Practical guidance on undertaking a service evaluation

Moule, Pam; Armoogum, Julie; Dodd, Emily; Donskoy, Anne Laure; Douglass, Emma; Taylor, Julie; Turton, Pat

Abstract

This article describes the basic principles of evaluation, focusing on the evaluation of healthcare services. It emphasises the importance of evaluation in the current healthcare environment and the requirement for nurses to understand the essential principles of evaluation. Evaluation is defined in contrast to audit and research, and the main theoretical approaches to evaluation are outlined, providing insights into the different types of evaluation that may be undertaken. The essential features of preparing for an evaluation are considered, and guidance provided on working ethically in the NHS. It is important to involve patients and the public in evaluation activity, offering essential guidance and principles of best practice. The authors discuss the main challenges of undertaking evaluations and offer recommendations to address these, drawing on their experience as evaluators.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 17, 2015
• Publication Date: Jul 6, 2016
• Deposit Date: Jun 23, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 6, 2017
• Journal: Nursing standard (Royal College of Nursing (Great Britain) : 1987)
• Print ISSN: 0029-6570
• Electronic ISSN: 2047-9018
• Publisher: RCN Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 45
• Pages: 46-51
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2016.e10277
• Keywords: evaluation, evaluation methods, healthcare evaluation, service evaluation, patient and public involvement
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/921796
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.7748/ns.2016.e10277
• Additional Information: Additional Information : Commissioned publication
• Contract Date: Jun 23, 2016