Evaluation: what to consider Commonly asked questions about how to approach evaluation of quality improvement in health care

Evaluation is an essential part of quality improvement and when done well, it can help solve problems, inform decision making and build knowledge.

While evaluation comes in many shapes and sizes, its key purpose is to help us to develop a deeper understanding of how best to improve health care.

People involved in quality improvement often ask us about how to approach evaluation. Inspired by the most commonly asked questions, this guide is intended to assist those new to evaluation by suggesting methodological and practical considerations and providing resources to support further learning.

The guide is not prescriptive or step-by-step as people and organisations will have very diverse evaluation needs. Evaluation is an essential part of quality improvement and when done well it can help solve problems, inform decision making and build knowledge.