What Pennsylvania’s Drug Take-Back Infrastructure Can Teach Us About Public Health Capacity
When most people think about prescription drug take-back programs, they think about a single event: a Saturday morning when residents clean out medicine cabinets and drop off unused medications at a local collection site. But the real story is much bigger. A recent review of Pennsylvania’s prescription drug take-back system reveals a statewide public health…
Transforming Public Health in Africa Through Data Science Training
In today’s world, data has become a vital tool for solving public health challenges, especially in regions like sub-Saharan Africa, where diseases like malaria, HIV, and cancer remain prevalent. However, the lack of skilled professionals and locally tailored educational programs hinders the full potential of data-informed solutions. The Advancing Public Health Research in Eastern Africa…
Don’t Cut and Paste Numbers: The Story of the Exeter Police Annual Reports
Far be it from me to throw the first stone. I can get sloppy sometimes, so I’ve learned to make sure someone who is NOT ME checks my work before it goes out. When I skip that step, which sometimes I do out of urgency, I inevitably find some incredibly stupid error I should have…
The Power of Partnership: Measuring Interorganizational Collaboration for Elderly Care
In a world where the health and social needs of the elderly continue to grow, the need for effective collaboration between healthcare and social service organizations is more crucial than ever. The article “Development and application of a survey instrument to measure collaboration among health care and social services organizations” by Brewser et al dives…
The Cost of Funding: Analyzing the Burden of Proposal Writing in Energy Research
In his article, “Can’t We Do Better? A cost-benefit analysis of proposal writing in a competitive funding environment,” Gerald Schweiger delves into the world of third-party funding in Austria’s energy research sector. Through a detailed survey, Schweiger uncovers the extensive time and effort invested in proposal writing and questions the efficiency of the current competitive…
Thematic Analysis of Qualitative Data: Enhancing Evaluation Practices
Thematic analysis is a popular method in qualitative research, focusing on identifying data patterns or themes. This approach is particularly useful in diverse fields such as psychology, sociology, and market research. By understanding the nuances of thematic analysis, evaluators can significantly enhance the quality and depth of their findings. What is Qualitative Data? Qualitative data…
The Power of Data in Public Health: A Dive into “Data for Equity”
Public health relies heavily on data, the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life, and promoting health. But what happens when this data, crucial for making informed decisions, is tinted with biases? This is where the article, “Data for Equity: Creating an Antiracist, Intersectional Approach to Data in a Local Health Department,” comes into…
Understanding Little’s Test of Missing Completely at Random
Data analysts and statisticians often face the challenge of missing data in their datasets. It’s crucial to understand the nature of this missing data to ensure the accuracy and integrity of any analysis. This is where Little’s Test of Missing Completely at Random (MCAR) plays a vital role. What Does MCAR Mean? MCAR stands for…
Understanding the “State of Open Data 2023”
The State of Open Data 2023 report, a comprehensive survey by Springer Nature, is a landmark publication in understanding open data’s progress. Over eight years, open data has evolved from an academic concept to a widely accepted practice, often mandated for researchers and institutions. This report, viewed as a long-term resource, chronicles the development of…
Community Health Worker Salaries in the US
For one of our projects, I was doing research on community health workers. I pulled this data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. What I find super notable about this is that this data DOES NOT align with other evaluation data we are gathering around salaries. Our data suggests the amounts are MUCH lower. I…
Quantitative Evaluation in Implementation Research: A Guide to Enhancing Healthcare Delivery
In the rapidly evolving world of healthcare, understanding and implementing effective strategies is crucial for improving patient outcomes and healthcare systems. A fascinating article, “Quantitative approaches for the evaluation of implementation research studies,” published in ScienceDirect, provides invaluable insights into this area. This blog aims to demystify the complex concepts presented in the article, breaking…
Unlocking Insights with Regression Discontinuity: A Simple Guide
Have you ever wondered how researchers decide if a new program is effective? How do they know if the program is causing the improvement and not something else? This is where a clever statistical tool called “regression discontinuity design” (RDD) comes into play. It’s a bit like detective work in the research world, and it’s…
