Methods for evaluating the impact of vertical programs on health systems: protocol for a study on the impact of the global polio eradication initiative on strengthening routine immunization and primary health care

BMC Public Health

Study Protocol

Kelly Cox¹  Vanessa Neergheen¹  Pauley Tedoff¹  Jennifer Kuzara²  Judith Justice³  Kenneth Maes⁴  Svea Closser⁵  Anat Rosenthal⁶  Peter Nsubuga⁷  R Matthew Landis⁸  Thomas Parris⁸  Matthew A Luck⁸  John Grove⁹  Linda Venczel^1,10 

[1] 201 Munroe Hall, Middlebury College, 05753, Middlebury, VT, USA;Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Dr, 30322, Atlanta, GA, USA;Department of Anthropology, History, and Social Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, Box 0646, 3333 California Street Suite 340, 94118, San Francisco, CA, USA;Department of Anthropology, Oregon State University, 238 Waldo Hall, 97331, Corvallis, OR, USA;Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Middlebury College, 306 Munroe Hall, 05753, Middlebury, VT, USA;Department of Sociology and Anthropology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Mount Scopus, 91905, Jerusalem, Israel;Global Public Health Solutions, 4025 Runnymede Dr, 30047, Lilburn, GA, USA;ISciences, LLC, 61 Main St, 05401, Burlington, VT, USA;Infectious Diseases, Global Health Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 500 Fifth Avenue North, 98102, Seattle, WA, USA;Polio Program, Global Development Program, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 500 Fifth Avenue North, 98102, Seattle, WA, USA;

关键词: Polio;    Eradication;    Vertical program;    Routine immunization;    Primary health care;    Comparative ethnography;    Health systems;   

DOI  :  10.1186/1471-2458-12-728

 received in 2012-08-20, accepted in 2012-08-24,  发布年份 2012

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe impact of vertical programs on health systems is a much-debated topic, and more evidence on this complex relationship is needed. This article describes a research protocol developed to assess the relationship between the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, routine immunization, and primary health care in multiple settings.Methods/DesignThis protocol was designed as a combination of quantitative and qualitative research methods, making use of comparative ethnographies. The study evaluates the impact of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative on routine immunization and primary health care by: (a) combining quantitative and qualitative work into one coherent study design; (b) using purposively selected qualitative case studies to systematically evaluate the impact of key contextual variables; and (c) making extensive use of the method of participant observation to create comparative ethnographies of the impact of a single vertical program administered in varied contexts.DiscussionThe study design has four major benefits: (1) the careful selection of a range of qualitative case studies allowed for systematic comparison; (2) the use of participant observation yielded important insights on how policy is put into practice; (3) results from our quantitative analysis could be explained by results from qualitative work; and (4) this research protocol can inform the creation of actionable recommendations. Here, recommendations for how to overcome potential challenges in carrying out such research are presented. This study illustrates the utility of mixed-methods research designs in which qualitative data are not just used to embellish quantitative results, but are an integral component of the analysis.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© Closser et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. 2012