Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: The use of scientific evidence in the formulation and implementation of policies has become an internationally recognized guiding principle for decision-making in health. Amid discussions on the sustainability of health systems and the context of multiple crises, a critical perspective on this debate is imperative. In this essay, we present initial critical-reflective notes on the context of knowledge production within the framework of modern science and the use of scientific evidence in health policy decisions. We adopt historical-dialectical materialism and critical realism as theoretical, methodological, and ontological frameworks, supported by a rapid review of the scientific literature on the topic. We discuss elements of the dominant scientific paradigm, which neglects the ontological foundations of science as a socio-historical praxis; the landscape of evidence-informed policy production in Latin America, its advancements, and its emphasis on methods and techniques; and critical realism as an alternative capable of supporting the social character of science and the existence of an objective reality independent of interpretation. The realization of health as a right served as the guiding objective-image for the discussion. We argue for the necessity of shifting the emphasis from methodological concerns and epistemological disputes to an ontological approach.
Source: Saúde e Sociedade
Language: Portuguese
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7171387044