From September 2015 to December 2016, the Science-Metrix Evaluation Services team conducted an evaluation of the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH). This evaluation focused on the relevance and performance of CADTH. It aimed to identify impacts to which CADTH has made a contribution through its role as a producer or broker of health knowledge and information. Additionally, the evaluation assessed CADTH’s current and potential role in light of observed trends in both the Canadian health care system and health care worldwide.

The evaluation report, released in March 2017, presents the findings and main recommendations stemming from the impact evaluation of CADTH, covering the years 2012–2013 to 2015–2016.

Science-Metrix applied a theory-based evaluation, and the use of an explicit theory of change helped to draw conclusions about whether and how an intervention contributed to observed outcomes. In the context of case studies, for example, this approach examined the theory, or causal linkages, that demonstrated how CADTH’s activities and outputs promote a series of results to achieve an impact—or a change of behaviour—in a target group. The evaluation followed the line of enquiry along the continuum of CADTH’s approved logic model and triangulated evidence from a literature and document review, administrative and financial data analysis, bibliometric data, key informant interviews, an e-survey and case studies.

Read the Evaluation Report: [PDF]

Read CADTH’s Management Response: [PDF]

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