Evaluation and Decision Making for Health Services

Softcover: 448 pages
8.5" x 11"
ISBN 1587982307
978-1587982309
Beard Books
January 2005
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This book provides a practical description of contemporary methods useful for health services program evaluation and decision making.

This is a book that health services organizations and practitioners have been relying on since its first publication in 1984. Its popularity led to two subsequent revisions in 1991 and 1998. This reprint of the 1998 version, with an updated preface, brings the issues into focus in today's context. The book begins with a framework for decision making that stresses the importance of evaluation in the entire managerial process of program planning, implementation, and control.

There are five major evaluation techniques: monitoring, case studies, survey research, trend analysis, and experimental design. The authors explain the methodology behind each approach. Exploring how and by whom evaluation is carried out and how best to use the results of evaluation efforts, they focus on the measurement of utility; sampling; operations research techniques and interpretation; cost benefit, cost effectiveness, and cost utility analysis.

The theme of each of its seven sections is the presentation of integrated basic research design and measurement methods, along with program evaluation principles and strategies. A logical progression of research method approaches is presented. The authors, who are experienced, well respected professionals, are consultants in program evaluation and instructors for post-graduate health services managers.

The intent is to give health professions managers a better understanding of the problems frequently encountered when providing health services, as well as the tools to evaluate and work with these problems. This is a highly relevant objective in the development and advancement of contemporary health services management. Both health professions managers and health services scientists will find this publication beneficial. It blends the key elements of both disciplines, and provides an appealing balance between scientific rigor and practical management decision making.

The specific research techniques described in the book include the use of monitoring, case studies, descriptive and analytic surveys, trend analyses, and various experimental designs. Many case examples are provided to illustrate how the scientific method is applied in program evaluation. The examples are representative of common questions and are efficient and pragmatic. Clear illustrations of cause-effect diagrams, flow charts, and decision analysis models are provided. Relevant formulas for calculations are included.

A well selected glossary of terms is helpful to anyone studying this area. The book is written for high-quality instruction at the post-graduate level. The writing style is also suited to life long learners in self-study. This is a successful publication that provides the practical interface of research principles with program evaluation strategies to assist both the health services researcher and the health professions manager.

James E. Veney is professor of health policy and administration at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has served as director of both the master’s and doctoral programs in the department and has taught courses in research methodology, evaluation methodology, statistics, and international health systems.

(information directly from the publisher)

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