How can you identify best practices in care delivery with case management research and evaluation?

1 Define your goals and questions

Before you start looking for evidence or conducting your own research or evaluation, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and what you want to learn. What are the goals and objectives of your case management program or intervention? What are the expected outcomes and impacts for your clients, your organization, and the system? What are the indicators and measures that you will use to track and evaluate your progress and performance? What are the gaps or challenges that you want to address or overcome? What are the questions that you want to answer or the hypotheses that you want to test?

2 Review the literature and best practices

Once you have defined your goals and questions, you need to review the existing literature and best practices in case management. This will help you to identify what works, what doesn't, and why, as well as to learn from the experiences and lessons of others. You can use various sources of information, such as peer-reviewed journals, reports, guidelines, standards, frameworks, models, tools, and case studies. You can also consult with experts, peers, or networks in your field or sector. You should look for evidence that is relevant, reliable, valid, and applicable to your context and population.

3 Choose your methods and tools

After you have reviewed the literature and best practices, you need to choose the methods and tools that you will use to conduct your own research or evaluation. Depending on your goals and questions, you may use quantitative, qualitative, or mixed methods, or a combination of different types of methods. You may also use different types of tools, such as surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, document analysis, data analysis, logic models, theories of change, or frameworks. You should select the methods and tools that are appropriate, feasible, ethical, and rigorous for your research or evaluation.

4 Collect and analyze your data

The next step is to collect and analyze your data using the methods and tools that you have chosen. You should follow the principles and standards of good research or evaluation practice, such as ensuring the validity, reliability, accuracy, completeness, and quality of your data, as well as the confidentiality, privacy, and consent of your participants. You should also use appropriate techniques and software to analyze your data, such as descriptive statistics, inferential statistics, thematic analysis, content analysis, or narrative analysis. You should interpret your results in relation to your goals and questions, as well as the literature and best practices.

5 Communicate and disseminate your findings

The final step is to communicate and disseminate your findings to your stakeholders and audiences, such as your clients, staff, managers, funders, partners, or policymakers. You should use effective and engaging formats and channels, such as reports, presentations, posters, infographics, newsletters, blogs, podcasts, or webinars. You should also use clear and concise language, visuals, and messages, as well as highlight the implications, recommendations, and actions that you want your stakeholders and audiences to take based on your findings.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?