Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29378553›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2018

Improving public health evaluation: a qualitative investigation of practitioners' needs.

Sarah Denford, Rajalakshmi Lakshman, Margaret Callaghan, Charles Abraham

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Community-Driven Health Promotion: Evaluation of a Rural Microgrant Program.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2024
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Exploring influences on evaluation practice: a case study of a national physical activity programme.The international journal of behavioral nutrition and physical activity · 2021
    Article
  4. Chronic disease prevention evaluation in Ontario's public health system: a qualitative needs assessment.Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publique · 2020
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Sarah DenfordChildren's Health and Exercise Research Centre, Baring Court, St Lukes Campus, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX1 2LU, UK. S.Denford@Exeter.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0002-2123-1022
Rajalakshmi LakshmanUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Margaret CallaghanInstitute of Health Research, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK.
Charles AbrahamInstitute of Health Research, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, UK.

Funding

Medical Research Council MC_EX_UU_MR/J000361/1Medical Research Council MC_UU_12015/2Medical Research Council MR/K023187/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn 2011, the House of Lords published a report on Behaviour Change, in which they report that "a lot more could, and should, be done to improve the evaluation of interventions." This study aimed to undertake a needs assessment of what kind of evaluation training and materials would be of most use to UK public health practitioners by conducting interviews with practitioners about everyday evaluation practice and needed guidance and materials.

methodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 32 public health practitioners in two UK regions, Cambridgeshire and the South West. Participants included directors of public health, consultants in public health, health improvement advisors, public health intelligence, and public health research officers. A topic guide included questions designed to explore participants existing evaluation practice and their needs for further training and guidance. Data were analysed using thematic analyses.

resultsPractitioners highlighted the need for evaluation to defend the effectiveness of existing programs and protect funding provisions. However, practitioners often lacked training in evaluation, and felt unqualified to perform such a task. The majority of practitioners did not use, or were not aware of many existing evaluation guidance documents. They wanted quality-assured, practical guidance that relate to the real world settings in which they operate. Practitioners also mentioned the need for better links and support from academics in public health.

conclusionWhilst numerous guidance documents supporting public health evaluation exist, these documents are currently underused by practitioners - either because they are not considered useful, or because practitioners are not aware of them. Integrating existing guides into a catalogue of guidance documents, and developing a new-quality assured, practical and useful document may support the evaluation of public health programs. This in turn has the potential to identify those programs that are effective; thus improving public health and reducing financial waste.

Indexed as

Needs AssessmentProgram EvaluationPublic Health PracticeHumansQualitative ResearchUnited KingdomEvaluationInterviewsPublic healthPublic health practitionersQualitative

Identifiers

PMID29378553
PMCPMC5789639

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.