University of Nottingham
Masters in Public Health
Evaluation techniques 2009/10
Recommended reading
This is not a compulsory reading list for this module. Pick and choose the
readings that help you in understanding key concepts or use them as a
reference when you design your own evaluation.
1. Green, J., and South, J., 2006. Evaluation. Maidenhead: Open
University Press.
This is a good introductory text that is available as an e-book via the
university library. The following chapters are especially useful:
Chapter 3: Evidence and indicators of success
(Sections: the importance of objectives, indicators, theory of change
approach and logic models)
Chapter 4: Developing an evaluation plan
(You can use this as a guide to structure your evaluation plan for the
assignment; See Table 4.1: Stages of project development and
evaluation)
Chapter 5: Evaluating community health initiatives
(Sections: Participatory research and evaluation)
2. Ovretveit, J., 1998. Evaluating health interventions: an
introduction to evaluation of health treatments, services, policies,
organisational interventions. Buckingham: Open University Press.
This is a useful reference text but can be confusing for the beginner. The
following chapters are useful:
Chapter 2: Evaluation purpose, theory and perspectives
(Section on evaluation perspectives; see Table 2.2: Examples of
evaluations of different types of interventions using different evaluation
perspectives; Table 2.4: Types of health evaluation within the four main
perspectives)
Chapters 3 (Six designs) and 4 (seven evaluation case examples)
(Chapter 3 is helpful for choosing a study design for your own evaluation
and Appendix 3 has ‘empty’ formats that you can photocopy and use for
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your own work; Chapter 4 has examples to illustrate how the designs
outlined in the previous chapter applied to various project evaluations)
Appendix 4: Ten learning exercises
(Exercise 9 provides another useful guide to designing and planning an
evaluation- you may find this useful for your assignment)
3. Smith, S., et al., 2005. Health Care Evaluation. Maidenhead:
Open University Press.
This is available as an e-book via the university library UNLOC and is
heavily focussed on research methods (study design, outcome
measurement, issues like bias, confounding) and is a very good reference
for planning the details of an evaluation. Particularly useful chapters
include:
Chapter 2: Introduction to evaluation
(Defines evaluation in the context of health services research and
differentiates between the use of evaluation within a research context and
its use within management activities such as quality assurance and
monitoring; The section on defining objectives is good- see activities 2.1
and 2.2)
Chapter 17: Assessing Equity
(Provides an overview of study designs and analytical methods that can
be used to assess equity)
4. Orme, J., et al., 2007. Public Health for the 21st Century: new
perspectives on policy, participation and practice. 2nd ed. Maidenhead:
Open University Press.
This book has two very good chapters on evaluating fuzzy aspects like
improvements in quality of life, wellbeing and community health.
Chapter 6: Health Economics and Public Health
(This provides a worked example of ‘how to do’ an economic evaluation.
The case study used is an economic evaluation of family child alcohol
services- an excellent example of how to measure fuzzy aspects)
Chapter 17: Frameworks for evaluation of community health and wellbeing work
(This chapter examines the meaning of ‘community health’ and ‘wellbeing’
and describes an approach for planning and evaluation called the Learning
Evaluation and Planning model (LEAP))
5. Fox-Rushby, J., and Cairns, J., 2005. Economic Evaluation.
Maidenhead: Open University Press.
This is available as an e-book through the university library. The following
chapters are useful for the purpose of this module:
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Chapter 1: Efficiency and economic evaluation
(This provides an overview of the various types of economic evaluation;
See Table 1.1 and Activity 1 to help you plan which type of economic
evaluation you need for your assignment)
Chapter 2: Framing an economic evaluation
(This again provides a useful steer on how to approach the economic
evaluation component of your proposal for the assignment)
Chapter 3: The role of decision analysis in economic evaluation
(This offers a brief introduction to the use of decision analysis for selecting
the best options for care. Decision analysis is beyond the scope of this
module but it is useful to be aware that this is an alternative approach to
prioritisation and choosing between various options)
Chapter 4: Introduction to economic modelling
(An introduction to simple decision trees for the more adventurous among
you. If you find this interesting you may want to consider the optional
module on Health Economics)
6. Feuerstein, M., 1986. Partners in Evaluation: evaluating
development and community programmes with participants.
London: Macmillan.
This is a simple guide to participatory evaluation and is available from the
library. The following sections are especially useful:
Introduction
(This is a good introduction to participatory evaluation and provides an
insight into the philosophical underpinnings of participatory techniques. It
also includes a handy section on ‘steps in participatory evaluation’.)
Chapter 1: Understanding evaluation
(Look at the sections: ‘External or internal evaluator: who can give the
clearest picture?’ (pg. 9) and ‘participating in evaluation’ (section 1.4, pg.
11))
Chapter 3: Using existing knowledge and records
(This describes some of the methods used to collect data in participatory
evaluation that are different from traditional evaluation method. Look at
the sections: ‘Mapping for creative learning’ (section 3.7, pg. 52, ‘Places
and people: writing profiles’ (3.9, pg. 58), ‘Using pictures and
photographs’ (3.10, pg. 59))
7. Pencheon, D., ed., et al., 2006. Oxford Handbook of Public
Health Practice. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
This is a very useful handbook for public health and includes some
chapters that are useful references when planning an evaluation:
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Chapter 1.4: Economic evaluation- the science behind the art of making
choices (Pg. 32)
Chapter 2.9: Summarising health status (Pg. 160)
(Describes health status measures like Health-adjusted life expectancy
(HALE), years of healthy life (YHL) and healthy life years (HLY))
Chapter 2.10: Measuring and monitoring health inequalities and auditing
inequity (Pg. 170)
(Includes a list of inequality measures/indices and describes Equity Audit)
Chapter 3.6: Assuring screening programmes (Pg. 258)
(Includes a section on ‘measuring the impact of screening’)
Chapter 4.5: Translating policy into indicators and targets (Pg. 334)
(Useful if you choose to evaluate a policy- guide on how to develop
measures of success i.e. indicators)
Chapter 5.4: Setting priorities in health care (Pg. 404)
(Provides an alternative approach to prioritisation: an ethical framework)
Chapter 6.6: Evaluating health-care technologies (Pg. 472)
(A useful guide on health technology assessment (HTA) which includes the
key steps of an HTA)
Chapter 6.9: Evaluating health-care systems (Pg. 496)
(This includes a helpful section on key considerations when designing an
evaluation: ‘what are the approaches to take?’)
Chapter 6.10: Evaluating patient experience and health care process data
(Pg. 502)
(This has some helpful examples of health care process evaluation)
Other resources:
1. Action research resources
http://www.scu.edu.au/schools/gcm/ar/arhome.html
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