Pragmatic Intervention Evaluation

SBS 523 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

SBS523 will prepare students to design an evaluation of a public health intervention. Students will plan pragmatic trials that can be undertaken in the ‘real-world’ using the Theory of Change (ToC) and PRECIS-2 (Pragmatic Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary) tools to answer their research question. Students will be introduced to study designs commonly used in NIH grants, including: randomized trials and mixed methods. They will also explore different questions these study designs can answer, and how to select one to evaluate their intervention.

Throughout this interactive course, students will work with their peers to practice justifying methodological considerations, assumptions, benefits, and limitations of developing their trial along the pragmatic/explanatory continuum. By the end of the course, students will demonstrate skills to write a research proposal—similar to a protocol paper—to guide the testing of their intervention.

SBS 523 is a required course for PHS students in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, and should be taken after completing SBS 522.

While the course will enable students to understand the practical applications of designing an intervention evaluation, the course will not cover:
·      Statistical design and analysis, sample size, or power calculations
·      Cost effectiveness assessments
·      Dissemination of interventions
 
Students interested in learning these topics will be directed to other courses at HSPH and Harvard.