“Schmevidence” is hampering benefits of change in the health service

Evidence based change to services is key to improving the quality of care and health outcomes but is often mired in professional politics and “lost in translation” when applied locally, health service strategists said at a conference in London on 25 November.

Niall Dickson, chief executive of the health policy think tank the King’s Fund, told the conference, “The days of plenty are limited, and we can’t afford to waste money on ineffective services. We need to marshal the evidence to convince patients and the wider public of the case for change.”

The conference, organised by …