Main description:

This textbook provides a comprehensive introduction to health services research. Health services research uses empirical studies to address challenges in the delivery and organization of health care. The book focuses on healthcare delivery (micro-level), which is embedded in institutions such as hospitals (meso-level) and healthcare systems (macro-level). The quality of the research approach determines the value of health services research to a large extent. The book, therefore, puts emphasis on research principles and research methods.

The book provides an evidence-informed perspective on principles, methods and topics of health services research and uses examples of studies throughout the text. The 24 chapters are organised in four sections:

Introduction to Health Services Research
Principles of Health Services Research
Research Methods in Health Services Research
Emerging Topics in Health Services Research

Foundations of Health Services Research: Principles, Methods, and Topics gives an overview of tools and strategies for learning and teaching at master and doctoral levels. It also is a useful resource for health researchers in clinical science and public health. Policy-makers and healthcare managers might also find the book helpful for their work.

Contents:

Part I. Introduction to Health Services Research

1. Description of Health Services Research (Michel Wensing, Charlotte Ullrich)

2. Fields of Health Services Research (Michel Wensing, Charlotte Ullrich)

Part II. Principles of Health Services Research

3. Use of Theories in Health Services Research (Michel Wensing, Charlotte Ullrich)

4. Scientific Integrity in Health Services Research (Charlotte Ullrich, Michel Wensing)

5. Presentation of Quantitative Research Findings (Jan Koetsenruijter, Michel Wensing)

6. Dissemination and Utilisation of Research Findings (Michel Wensing, Charlotte Ullrich)

Part III. Research Methods in Health Services Research

7. Qualitative Methods in Health Services Research (Charlotte Ullrich, Regina Poss-Doering)

8. Survey Methods in Health Services Research (Jan Koetsenruijter, Michel Wensing)

9. Use of Electronic Patient Records for Health Services Research (Gunter Laux)

10. Social Network Analyses in Health Services Research (Michel Wensing, Christine Arnold, Jan Koetsenruijter)

11. Development and Validation of Questionnaires in Health Services Research (Katja Krug, Michel Wensing)

12. Development of Interventions (Michel Wensing, Cornelia Strassner)

13. Process Evaluation in Health Services Research (Michel Wensing, Regina Poss-Doering)

14. Outcomes Evaluation in Health Services Research (Michel Wensing, Jeremy Grimshaw)

15. Economic Evaluation in Health Services Research (Stefan Listl, Michel Wensing)

16. Systematic Reviews of Healthcare Interventions (Manuela Bombana)

Part IV. Emerging Topics in Health Services Research

17. Novel Interventions for Patient Empowerment (Michel Wensing, Katja Krug)

18. Mental Health Reform, Ecological Translation, and the Future of Public Mental Health Care (Ulrich Reininghaus, Inez Myin-Germeys)

19. Dynamic Landscape of the Health Professions (Charlotte Ullrich, Cornelia Mahler, Sandra Stengel, Michel Wensing)

20. Community Pharmacies as Healthcare Providers: New Developments in Medication Management and the Role of Information Technology (Hanna Seidling, Robert Moecker)

21. Continuity of Care: New Approaches to a Classic Topic of Health Services Research (Johanna Forstner, Christine Arnold)

22. Access to, Continuity and Coordination of Health Care for Refugees: Emerging Challenges and Topics for Health Services Research (Kayvan Bozorgmehr, Andreas Gold)

23. Digital Technology for Information and Communication in Health Care (Aline Weis, Sabrina Pohlmann)

24. Climate Change as a Topic of Health Services Research (Nicola Litke).