Policy Press
Three Healthcare: evidence to the fore
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Abstract
This chapter suggests that evidence is well to the fore in healthcare, with an emerging consensus as to what constitutes evidence and a willingness to consider evidence as an essential component of decision making. Nonetheless, many obstacles remain in bridging the gap between what is known about effective care and the care that patients actually receive. Many of the larger policy questions – such as the formation of fundholding general practices, and their subsequent abandonment – are not so well supported as the more detailed service issues, such as choice of first-line therapy. The chapter focuses primarily on evidence relating to effectiveness, and is largely confined to exploring how evidence is used in health service delivery.
Abstract
This chapter suggests that evidence is well to the fore in healthcare, with an emerging consensus as to what constitutes evidence and a willingness to consider evidence as an essential component of decision making. Nonetheless, many obstacles remain in bridging the gap between what is known about effective care and the care that patients actually receive. Many of the larger policy questions – such as the formation of fundholding general practices, and their subsequent abandonment – are not so well supported as the more detailed service issues, such as choice of first-line therapy. The chapter focuses primarily on evidence relating to effectiveness, and is largely confined to exploring how evidence is used in health service delivery.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Foreword vii
- Editors’ Preface x
- List of acronyms xii
- List of contributors xv
- Introducing evidence-based policy and practice in public services 1
- Evidence and the policy process 13
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Analysis by service area
- Healthcare: evidence to the fore 43
- Education: realising the potential 69
- Criminal justice: using evidence to reduce crime 93
- Social care: rhetoric and reality 117
- Welfare policy: tendering for evidence 141
- Housing: linking theory and practice 167
- Transport: beyond predict and provide 187
- Urban policy: addressing wicked problems 207
- A strategic approach to research and development 229
- Debates on the role of experimentation 251
- Non-experimental quantitative methods 277
- Contributions from qualitative research 291
- Making a reality of evidence-based practice 317
- Learning from the past, prospects for the future 351
- Index 367
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Foreword vii
- Editors’ Preface x
- List of acronyms xii
- List of contributors xv
- Introducing evidence-based policy and practice in public services 1
- Evidence and the policy process 13
-
Analysis by service area
- Healthcare: evidence to the fore 43
- Education: realising the potential 69
- Criminal justice: using evidence to reduce crime 93
- Social care: rhetoric and reality 117
- Welfare policy: tendering for evidence 141
- Housing: linking theory and practice 167
- Transport: beyond predict and provide 187
- Urban policy: addressing wicked problems 207
- A strategic approach to research and development 229
- Debates on the role of experimentation 251
- Non-experimental quantitative methods 277
- Contributions from qualitative research 291
- Making a reality of evidence-based practice 317
- Learning from the past, prospects for the future 351
- Index 367
