Sig realist research design and evaluation for integrated care, wokring meeting

Background: Realist philosophy and methodology is increasingly being explicitly used in the field of integrated care to research the extant context, structure and mechanisms at play, and to design and evaluation interventions. Philosophic realism is the view that entities exist independently of our perception or our theories about them. While the realist philosophy underpins much of modern health and social science, it is only recently that this philosophical approach has been popularised within main stream health and social science literature. Realist research methodology is increasingly being described in research areas that are relevant to the study of integrated care, namely, organisational management, information science, social epidemiology, economics, and health services evaluation. Importantly realist approaches are increasingly being used in mixed method research designs and to elucidate the processes at play in experimental and quasi-experimental studies. Realist researchers seek to explain the underlying “cause” or mechanism(s) that generate observed phenomenon. The realist understanding of how the world is (ontology) includes the notion of a hidden or “real” domain where mechanisms generate forces that result in the phenomena which we observe. Realists also view the world as consisting of strata or layers of reality which may interact with other layers to produce new mechanism. This approach is proving useful for studying and developing theory about complex health and social care systems, and then designing and evaluating possible interventions. The methodologies, and the dialectical debates, are complex, and therefore, deserving of special consideration within the Integrated Care community. This workshop will support evaluators and researchers to use realist methods in large scale and complex evaluations. Because realist evaluation (RE) was initially developed using smaller-scale programs, methods need to be modified for large scale programs, while remaining consistent with underlying methodological principles. The workshop will discuss the value of and the dilemmas involved in using realist methods for large and complex programs, and demonstrate strategies to address the dilemmas. Aims and Objectives: 1- Present and discuss the basic tenants of realist research, design and evaluation as it applies to the large scale and complex programs such as integrated care 2- Discuss the scope and purpose of a Realist Research, Design and Evaluation for Integrated Care Special Interest Group (RIC) 3- Modify the scope and purpose of a Realist Research, Design and Evaluation for Integrated Care - SIG Format: Timing 60 minutes, Two speakers, Group Discussion, Summation Target Audience: Integrated care practitioners and researchers who are familiar with realist research including the current focus on critical realism and realist evaluation Learning and Takeaway: The participants will learn some of the philosophical and academic foundations of realist research and evaluation as it applies to the design and evaluation of complex interventions including integrated care The workshop will define the scope and purpose of a SIG for Realist Research, Design and Evaluation for Integrated Care