1. Operations Research in Health and Family Planning byProf V. K. Tiwari, NIHFW, N Delhi XIII Annual Conference of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine, UP-UK Chapter, HIHT Dehradun 25-9-2010

2. Background of OR OR Used in second world war to precisely hit enemy targets by Americans Thereafter, focus shifted to Management problems in business and industries During sixties, WHO and Population Council started OR applications in Health and Family Planning.

3. What is operations research? OR is the application of scientific methods, techniques and tools to problems involving the operations of a system so as to provide those in control of operations with optimum solutions to the problem.

7. To seek practical solutions to problem situations

9. Strategy selection-cost effective, feasible, non interfering too much.

10. Strategy experimentation and evaluation-field research/computer simulation or analysis.

11. Information dissemination and utilization.

15. How widespread is the problem?

16. Does it affect key population?

17. Is problem related to ongoing program activities?

18. Solutions not known

19. Does it relate to broad social, economic and health issues (unemployment, status of women, HIV, FP etc)?

22. Justify the selection of strategy by:-Past success - Simplicity of implementing the strategy - Potential for sustaining the strategy - Cost effectiveness of strategy - Technical feasibility of strategy etc

24. Is there a perceived need for the strategy among stakeholders?

25. Does the strategy build upon previous work and thus:-accelerate the scaling-up, - leverage existing research capacities and structures? Is the strategy sustainable?

29. It specifies the expected relationship among variables

30. Most appropriate when conducting field intervention studies

31. They serve to direct and guide our research

33. Community-based HIV/AIDS organizations that actively involve PLHA in planning and implementation of programs will be more likely to achieve their objectives that similar organizations that do not involve PLHA in planning and implementation of programs

35. Dependent variables is the central concern of the research proposal’s problem statement

36. Independent variable acts on the dependent variable through intervening variables which increase or decrease the effect the independent variable has on dependent variableEg – To increase condom use (dependent variable) a program initiates a large BCC program (independent variable). Campaign alone can not increase condom use. The intervening variables that might influence the dependent variable would be people’s knowledge, attitudes, sexual risk behaviors and risk perception. Most HIV/AIDS behavioral research studies are based on a model that includes intervening variables

38. Immediate objective (state what will be done immediately)

39. Hypotheses (state the expected relationship between two or more variables)

41. Quality of care for people living with HIV and AIDS

42. Reducing transmission of HIV from Parents to children

43. Best ways to introduce ECPs

44. Optimum cost of injectible contraceptives

45. Best ways to involve PPs in FP/RNTCP etc

46. Thinking points?- Provide 3-4 points to define and justify the problem - Identify strategy - State objectives (at least) and frame hypotheses

47. Step III Experimentation and Evaluation

50. Common notation RA- Random assignment Experimental group receives intervention Control group –does not receive intervention X – program intervention; denotes experimental Q – observation measurement passage of time Experimental Group Control Group RA X O Notation of Study Designs

51. Time 01 X1 02 03 04 Experimental Group 1 RA Control Group True Experimental Design I

52. Time 01 X1 02 03 X2 04 05 06 Experimental Group 1 Experimental Group 2 Control Group RA True Experimental Design II

53. Time 01 X1 02 03 X2 04 05 X1+X2 06 Experimental Group 1 RA Experimental Group 2 Control Group True Experimental Design III

55. Non-experimental designs Time Posttest only X 01 Pretest-Postest 01 X 02

58. THANK YOU