Realist Evaluation

I would like to commence my first blog on this website with brief details of two research projects I am leading (the former as a Ph.D. candidate and the latter as a Principal Researcher). In both research projects, I employ a realist evaluation framework, which is theory-driven and outlines the contextually generated mechanisms in the form of a Context-Mechanism-Outcome configuration.

1. Title: Xx Xx Xx Hospital’s Program to meet Emergency Department Performance Indicator Targets in the context of National Health Reforms
   
   What?
   Since 2008, the Australian Government has embarked on a nationwide reform  to improve access to emergency services. Significant funding has been provided to States and Territories to improve public hospital infrastructure and services. 
   
   Xx Xx Xx Hospital, a regional hospital located in a remote location, has been a beneficiary of significant funding to improve its hospital services. In the past, the hospital has reported limited access to its emergency and hospital services. In the recent years, it has shown a significant improvement in its performance (access to emergency services)
   
   Why?
   While there are a number of studies that have documented reform and redesign activities in metropolitan hospitals, there are hardly any studies describing the impact of reform on regional and remote hospitals. Health Services in remote locations have to adopt a different model of service delivery and adapt to unique circumstances. Evaluating how a regional hospital in a remote location has improved its performance because of national reforms will significantly help fill the gaps in knowledge in this area.
   
   How?
   The study adopts a Realistic Evaluation approach with a Case Study research design to document and evaluates the journey Xx Xx Xx Hospital has undertaken to improve its emergency department performance over the 2008-2014 period. 
   
   More of the protocol here: http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/CswAqkvjtzk4QVbwpenE/full
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2. Research Objective: To evaluate the accessibility, acceptability, compliance and content of  Remote Primary Health Care Manuals (RPHCM) 2014 suite in remote health care centres across Central Australia and the Top End.
   
   Methodology: Realistic evaluation that focuses on the social context, programme theory and generative mechanisms adopted to achieve the outcome. The hypothesis is that the suite of  RPHCM enables standardised and evidence-based practice in remote health care centres in spite of isolated context challenges. 
   
   Methods: Mixed method approach involving quantitative data collection and qualitative interviews with participants.
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UPDATE: Since I wrote this blog, both my PhD and the research project I have discussed here have successfully concluded. A summary of my PhD results is available as a journal article in the publications section.