Monitoring, evaluation, and research are fundamental components to determine the effectiveness, quality, and continuous improvement of healthcare services.
Monitoring involves the systematic collection of data to track the progress and performance of healthcare activities in real time. It helps identify any deviations from planned activities and provides early warning signs of potential issues. This may include tracking consumer outcomes and monitoring the delivery of healthcare services, such as:
- waiting times
- appointment scheduling
- consumer flow
- use of resources
- consumer safety.
Evaluation involves a more comprehensive and systematic assessment of the effectiveness and impact of healthcare programs, services, or interventions. It focuses on determining whether desired outcomes have been achieved and identifies factors contributing to success or identifying challenges. This may include conducting an impact assessment, process evaluation, cost analysis, or assessing consumer experience and stakeholder engagement.
Research involves the systematic investigation of healthcare-related questions to generate new knowledge, inform evidence-based practices, and contribute to advancements in the field. With technology transforming the healthcare landscape, virtual care research will support the healthcare sector to establish best practices and help healthcare providers make informed decisions about when and how to implement virtual care.
Significant effort has been made to support the monitoring, evaluation and research around the use of virtual care. Speak with your virtual care manager or lead, performance, and evaluation teams to access local and state plans and resources.