Evaluative Sciences

Gregory Bateson defined information as, “a difference that makes a difference.”  The science of evaluation is about finding those differences that do make a difference.  The difference may be between a desired outcome and an actual outcome, between the impact of two or more interventions, or among the relative values of various processes, concepts, or devices.  The goal of the evaluative sciences is to generate new information that illuminates whether a difference exists and whether or not the difference makes a difference.

Using state of the art evaluative approaches the Center’s biostatisticians work with a variety of questions and problems that are of importance to organizations, researchers, and ultimately to people who use health care.

The unique relationship between the HSRC and the University enables HSRC staff members to draw upon a vast array of expertise from within the University community and to explore the use of new evaluative techniques through collaborative projects with University faculty members.

The HSRC has brought together a group of skilled evaluators who have years of experience working on projects large and small ranging from the Framingham study that identified the importance of cholesterol to cardio vascular disease to the impact of co-morbid conditions on physician prescribing practices.

From retrospective studies using extremely large databases to small studies of intervention impact, HSRC staff employ a variety of evaluative techniques to answer questions that matter.