Operations Research

Operational research is a process or method aimed at proposing interventions designed to apply the results of clinical research at the population level. Its goal is to improve the implementation and management of disease control programs and other health programs. There are three categories of operational research:

• Diagnostic studies: These aim to assess the nature and extent of a problem in health or service delivery;

• Intervention studies: These are designed to test, on a quasi-experimental basis, the effectiveness of new approaches or interventions in service delivery;

• Evaluation studies: These are designed to examine the impact of a program retrospectively or cross-sectionally.