Key Area 2: Assessing the evidence of effectiveness of interventions, programmes and services intended to improve the health or well-being of individuals or populations

This area of practice focuses on the critical assessment of evidence relating to the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of public health interventions, programmes and services including screening. It concerns the application of these skills to practice through planning, audit and evaluation.

 

Learning experiences

By the end of phase 1 trainees would be expected to understand and apply critical appraisal techniques within simple, well-defined contexts (for example writing a briefing on the evidence for a single, non-contentious issue). Findings and recommendations will be communicated to limited audiences.

By the end of phase 2 trainees would begin to incorporate multiple types of evidence into their recommendations; begin to take a greater lead in the incorporation of evidence into practice and apply this competence in a wider range of situations; and appropriately communicate findings to a wider range of audiences. For example provide support to the development of a business case for a defined service.

By the end of phase 3 trainees would be expected proactively to seek out opportunities for using evidence to influence decisions. They would be working with highly complex issues and would be influencing the deliberations of senior decision-makers. For example, through the development of systems and processes for delivering evidence-based recommendations; the supervision of others; horizon scanning or prioritisation. It is expected that trainees at phase 3 will be using evidence to influence change effectively by incorporating fully the competencies of leadership, surveillance, public health intelligence, and strategy and policy development.

Potential vehicles for the demonstration of this competence area include:

  • Evidence-based policy briefings (for boards, committees, public health colleagues or the public)
  • Writing or appraising business cases
  • Health Needs Assessment
  • Press release
  • Master's level dissertations or assignments
  • Clinical or public health audit
  • Development of clinical guidelines
  • Calculation of population costings for a new technology
  • Commissioning plan
  • Health improvement strategy/policy/programme
  • Peer reviewed publication

Potential settings for the demonstration of this competence area:

By the end of training trainees will be expected to have undertaken at least three assessments of evidence (one in each phase of training) including critical appraisals of the following study types:

  • ecological,
  • qualitative,
  • aetiological,
  • interventional,
  • and economic.

To encourage a broad experience of assessing evidence, these assessments must vary by:

  • setting (eg acute hospital, community health care or other setting such as local government),
  • or risk factor
  • or sub-population

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Links to Knowledge and Skills Framework

  • C1: Communication; C4: Service Improvement, C5: Quality
  • IK2: Information Collection and Analysis
  • IK3: Knowledge and Information Resources
  • HWB1: Promotion of health and well being and prevention of adverse effects on health and wellbeing
  • G5: Services and Project Management

 

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Knowledge Base

Design and interpretation of studies:

  • skills in the design of research studies;
  • critical appraisal of published papers including the validity of the use of statistical techniques and the inferences drawn from them;
  • ability to draw appropriate conclusions from quantitative and qualitative research.

Screening:

  • principles,methods, applications and organisation of screening for early detection, prevention, treatment and control of disease

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