Unpacking causality and impact in public health palliative care initiatives: Exploring research approaches
Hanne Bakelants1,2,3, Malin Eneslätt4,5, Guy Peryer6,7, Sabet Van Steenbergen2,3, Sally Paul8, Carol Tishelman2,5, For Epiceur*2,5,8,9
1Compassionate Communities Center of Expertise (COCO), Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium; 2End-of-Life Care Research Group, Vrije University Brussels and Ghent University, Belgium; 3Society and Ageing Research Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, Belgium; 4Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, Sweden; 5Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; 6National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration, East of England, UK; 7University of East Anglia, Norwich, Norfolk, UK; 8University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland; 9University College London, England
Target Audience: All interested in qualitative approaches to explore impact of public health palliative care initiatives, including junior and senior researchers, practitioners and community members. This workshop builds on the Part 1 workshop, Unpacking Causality and Impact, but can be attended independently.
Learning Objectives include gaining understanding of:
- applications for, limitations of, and challenges associated with studying causal relationships and sustainability in change processes using qualitative approaches
- characteristics of 3 qualitative methods for impact evaluation and when they are most suitably used.
Workshop Structure delves into 3, predominantly qualitative, approaches for empirically examining impact and causality as follows:
Presentation of methods in terms of their focus, opportunities, and challenges
- Most Significant Change analyzes narratives detailing transformations from an intervention, deriving, through consensus, one story that contains the most significant change. The Attentive Visitors workshop, in which 19 interviews were conducted with volunteers who participated in a training program in Flanders, provides an example. The process of deriving relevant stories from these interviews and working with stakeholder organizations to reach consensus about most significant change will be discussed.
- Contribution Analysis is aimed at inferring causality in complex programs. Using an iterative process, it enables researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to identify the contribution an intervention, and additional factors, has on a particular outcome. A theory of change is generated at the start of the evaluation and subsequently confirmed or revised during implementation. Examples of its application in the UK will be provided.
- Ripple Effects Mapping is designed to actively involve program stakeholders in describing and visually mapping their perceptions of the effects of a program. Two examples of REM will be provided, exploring: i) the ripple effects stemming from Compassionate University (Belgium) and ii) a modified use of REM to study the dissemination of the DöBra cards (Sweden)
Interactive group sessions
- Facilitated hands-on practical exercises will be held to further delve into each approach. Attendees will have the opportunity to participate in one approach session.
Closing
- Summary of main lessons learned, with sources for other resources.
*EPICEUR= End of Life and Public health Initiative for Collaborative European Research
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