Leuphana University Lüneburg, Scharnhorststrasse 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany.
Health Policy. 2013 Sep;112(1-2):156-62. doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2013.03.020. Epub 2013 Apr 28.
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.
越来越多的跨国健康系统和政策研究进行比较。然而，对于如何评估其质量，尚未达成共识。这部分是由于跨国比较构成了一个多样化的跨学科研究领域，其研究动机、重点和分析层次以及方法途径存在很大差异。本研究受学科领域专家观点的启发，并利用基于变量和基于案例的研究之间的区别，简要回顾了健康系统和政策研究中跨国比较的主要类型，以确定相关的质量问题。由此，我们确定了跨国比较的以下通用质量标准：（1）理论的恰当运用；（2）比较国家的明确选择；（3）比较设计的严谨性；（4）对跨国比较复杂性的关注；（5）研究方法的严谨性；（6）知识的贡献。尽管该清单可能并不全面，但标准清单的发布和讨论应有助于提高该领域对高质量研究的认识。反过来，这对于计划、进行或委托跨国比较研究的人员也会有所帮助。
