As part of the testing of the VIPP-PUF method, a thorough process evaluation will be carried out.
A process evaluation can be used to create knowledge about how the method is implemented in the municipalities and at the same time identify how community health nurses and families perceive and relate to the method. Knowledge of how well the method has been implemented is important in order to understand the study of the method’s effects on the health and well-being of infants.
The knowledge that the process evaluation contributes is also important for the municipalities’ further work with the method, e.g. whether it is necessary to adapt the method. In addition, it is crucial for municipalities that have not been part of the trial to have the opportunity to learn from the experiences the process evaluation contributes through the implementation, if they later wish to use the method.
There is very little research on the implementation of major preventive measures in municipal healthcare. Therefore, the process evaluation in Infant Health consists partly of:
- A PhD project that investigates the implementation of VIPP-PUF, i.e. how VIPP-PUF has been offered and implemented among the families and how the families respond to the VIPP-PUF intervention process. You can read more about this part of the project here.
- A qualitative ethnographic study of the possibilities and conditions for community health nurses when applying a method such as VIPP-PUF in practice. You can read more about this part of the project here.