Providing a description of how big a problem is requires a consideration of which indicators would describe the size of the problem best, of the consequences of the problem, of what comparisons should be used to clarify the size and consequences of the problem, and where to find relevant data. Box 3.2 below illustrates an example of these considerations:
Different indicators may be relevant when estimating the size of
a problem. This may depend on whether the problem is described in
terms of:
Sources of data for risk factors and the burden of disease include
epidemiological surveys and
routinely
collected data2. Sources of health
services utilisation data also include
routinely collected data, as well as studies of access to care,
of the utilisation of care, of the quality of care, of health care
expenditures and of health inequities. The availability of data
describing health system arrangements and the implementation of
policies and programmes is highly variable and such data may be
difficult to find. Sources include government documents (often
unpublished), data collected by the government or other agencies on
their behalf (e.g. regarding expenditures or health workers), and
studies that describe or analyse health system arrangements or
policy implementation. A SUPPORT Tool
providing guidance on how to find and use evidence about local
conditions together with a
worksheet,
workshop
materials and a
presentation are
provided in the ‘Additional resources’ of this
guide.
Strategies for finding unpublished studies and grey literature
are also described in the ‘Additional resources’
section.