IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0170367.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Supporting Better Evidence Generation and Use within Social Innovation in Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Qualitative Study

Author

Listed:
  • Madeleine Ballard
  • Jenny Tran
  • Fred Hersch
  • Amy Lockwood
  • Pamela Hartigan
  • Paul Montgomery

Abstract

Background: While several papers have highlighted a lack of evidence to scale social innovations in health, fewer have explored decision-maker understandings of the relative merit of different types of evidence, how such data are interpreted and applied, and what practical support is required to improve evidence generation. The objectives of this paper are to understand (1) beliefs and attitudes towards the value of and types of evidence in scaling social innovations for health, (2) approaches to evidence generation and evaluation used in systems and policy change, and (3) how better evidence-generation can be undertaken and supported within social innovation in health. Methods: Thirty-two one-on-one interviews were conducted between July and November 2015 with purposively selected practitioners, policymakers, and funders from low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). Data were analysed using a Framework Analysis Approach. Results: While practitioners, funders, and policymakers said they held outcome evidence in high regard, their practices only bear out this assertion to varying degrees. Few have given systematic consideration to potential unintended consequences, in particular harm, of the programs they implement, fund, or adopt. Stakeholders suggest that better evidence-generation can be undertaken and supported within social innovation in health by supporting the research efforts of emerging community organizations; creating links between practitioners and academia; altering the funding landscape for evidence-generation; providing responsive technical education; and creating accountability for funders, practitioners, and policymakers. Conclusion: How better evidence-generation can be undertaken and supported within social innovation in health is a previously under-operationalised aspect of the policy-making process that remains essential in order to refrain from causing harm, enable the optimization of existing interventions, and ultimately, to scale and fund what works.

Suggested Citation

  • Madeleine Ballard & Jenny Tran & Fred Hersch & Amy Lockwood & Pamela Hartigan & Paul Montgomery, 2017. "Supporting Better Evidence Generation and Use within Social Innovation in Health in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Qualitative Study," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(1), pages 1-15, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0170367
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0170367
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0170367
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0170367&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0170367?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Glasgow, R.E. & Lichtenstein, E. & Marcus, A.C., 2003. "Why Don't We See More Translation of Health Promotion Research to Practice? Rethinking the Efficacy-to-Effectiveness Transition," American Journal of Public Health, American Public Health Association, vol. 93(8), pages 1261-1267.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Tabia Henry Akintobi & Payam Sheikhattari & Emma Shaffer & Christina L. Evans & Kathryn L. Braun & Angela U. Sy & Bibiana Mancera & Adriana Campa & Stephania T. Miller & Daniel Sarpong & Rhonda Hollid, 2021. "Community Engagement Practices at Research Centers in U.S. Minority Institutions: Priority Populations and Innovative Approaches to Advancing Health Disparities Research," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-14, June.
    2. Katrien De Cocker & Greet Cardon & Jason A. Bennie & Tracy Kolbe-Alexander & Femke De Meester & Corneel Vandelanotte, 2018. "From Evidence-Based Research to Practice-Based Evidence: Disseminating a Web-Based Computer-Tailored Workplace Sitting Intervention through a Health Promotion Organisation," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-11, May.
    3. Eldeeb, Nehal & Ren, Cheng & Shapiro, Valerie B., 2025. "Parent information seeking and sharing: Using unsupervised machine learning to identify common parenting issues," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    4. Harriet Koorts & Adrian Bauman & Nancy Edwards & William Bellew & Wendy J. Brown & Mitch J. Duncan & David R. Lubans & Andrew J. Milat & Philip J. Morgan & Nicole Nathan & Andrew Searles & Karen Lee &, 2022. "Tensions and Paradoxes of Scaling Up: A Critical Reflection on Physical Activity Promotion," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-16, November.
    5. Chen, Huey T., 2016. "Interfacing theories of program with theories of evaluation for advancing evaluation practice: Reductionism, systems thinking, and pragmatic synthesis," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 109-118.
    6. Hutto, Brent & Saunders, Ruth P. & Wilcox, Sara & Jake-Schoffman, Danielle E. & Bernhart, John A. & Dunn, Caroline G. & Kaczynski, Andrew T. & James, Katherine L., 2021. "Pathways of influences leading to adoption of the Faith, Activity and Nutrition (FAN) program in a statewide initiative," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    7. Glasgow, LaShawn & Adams, Elizabeth & Smith, Lucia Rojas & Renaud, Jeanette, 2020. "Key Insights on Participation Measurement from Real-world Health Care Interventions," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    8. repec:plo:pone00:0165086 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Teutsch, Friedrich & Gugglberger, Lisa & Dür, Wolfgang, 2015. "School health promotion providers’ roles in practice and theory: Results from a case study," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(1), pages 82-87.
    10. Kennedy, Ann Blair & Schenkelberg, Michaela & Moyer, Christina & Pate, Russ & Saunders, Ruth P., 2017. "Process evaluation of a preschool physical activity intervention using web-based delivery," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 24-36.
    11. Escoffery, Cam & Bundy, Lujca & Haardoerfer, Regine & Berg, Carla J. & Savas, Lara S. & Williams, Rebecca S. & Kegler, Michelle C., 2016. "A process evaluation of an intervention to promote home smoking bans among low income households," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 120-125.
    12. Liliana Tenney & Amy G. Huebschmann & Carol E. Brown & Natalie V. Schwatka & Lee S. Newman, 2022. "Leveraging an Implementation Science Framework to Measure the Impact of Efforts to Scale Out a Total Worker Health ® Intervention to Employers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-20, January.
    13. Pranpreya Sriwannawit & Ulf Sandström, 2015. "Large-scale bibliometric review of diffusion research," Scientometrics, Springer;Akadémiai Kiadó, vol. 102(2), pages 1615-1645, February.
    14. James Berry & Greg Fischer & Raymond Guiteras, 2020. "Eliciting and Utilizing Willingness to Pay: Evidence from Field Trials in Northern Ghana," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(4), pages 1436-1473.
    15. Karen Setty & Ryan Cronk & Shannan George & Darcy Anderson & Għanja O’Flaherty & Jamie Bartram, 2019. "Adapting Translational Research Methods to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(20), pages 1-31, October.
    16. Kelly Morgan & Muhammad Rahman & Graham Moore, 2020. "Patterning in Patient Referral to and Uptake of a National Exercise Referral Scheme (NERS) in Wales from 2008 to 2017: A Data Linkage Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-16, June.
    17. Shanahan, Meghan & Fleming, Phyllis & Nocera, Maryalice & Sullivan, Kelly & Murphy, Robert & Zolotor, Adam, 2014. "Process evaluation of a statewide abusive head trauma prevention program," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 18-25.
    18. Thomas D. Griffiths & Diane Crone & Mike Stembridge & Rachel N. Lord, 2021. "Co-Production at Work: The Process of Breaking Up Sitting Time to Improve Cardiovascular Health. A Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-13, December.
    19. repec:plo:pone00:0117922 is not listed on IDEAS
    20. Hoeijmakers, Marjan & Harting, Janneke & Jansen, Maria, 2013. "Academic Collaborative Centre Limburg: A platform for knowledge transfer and exchange in public health policy, research and practice?," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 111(2), pages 175-183.
    21. Bennett, Annemarie E. & Cunningham, Cara & Johnston Molloy, Charlotte, 2016. "An evaluation of factors which can affect the implementation of a health promotion programme under the Schools for Health in Europe framework," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 50-54.
    22. Wehrens, Rik & Bal, Roland, 2012. "Health programs struggling with complexity: A case study of the Dutch ‘PreCare’ project," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 75(2), pages 274-282.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0170367. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.