Transferring evaluation results from one context to another may support more timely decision-making and can help to invest evaluation resources more efficiently. However, the key question is whether decision-makers can rely on evidence that has originally been produced for another context.This presentation explored how to transfer (if at all) findings from evaluation studies and how to identify factors to determine the circumstances under which evidence transfer may be appropriate.
A case evaluation on the use of statins for preventing coronary artery disease illustrated the problem and outlined a statistical approach for analyzing factors that may cause variation in evaluation outcomes. Results suggest that substantial variability within and between evaluation studies relates to variation in methods rather than differences in national context. However, low country-level variation might say little about the true commonality of evaluation results in different settings. Decision-makers ought to be careful when relying on transferred evidence when allocating scarce resources between alternative causes of action, as study results may not be applicable to the context of interest.
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