Written to support practitioners undertaking a Masters in public health, this book considers the main concepts, issues and methodologies of the second core competence of the Public Health Skills and Career Framework: 'Assessment of evidence of the effectiveness of interventions, programmes and services to improve population health and wellbeing'.
Coverage includes the theoretical definition of evidence and its use in public health, the role of critical appraisal methods and tools in evidence assessment and how Effectiveness, Efficiency and Quality inform evidence. The book is packed with case studies and activities to help link theory and practice and prompt personal reflection.
Introduction
What Is Meant by Evidence?
What Are Sources of Evidence?
Making Sense of the Evidential Hierarchy Used to Judge Research Evidence
The Act/Art of Assessing: Critical Appraisal and Its Relevance in Public Health
Assessing Evidence: The Quality of Primary and Secondary Research
Assessing Evidence: The Strengths and Weaknesses of Various Ways of Assessing Public Health Outcomes
Assessing Evidence: Cost-Effectiveness Analysis
Principles and Methods of Programme Evaluation
Assessing Quality and Effectiveness to Improve Public Health and Well-Being
Conclusion
