methods

Enhancing Dissemination and Implementation Research Using Systems Science Methods

Burke JG, Lich KH, Neal JW, Meissner HI, Yonas M, Mabry PL  •  May 30, 2014

Background: Dissemination and implementation (D&I) research seeks to understand and overcome barriers to adoption of behavioral interventions that address complex problems, specifically interventions that arise from multiple interacting influences crossing socio-ecological levels. It is often difficult for research to accurately represent and address the complexities of the real world, and traditional methodological approaches are generally inadequate for this task.

Evidence-based decision-making in infectious diseases epidemiology, prevention and control: matching research questions to study designs and quality appraisal tools

Harder T & et al.  •  May 21, 2014

Background: The Project on a Framework for Rating Evidence in Public Health (PRECEPT) was initiated and is being funded by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to define a methodology for evaluating and grading evidence and strength of recommendations in the field of public health, with emphasis on infectious disease epidemiology, prevention and control. One of the first steps was to review existing quality appraisal tools (QATs) for individual research studies of various designs relevant to this area, using a question-based approach.

Who Has Used Internal Company Documents for Biomedical and Public Health Research and Where Did They Find Them?

Wieland LS, Rutkow L, Vedula SS, Kaufmann CN, Rosman LM, Twose C, Mahendraratnam N, Dickersin K  •  May 6, 2014

Objective: To describe the sources of internal company documents used in public health and healthcare research.

Methods: We searched PubMed and Embase for articles using internal company documents to address a research question about a health-related topic. Our primary interest was where authors obtained internal company documents for their research. We also extracted information on type of company, type of research question, type of internal documents, and funding source.

10 best resources on ... mixed methods research in health systems.

Ozawa S & Pongpirul K  •  May 2, 2014

Abstract: Mixed methods research has become increasingly popular in health systems. Qualitative approaches are often used to explain quantitative results and help to develop interventions or survey instruments. Mixed methods research is especially important in low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings, where understanding social, economic and cultural contexts are essential to assess health systems performance. To provide researchers and programme managers with a guide to mixed methods research in health systems, we review the best resources with a focus on LMICs.