Resources supporting trustworthy, rapid and equitable evidence synthesis and guideline development: results from the COVID-19 evidence network to support decision-making (COVID-END)

Robust evidence syntheses, health technology assessments and trustworthy guidelines are the cornerstones of informed healthcare decision making and for moving the best-available research evidence into policy and practice. The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent infodemic – the rapid spread and generation of accurate and inaccurate information – represents an unprecedented global challenge. COVID-19 therefore requires trustworthy, rapid, and equitable evidence syntheses and guidance to inform clinical and public health decisions.

Towards providing solutions, the COVID-19 Evidence Network to support Decision-making (COVID-END) convened Working Groups aimed to support access to and use of high-quality existing evidence syntheses, guidelines and health technology assessments in more coordinated and efficient ways, balancing quality and timeliness. The working groups collaborated to develop a consolidated resource for evidence synthesis, clinical practice guidelines and health technology assessments.

In this commentary, we present how COVID-END works and what became a joint mission of these working groups; consolidated resources to facilitate trustworthy, rapid and equitable evidence synthesis, health technology assessments and guidelines for public health and clinical practice. We also call for future efforts to further strengthen global and equitable collaboration within evidence synthesis and guidance, with potential impact beyond COVID-19.