Use columns for claim wording, population, numerator, denominator, definition of success, follow-up point, response rate, data source, collection method, date range, and status. Add a final column titled “What would change my decision?” This prevents you from gathering information without identifying what matters. If one facility reports completion and another reports six-month follow-up, leave them in separate columns. Do not rank the percentages as if they measure the same event.
A simple note-taking code makes calls easier: write Q for a direct quote, D for documentation offered, P for a public record, and U for unclear. Date each entry and record the role, not an invented credential, of the person who answered. After the call, rewrite broad statements as testable claims. “People do well here” becomes “No defined population, measure, or follow-up provided,” which belongs under needs review. “We track everyone” becomes questions about enrollment, response rate, and missing participants. Ask whether you may review a written methodology or summary. A refusal does not by itself prove the claim is false, but it limits what you can verify.
- Are the populations and time periods comparable?
- Are completion, satisfaction, substance-use measures, and broader life outcomes kept separate?
- Is the methodology available in writing? Who funded, collected, and analyzed the data? What specific missing answer would affect your decision?