Scientific evidence in decision making: a reflection for healthcare organizations

Abstract The objective was to analyze the results of the project Support for the formulation and implementation of evidence-informed health policies (ESPIE) developed between 2015 and 2023, at Hospital Sírio-Libanês, to support decision-making in health organizations. This study was carried out through triangulation between the published results of the project, Simon's Decision-Making Theory and the experience of the authors, participants in the implementation of the project. The analysis was guided by the following question: What advances, limits and learnings were observed in the implementation of the use of scientific evidence in decision-making in organizational contexts, within the scope of the project? It was found that the incorporation of knowledge in health organizations is a complex process that needs to consider the dynamics of the decision-making chain, the behavior of authorities in favoring or legitimizing them, and barriers rooted in the organization's culture and that compete with new knowledge. It is concluded that the more successful the strategies are, the more the individual capabilities acquired interact with the contexts of the organizations and with the actors in the decision-making chain.