TY - JOUR

T1 - Assessing quality in cross-country comparisons of health systems and policies

T2 - Towards a set of generic quality criteria

AU - Cacace, Mirella

AU - Ettelt, Stefanie

AU - Mays, Nicholas

AU - Nolte, Ellen

PY - 2013/9

Y1 - 2013/9

N2 - There is a growing body of cross-country comparisons in health systems and policy research. However, there is little consensus as to how to assess its quality. This is partly due to the fact that cross-country comparison constitutes a diverse inter-disciplinary field of study, with much variation in the motives for research, foci and levels of analyses, and methodological approaches.Inspired by the views of subject area experts and using the distinction between variable-based and case-based research, we briefly review the main different types of cross-country comparisons in health systems and policy research to identify pertinent quality issues.From this, we identify the following generic quality criteria for cross-country comparisons: (1) appropriate use of theory, (2) explicit selection of comparator countries, (3) rigour of the comparative design, (4) attention to the complexity of cross-national comparison, (5) rigour of the research methods, and (6) contribution to knowledge. This list may not be exclusive though publication and discussion of the list of criteria should help raise awareness in this field of what constitutes high quality research. In turn, this should be helpful for those planning, undertaking, or commissioning cross-country comparative research.

AB - There is a growing body of cross-country comparisons in health systems and policy research. However, there is little consensus as to how to assess its quality. This is partly due to the fact that cross-country comparison constitutes a diverse inter-disciplinary field of study, with much variation in the motives for research, foci and levels of analyses, and methodological approaches.Inspired by the views of subject area experts and using the distinction between variable-based and case-based research, we briefly review the main different types of cross-country comparisons in health systems and policy research to identify pertinent quality issues.From this, we identify the following generic quality criteria for cross-country comparisons: (1) appropriate use of theory, (2) explicit selection of comparator countries, (3) rigour of the comparative design, (4) attention to the complexity of cross-national comparison, (5) rigour of the research methods, and (6) contribution to knowledge. This list may not be exclusive though publication and discussion of the list of criteria should help raise awareness in this field of what constitutes high quality research. In turn, this should be helpful for those planning, undertaking, or commissioning cross-country comparative research.

KW - Economics

KW - Case-oriented design

KW - Comparative method

KW - Cross-country comparisons

KW - Health policy research

KW - Health system research

KW - International comparisons

KW - Research quality criteria

KW - Variable-oriented design

KW - Health sciences

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84885189420&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.healthpol.2013.03.020

DO - 10.1016/j.healthpol.2013.03.020

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 23628482

VL - 112

SP - 156

EP - 162

JO - Health Policy

JF - Health Policy

SN - 1872-6054

IS - 1-2

ER -