Systematic reviews have been touted as a key tool in evidence-based medicine. But are they useful in policy? And how can we apply this method flexibly to meet policy-relevant needs? Using examples from health technology assessment, public health, education and human services, Dr G.J. Melendez-Torres will discuss how methodological innovations in systematic reviews can improve the utility of not just ‘medical’ systematic reviews, but also reviews addressing questions pressing to public policy across a variety of domains.