has emerged as a paradigm to address the challenges and start closing the 'know-do' gap. This area of work is gaining momentum in most developed countries, yet, to date, no work has been performed in Israel within this area.

[OFEK virtual medical records: an evaluation of an integrated hospital-community system].

Background: In 2005, an innovative system of hospital-community on-line medical records ("OFEK") was established at Clalit Health Services to reduce costs and improve medical care.

Goals: To examine the utilization of OFEK and its impact on quality indicators and medical-service utilization.

Method: Examining frequency of use of OFEK with OFEK's own track-log data; "before" and "after" data were used to compare changes in quality indicators and service utilization for experimental versus control groups.

The impact of an integrated hospital-community medical information system on quality of care and medical service utilisation in primary-care clinics.

Background: In 2005, an innovative system of hospital-community, on-line medical records (OFEK) was introduced in Clalit Health Services (CHS).

Goals: To examine OFEK's use and impact on quality indicators and medical-service utilisation in CHS primary-care clinics.

Methods: Examining the frequency of OFEK's use with its own track-log data; comparing 'before' and 'after' quality indicators and service utilisation of experimental versus control clinics.

The impact of an integrated hospital-community medical information system on quality and service utilization in hospital departments.

Purpose: In 2005, an innovative system of hospital-community on-line medical records (OFEK) was implemented at Clalit Health Services (CHS). The goals of the study were to examine the extent of OFEK's use and its impact on quality indicators and medical-service utilization in Internal Medicine and General Surgery wards of CHS hospitals.

Methods: Examining the frequency of OFEK's use with its own track-log data; comparing, "before" and "after", quality indicators and service utilization data in experimental (CHS patients) versus control groups (other patients).