scholarly journals Continuing to enhance the quality of case study methodology in health services research

2021 ◽  
pp. 084047042110288
Author(s):  
Shannon L. Sibbald ◽  
Stefan Paciocco ◽  
Meghan Fournie ◽  
Rachelle Van Asseldonk ◽  
Tiffany Scurr
Keyword(s):  
Health Services Research ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
Complex Relationships

Case study methodology has grown in popularity within Health Services Research (HSR). However, its use and merit as a methodology are frequently criticized due to its flexible approach and inconsistent application. Nevertheless, case study methodology is well suited to HSR because it can track and examine complex relationships, contexts, and systems as they evolve. Applied appropriately, it can help generate information on how multiple forms of knowledge come together to inform decision-making within healthcare contexts. In this article, we aim to demystify case study methodology by outlining its philosophical underpinnings and three foundational approaches. We provide literature-based guidance to decision-makers, policy-makers, and health leaders on how to engage in and critically appraise case study design. We advocate that researchers work in collaboration with health leaders to detail their research process with an aim of strengthening the validity and integrity of case study for its continued and advanced use in HSR.

scholarly journals Advancing the Delivery of Communication Sciences and Disorders Services Through Research: The Promise of Health Services Research

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan A. Morris ◽  
Jennifer Y. Oshita ◽  
Michelle Stransky
Keyword(s):  
Health Services Research ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Care Providers ◽  
Real World ◽  
Communication Disorders ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Care Providers ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Efficacy Research

Purpose Traditional efficacy research, or research that studies interventions in controlled settings, can be difficult to translate to real-world clinical settings. In this article, we introduce the field of health services research (HSR) as 1 possible tool to aid this translation. HSR is a field of research that examines and intervenes in the use, cost, quality, delivery, organization, and outcomes of clinical interventions and services in the real-world setting. The complexity of the world outside the clinic walls is accounted for in HSR methods and data sources. As such, HSR often requires collaboration of stakeholders, including patients, caregivers, clinicians, and policy makers. These stakeholders are often engaged throughout the research process, from selecting research questions to disseminating results. HSR brings together researchers from multiple disciplines, including sociology, health economics, epidemiology, and implementation science, among others. The outcomes of HSR can inform policy changes both locally and nationally. To clarify the scope and impact of HSR, we present examples of HSR-based research on communication between patients with communication disorders and health care providers. Conclusions HSR is a critical tool for clinicians and researchers in the discipline of communication sciences and disorders who are committed to improving the lives and health of persons with communication disorders.

scholarly journals Quality assessment with diverse studies (QuADS): an appraisal tool for methodological and reporting quality in systematic reviews of mixed- or multi-method studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reema Harrison ◽  
Benjamin Jones ◽  
Peter Gardner ◽  
Rebecca Lawton
Keyword(s):  
Health Services Research ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Content Validity ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Appraisal Tool

Abstract Background In the context of the volume of mixed- and multi-methods studies in health services research, the present study sought to develop an appraisal tool to determine the methodological and reporting quality of such studies when included in systematic reviews. Evaluative evidence regarding the design and use of our existing Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs (QATSDD) was synthesised to enhance and refine it for application across health services research. Methods Secondary data were collected through a literature review of all articles identified using Google Scholar that had cited the QATSDD tool from its inception in 2012 to December 2019. First authors of all papers that had cited the QATSDD (n=197) were also invited to provide further evaluative data via a qualitative online survey. Evaluative findings from the survey and literature review were synthesised narratively and these data used to identify areas requiring refinement. The refined tool was subject to inter-rater reliability, face and content validity analyses. Results Key limitations of the QATSDD tool identified related to a lack of clarity regarding scope of use of the tool and in the ease of application of criteria beyond experimental psychological research. The Quality Appraisal for Diverse Studies (QuADS) tool emerged as a revised tool to address the limitations of the QATSDD. The QuADS tool demonstrated substantial inter-rater reliability (k=0.66), face and content validity for application in systematic reviews with mixed, or multi-methods health services research. Conclusion Our findings highlight the perceived value of appraisal tools to determine the methodological and reporting quality of studies in reviews that include heterogeneous studies. The QuADS tool demonstrates strong reliability and ease of use for application to multi or mixed-methods health services research.

scholarly journals Interaction and innovation: practical strategies for inclusive consumer-driven research in health services

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. e031555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria R Dahm ◽  
Anthony Brown ◽  
Dean Martin ◽  
Maureen Williams ◽  
Brian Osborne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Analysis ◽  
Health Services Research ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Consumer Involvement ◽  
Consumer Engagement ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Active Involvement ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionDespite advances in the co-creation of clinical research involving consumers in the last few decades, consumer engagement in health services research generally remains inconsistent and is too often treated as a perfunctory exercise.ObjectiveDrawing on a health services study on diagnostic test result management, communication and follow-up, we: (1) outline practical strategies used to enhance the contribution of health consumer representatives across all stages of health services research, including active involvement in prioritising objectives for data analysis and participating in data analysis and the dissemination of findings; and (2) describe the impact of continued engagement of consumers on the programme of research, the interpretation of findings and their translational potential.Key innovationsKey enabling innovations for engagement included: (1) planned opportunities for long-term consumer involvement across all stages of the research process from conception to dissemination; (2) enhanced consumer engagement capacity; (3) purposeful recruitment of appropriately trained consumers; (4) provision of support structures for active consumer involvement in research design, analysis and write-up; and (5) financial support for consumer involvement.Impact/ConclusionEnhancing consumer contribution and establishing inclusive research design requires a negotiated, interactive, meaningful and transparent process. As a collaborative approach, consumer-driven research involvement offers opportunities for new, often unexpected or unexplored perspectives to feature across the whole research process. In a move away from tokenistic consumer involvement, consumers and researchers who participated in this novel and immersive research project identified inclusive research as a powerful tool to enhance health services research and its translation into effective policy.

Involving Stakeholders in Health Services Research: Developing Alberta's Resident Classification System for Long-Term Care Facilities

1994 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 749-761 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathy Charles ◽  
Corinne Schalm ◽  
Joyce Semradek
Keyword(s):  
Health Services Research ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Classification System ◽  
Long Term Care ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Research Information ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Term Care ◽  
Administrative Policy

Little attention has been directed in Canada to identifying stakeholders at the administrative policy level to whom relevant health services research information can be targeted. This article describes a case study in which key stakeholders (long-term care facility owners, operators, and care providers) were explicitly defined not only as targets of original research information to inform administrative public policy but also as collaborators in the research process and dissemination of results. The research involved development of a classification system to measure resident care requirements in the province's nursing homes and auxiliary hospitals. The classification system formed the basis of a new government administrative policy for allocating public funds to these facilities based on levels of care. The authors describe the rationale for involving stakeholders in the research process, the role of stakeholders as collaborators, and lessons learned from the Alberta experience. Examples are presented of how stakeholders can contribute to the health services research process and outcome: by providing experiential knowledge related to the research outcome, anticipating and overcoming potential problems with policy implementation, facilitating policy-oriented learning across stakeholder groups, assisting in the transfer of research information to wider stakeholder audiences, and promoting acceptance for policy change.

scholarly journals Worries with the Web: A Look at Student Use of Web Resources

2001 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah J. Grimes ◽  
Carl H. Boening
Keyword(s):  
English Composition ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Web Resources ◽  
Composition Classes ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
The Web

The purpose of this research project was to determine whether students are using unauthenticated resources, whether they are evaluating their resources, and whether there is a gap between the quality of resources expected by instructors and the quality of resources used by students. Using case study methodology, the authors interviewed instructors and students and analyzed Web resources cited in research papers in two English composition classes. The findings show that students are using unevaluated resources and that there is a gap between what instructors expect students to use and what students actually use. Ways to alleviate “worries with the Web” are discussed.

scholarly journals Technological Ecosystems That Support People With Disabilities: Multiple Case Studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Soledad Ramirez-Montoya ◽  
Paloma Anton-Ares ◽  
Javier Monzon-Gonzalez
Keyword(s):  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Special Educational Needs ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Need Support ◽  
Technological Ecosystems ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
Project Data

Advances in technology, research development, and teaching practices have brought improvements in the training, levels of autonomy, and quality of life of people who need support and resources appropriate to their circumstances of disability. This article focuses on empirically analyzing the usefulness of treatments that have been supported by technology to answer the question “How do technological ecosystems being used help people with special educational needs?” The multiple case study methodology was used to address six categories of analysis: project data, objectives, processes, outputs and outcomes, technologies, and impact. The processes, open in communication, were characterized as transversal, ethical, and sustainable. The results yielded various technological ecosystems that support people with disabilities, deliver the help they need to improve their health, and provide enjoyable user experiences. At the same time, they promote the training and improvement of teaching methodologies and involve families in order to improve their knowledge, attitudes, and care of children, young people, and adults with functional diversity.

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