Abstract
This chapter discusses the development and use of an evaluation framework by NPS MedicineWise. It describes some of the evaluation methods used including: surveys to determine changes in general practitioner knowledge and attitudes; the statistical methods to determine changes in prescribing of medicines as recorded in the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS); analyses for calculation of financial savings; and the use of an Australian longitudinal study with linked data sets to determine long-term patient outcomes. Why evaluate education programs? How will the evaluation findings be used? What if the findings are not positive and what impact will this have on funding? NPS MedicineWise took a clear position at its inception that it must be accountable for its work and that it must be a learning organisation. As the program is substantially funded by the Australian Government, it was important to have summative evaluations to demonstrate that program objectives were being met. At the same time, it was also necessary for the program staff and management to continually improve their understanding of what works and what does not work through process and impact evaluation. This intelligence meant that programs could be changed during implementation and that future programs would benefit from the lessons of the past.
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Notes
- 1.
A Concessional Beneficiary is a person who is entitled to social security support as a consequence of their age, disability, unemployment or chronic debilitating illness.
- 2.
Vocationally Registered General Practitioners are accredited by the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners after a training period and examination similar to other medical specialities. These GPs are required to complete a mandatory program of continuing professional development every three years. These doctors form the large majority of Australian general practice.
- 3.
Other Medical Practitioners are doctors who have not been through a specific training and accreditation program in general practice but are registered medical practitioners who choose to work in general practice.
- 4.
Discounting is a term used in economic analyses. The costs and benefits considered are not only incurred in the current year, but may occur in or continue into the future. For the valuation of costs and benefits in the context of an economic evaluation, their timing is relevant because people generally value future costs and effects less than current costs and effects and their value diminishes the more distant in the future they occur. Hence, economic evaluations need to adjust the value of costs and benefits for the time at which they occur, a technique known as discounting (Attema, Brouwer, & Claxton, 2018).
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Blogg, S., Atkins, L. (2020). Evaluation of Multifaceted Programs. In: Weekes, L. (eds) Improving Use of Medicines and Medical Tests in Primary Care. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-2333-5_13
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