Realist evaluation in social care research

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In SIREN’s Methods Conversations kick-off event, SIREN friends Arwen Bunce and Suzanne Morrissey from OCHIN shared some of their work using “Realist Evaluation”, a qualitative-forward approach to evaluation that involves developing, testing, and refining explanatory theories about how and why interventions do or do not work as intended. They shared the basics of realist evaluation and its benefits and challenges when applied to implementation studies. Arwen and Suzanne found realist evaluation particularly useful for understanding and then strengthening support for social care intervention adoption in community health centers.

The SIREN Methods Conversations series is supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, grant ID 80274.