Evaluation of Complex Interventions for Health Improvement (P00937)

? Credit Points : 10 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : MED-P-P00937

Increasing emphasis is being placed upon the importance of evidence/ knowledge about 'what works' as a basis for public policy development and implementation. Where evidence is lacking or not generalisable to specific contexts, it is expected that the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a policy intervention will be assessed through primary empirical research. The appropriate design and conduct of evaluation studies are, however, highly contested issues. Different and often conflicting evaluation paradigms abound, with a range of positions taken with regard to both epistemological (how do we know what we know?) and methodological (how do we go about finding out?) considerations. The course introduces and explores these debates in relation to complex interventions which have implications (whether intended or not) for the health and well-being of the British population.

Entry Requirements

none

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Public Health Research, (Medicine, Schedule R)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 2 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Monday	11:10	13:00	Med+Vet

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes
During the course of the course the student will be expected to:
- develop an understanding of the epistemological and methodological features of major paradigms relevant to the evaluation of complex interventions for health improvement, and of the implications for the conduct of empirical research
- appreciate the differences and similarities between approaches to evaluating health care interventions, on the one hand, and complex interventions for health improvement, on the other
- demonstrate knowledge of the key features of recent and ongoing studies which seek to evaluate complex interventions for health improvement
- design an appropriate research strategy for evaluating a hypothetical complex intervention for health improvement.

Assessment Information

Seminar assessments are a requirement for satisfactory completion of the course (30%). Formal assessment (70%) will be by a written essay in the form of research proposal to evaluate a hypothetical intervention for health improvement.