Developing and testing complex healthcare interventions
Ph.D. -course
- ECTS credits
- 2
- Teaching semesters
- Spring
- Course code
- FARM901
- Number of semesters
- 1
- Resources
- Schedule
Course description
Level of Study
Course content
The aim of the course is to introduce healthcare service researchers to the process of evaluating complex interventions.
The course will consist of:
- Defining the concepts of feasibility testing, piloting and definitive trials
- The design of randomised controlled trials to maximise generalisability and minimise both reactive and systematic bias
- The role of statistics in trial design and evaluation
- The concept of health economics and how to incorporate it in the evaluation of complex interventions
- Process evaluation to maximise intervention effectiveness and likelihood of future implementation
Learning outcomes
At the end of the course the student should be able to:
Knowledge:
With respect to complex interventions:
- Describe the framework for development and evaluation
- Create a plan for feasibility testing to inform definitive trial design
- Select appropriate primary and secondary outcome measures based on a bespoke logic model
Skills:
- Prepare a research proposal
- Design a randomised controlled trial which minimises bias and includes collection of appropriate economic, clinical and humanisticoutcome measures to enable estimation of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness
- Create a process evaluation to enhance the effectiveness of complex intervenion and the likelihood of implementation
General competencies:
- Demonstrate presentation skills
- Practice team working
Study period
Language of instruction
Recommended Previous Knowledge
Compulsory Requirements
Form of assessment
Completion, delivery and defense of presentation to academic panel of a proposal for development and testing of a novel complex intervention.
Grading Scale: pass/fail
Who may participate
Supplementary course information
The course, which will be delivered over four days, will primarily consist of workshops (WS), support sessions (SS) and trainee presentations (TP). Where appropriate brief lectures (L) will be included.
Course introduction
- Defining and developing complex interventions overview (L)
- Designing a Randomised Controlled Trial (WS)
- Trial title allocation and discussion time (SS)
- Logic models & outcome selection (WS)
- Feasibility testing and piloting (WS)
- Facilitated team session to develop allocated trial (SS)
- Health Economics Introduction and overview (WS)
- Incorporating Health Economics into trials (WS)
- Facilitated team session to develop allocated trial (SS)
- Sample size calculation, power and stats (WS)
- Facilitated team session to develop allocated trial (SS)
- Team presentations and assessment (TP)
Academic responsible
Reading list
Guidance on the evaluation of complex interventions
Detailed guide to developing feasibility studies
Guidance pack on the inclusions of economics in health service evaluations