Potential waste in evidence synthesis for health screening: a scoping review and call for action

The results of this review highlight potential research waste due to duplication in evidence synthesis efforts. Coordinated action among organizations advising policymakers, such as NSCs, public health agencies, and evidence review bodies may help establish more efficient, collaborative approaches that enable reuse and adaptation across contexts. Such action could include real-time sharing of ongoing reviews, multiregion comprehensive reviews, and the use of stratified analyses to tailor findings to country-specific needs. These strategies should be explored to determine whether organizations can reduce unnecessary duplication, enhance equity, improve the timeliness and relevance of guidance, and redirect resources toward unmet research priorities and other pressing public health challenges.