Evidence synthesis in the climate change and health domain

The intertwined challenges of health and climate change are escalating at an unprecedented rate, posing significant threats to global well-being and sustainability. Accurate and timely research in these areas has never been more crucial, as it provides the essential evidence needed to inform policies, drive effective interventions, and foster resilience. 

As part of our climate and health resilience efforts, Scope Impact has partnered with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to explore and understand the use of digital evidence synthesis tools (DESTs) in the climate and health domain.  To support this initiative, we facilitated a series of four interactive remote workshops, employing participatory design approaches to engage with tool developers, researchers, and science assessment experts. The goal was to identify and understand key barriers, enablers, and opportunities for the broader adoption of these innovative tools.

Digital evidence synthesis tools (DESTs) are advanced software solutions that leverage artificial intelligence (AI) to streamline and enhance the process of conducting systematic reviews. These tools are designed to efficiently collect, analyze, and integrate extensive research data, with the goal to produce faster and more precise evidence-based findings. DESTs can be especially valuable in fields like climate and health, where timely and reliable evidence synthesis is essential for informed decision-making and policy development. However, despite their significant potential, the widespread adoption of DESTs faces challenges, including issues of user trust and familiarity, as well as seamless integration into current practices.