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Hi Paul I think there are quite a few PhDs that have used a realist approach now, so they might prove a rich source... Cheers Gill -----Original Message----- From: Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Synthesis: Evolving Standards [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Paul Griffiths Sent: Thursday, 14 March 2013 7:42 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Realist Evaluation of Hospital Length of Stay Hi all, I am aware that this mail group is more about realist synthesis than realist evaluation, but I thought I would post in the hope that someone may be able to help! For my PhD I am planning to undertake a realist evaluation of length of stay in hospital for elective patients having a joint replacement procedure - the basic question I am asking is: 'What are the key factors that influence length of stay for elective patients in NHS hospitals'. As I am sure people are aware achieving optimum length of stay for patients is often viewed as a positive outcome to enable both effective and efficient care delivery - so I am planning to research how initiatives to reduce length of stay work (or don't work) and why. I am in the process of developing my detailed research protocol to explain what I will be doing and why with the relevant ethical considerations etc... I would be very grateful if anyone can point me to any realist evaluation protocols that would may be helpful as I develop mine, as this is a first for me! Any help, comments, thoughts are gratefully received! Thanks, Paul