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Clinical Evaluation Methods

Clinical evaluations are of fundamental importance in the advancement of health care, as they test to see if current methods of health care are helping patients. When these evaluations are carried out, the results are used to help provide better health care for those in need. These evaluations help ensure that government funding is spent on treatments and services that are needed the most and on those that require the most improvement.

  1. Analyzing Data

    • When first conducting clinical evaluations, researchers have to start by analyzing data. The data is crucial to any type of clinical evaluation method, as it helps determine the underlying reason and basis of the tests and evaluations. By analyzing the data, researchers determine the primary hypothesis or question they will try to address. They will then organize the shortcomings of the data that they have as well as list the further information they require to assemble their clinical trial. Data varies among different fields. For example, while a researcher in anthropology might analyze data on primates, a biology researcher might analyze plant samples. Clinical evaluation, however, is specially designed to assess human health problems and conduct research on how to improve health care.

    Laboratory Sample Testing

    • Urine samples, tumor samples and blood samples are just a few of the types of laboratory sample testing carried out when conducting clinical evaluations. This method allows the researcher to work with primary samples, which is significant when trying to prove a scientific hypothesis. Testing is carried out when trying to confirm the conclusions of previous clinical evaluations.

    Physical Testing

    • Patients' health is the main basis for clinical evaluations. When laboratory samples are assessed, patients are given a physical exam to evaluate their overall health. The physical tests are done to determine if a positive correlation exists between the laboratory tests and the physical tests.

    Conducting Interviews

    • This clinical evaluation method is required when assessing short-term and long-term effects relating to treatment and services. Usually patients are taken in a specific health program, and a set of antibiotics may be given and tests carried out to diagnose and treat their conditions. After treatment is concluded and the patient is discharged, how the health of the patient has improved or declined after treatment is evaluated by interviews. The clinical researcher will follow up with patients and ask a series of questions to address and evaluate the overall effectiveness of the drugs, treatment or medical services the patient has received. This data is compiled with the other data previously used to come up with a hypothesis. An overall assessment is then carried out.

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