Keywords

costs and cost analysis, databases, evidence-based medicine, geographic information systems, health services administration, health services research, nurse administrators, quality of healthcare, risk adjustment, small area analysis

 

Authors

  1. Baker, Victoria L. MSPH, CNM

Abstract

A political competency for leaders is to effectively articulate the evidence behind management best practices. Evidence-based practice requires special skills from the nurse leader, many of which are found in health services research (HSR) methods. This review presents approaches associated with HSR, which can be used by nurse managers for the benefit of their units. HSR methods reviewed are cost analyses, small area analysis, geographic information systems, use of existing databases, quality of care measures, and risk adjustment. This review examines the kind of evidence various HSR methods provide, as well as examples of their use and resources needed to apply them.