Open AccessHEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH METHODS IN PHARMACY: Evaluation of pharmaceutical services: (2) Methods and measures
Author(s) -
SMITH FELICITY
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
international journal of pharmacy practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.42
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 2042-7174
pISSN - 0961-7671
DOI - 10.1111/j.2042-7174.2000.tb00987.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pharmacy , pharmaceutical care , resource (disambiguation) , service (business) , health services , nursing , medical education , marketing , environmental health , business , population , computer network , computer science
Numerous studies have been undertaken to evaluate pharmaceutical services. These include both the evaluation of existing practice and assessments of innovative services in both hospital and community settings. Evaluation requires employment of methods and measures to ensure that relevant data on the effects of a programme are obtained. To evaluate a service from different perspectives (eg, acceptability to health professionals or patients, uptake, clinical outcomes or resource implications), a number of methods may be required. The outcomes may also be wide‐ranging. Measures must be selected which provide a true reflection of the extent to which these outcomes are, or are not, achieved. Designs and frameworks used in the evaluation of pharmacy services have been discussed previously, 1 this paper reviews the methods and measures that have been employed.