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Health visiting: action research in a controlled environment
1Early Childhood Development Unit, School of Applied Social Studies, University of Bristol, U.K.
International Journal of Nursing Studies
|August 1, 1992
Summary
Health visiting research requires unique evaluation methods distinct from curative services. Understanding the context, goals, and client interactions is crucial for effective health visitor intervention studies.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Health visiting differs significantly from curative healthcare services.
- Its unique context, professional goals, and client interactions necessitate specialized research approaches.
Purpose of the Study:
- To discuss the distinct nature of health visiting.
- To highlight the need for tailored research methodologies in evaluating health visitor interventions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of the characteristics of health visiting.
- Evaluation of a large-scale health visitor intervention study to illustrate differences.
Main Results:
- Health visiting operates in a distinct environment compared to curative services.
- Standard laboratory evaluation models are often inappropriate for health visiting research.
Conclusions:
- Health visiting research must adapt evaluation methods to its human and developmental context.
- Adopting "action research" principles is recommended for a more accurate reflection of health visiting's nature.