Examination of the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale-Version 2 and the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale-Straightforward Items Factor Structure in a Sample of U.S. College Students

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Liu; Lowe, Patricia A.

2016-01-01

The current study examined the factor structure of the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation-Straightforward Items (BFNE-S) and the Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation-Version 2 (BFNE-II) among 151 college students from the United States. Results indicated that the BFNE-S and the BFNE-II scores demonstrated excellent internal consistency reliability.…

Basic essential education program (BEEP: a brief introductory faculty development course for medical teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Madan

2012-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Physicians have a unique role in teaching future physicians and allied health professionals. Yet, most medical doctors have limited instruction in this critical component of their daily activity. Methods: This study was a prospective cohort study of the effectiveness of a local teaching program at two teaching hospitals for junior faculty. Based on a needs analysis and literature review, the teaching program was developed in an accessible and compact format of six consecutive, one-hour "lunch and learn" sessions, held locally over a six week period. Pre-post questionnaires and focus groups were used to evaluate the program. Results: Participants reported being satisfied with the course as whole, particularly in respect to the format and location. There was an improvement in their knowledge in all content areas covered. The greatest benefits were derived from fostering a community of practice and having the opportunity to role play and simulate teaching skills. An attitudinal change towards teaching was noted. Conclusions: A brief, local faculty development program was effective in enhancing physicians’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes in teaching.

Efficacy Trial of a Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Depression Prevention Program for High-Risk Adolescents: Effects at 1- and 2-Year Follow-Up

Science.gov (United States)

Stice, Eric; Rohde, Paul; Gau, Jeff M.; Wade, Emily

2010-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effects of a brief group cognitive-behavioral (CB) depression prevention program for high-risk adolescents with elevated depressive symptoms at 1- and 2-year follow-up. Method: In this indicated prevention trial, 341 at-risk youths were randomized to a group CB intervention, group supportive expressive intervention, CB…

Assessing food selection in a health promotion program: validation of a brief instrument for American Indian children in the southwest United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Koehler, K M; Cunningham-Sabo, L; Lambert, L C; McCalman, R; Skipper, B J; Davis, S M

2000-02-01

Brief dietary assessment instruments are needed to evaluate behavior changes of participants in dietary intervention programs. The purpose of this project was to design and validate an instrument for children participating in Pathways to Health, a culturally appropriate, cancer prevention curriculum. Validation of a brief food selection instrument, Yesterday's Food Choices (YFC), which contained 33 questions about foods eaten the previous day with response choices of yes, no, or not sure. Reference data for validation were 24-hour dietary recalls administered individually to 120 students selected randomly. The YFC and 24-hour dietary recalls were administered to American Indian children in fifth- and seventh-grade classes in the Southwest United States. Dietary recalls were coded for food items in the YFC and results were compared for each item using percentage agreement and the kappa statistic. Percentage agreement for all items was greater than 60%; for most items it was greater than 70%, and for several items it was greater than 80%. The amount of agreement beyond that explained by chance (kappa statistic) was generally small. Three items showed substantial agreement beyond chance (kappa > or = 0.6); 2 items showed moderate agreement (kappa = 0.40 to 0.59) most items showed fair agreement (kappa = 0.20 to 0.39). The food items showing substantial agreement were hot or cold cereal, low-fat milk, and mutton or chile stew. Fried or scrambled eggs and deep-fried foods showed moderate agreement beyond chances. Previous development and validation of brief food selection instruments for children participating in health promotion programs has had limited success. In this study, instrument-related factors that apparently contributed to poor agreement between data from the YFC and 24-hour dietary recall were inclusion of categories of foods vs specific foods; food knowledge, preparation, and vocabulary, item length, and overreporting of attractive foods. Collecting and

Interviewing: Methodological Briefs - Impact Evaluation No. 12

OpenAIRE

Bronwen McDonald; Patricia Rogers

2014-01-01

Interviews are easy to do badly and hard to do well - good planning, adequate time and appropriate skills are required. The type of interview should be carefully chosen to suit the situation rather than choosing a type of interview (such as focus groups) simply because it is commonly used. Interviews with children raise particular ethical issues that need to be carefully considered and fully addressed. This brief outlines key issues to consider in planning interviews for impact evaluation, ta...

Evaluation of a pilot training program in alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment for nurses in inpatient settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Broyles, Lauren M; Gordon, Adam J; Rodriguez, Keri L; Hanusa, Barbara H; Kengor, Caroline; Kraemer, Kevin L

2013-01-01

Alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is a set of clinical strategies for reducing the burden of alcohol-related injury, disease, and disability. SBIRT is typically considered a physician responsibility but calls for interdisciplinary involvement requiring basic SBIRT knowledge and skills training for all healthcare disciplines. The purpose of this pilot study was to design, implement, and evaluate a theory-driven SBIRT training program for nurses in inpatient settings (RN-SBIRT) that was developed through an interdisciplinary collaboration of nursing, medical, and public health professionals and tailored for registered nurses in the inpatient setting. In this three-phase study, we evaluated (1) RN-SBIRT's effectiveness for changing nurses' alcohol-related knowledge, clinical practice, and attitudes and (2) the feasibility of implementing the inpatient curriculum. In a quasi-experimental design, two general medical units at our facility were randomized to receive RN-SBIRT or a self-directed Web site on alcohol-related care. We performed a formative evaluation of RN-SBIRT, guided by the RE-AIM implementation framework. After training, nurses in the experimental condition had significant increases in Role Adequacy for working with drinkers and reported increased performance and increased competence for a greater number of SBIRT care tasks. Despite some scheduling challenges for the nurses to attend RN-SBIRT, nurse stakeholders were highly satisfied with RN-SBIRT. Results suggest that with adequate training and ongoing role support, nurses in inpatient settings could play active roles in interdisciplinary initiatives to address unhealthy alcohol use among hospitalized patients.

Treating addictive behaviors in the employee assistance program: implications for brief interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Karen K; Neighbors, Clayton; Marlatt, G Alan

2004-12-01

Employee assistance programs (EAPs) are widely available to assist employees with a variety of problems. This research examined factors related to utilization and outcome by individuals with addictive behaviors (ABs) versus other problem areas. The specific aims of this study were to evaluate referral source and treatment outcome by gender and presenting problem. The sample included 3890 men and women who attended the EAP for a variety of concerns. Men were less likely than women to self-refer and more likely to be mandated to the EAP. Men were also much more likely to present with ABs. Relative to clients presenting with other issues, individuals with ABs were less likely to self-refer, have their problems resolved in the EAP, and were seen for fewer sessions. These results suggest that EAPs may be well suited for implementation of brief interventions (BIs) that have been empirically supported in other contexts.

The cost of screening and brief intervention in employee assistance programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Cowell, Alexander J; Bray, Jeremy W; Hinde, Jesse M

2012-01-01

Few studies examine the costs of conducting screening and brief intervention (SBI) in settings outside health care. This study addresses this gap in knowledge by examining the employer-incurred costs of SBI in an employee assistance program (EAP) when delivered by counselors. Screening was self-administered as part of the intake paperwork, and the brief intervention (BI) was delivered during a regular counseling session. Training costs were $83 per counselor. The cost of a screen to the employer was $0.64; most of this cost comprised the cost of the time the client spent completing the screen. The cost of a BI was $2.52. The cost of SBI is lower than cost estimates of SBI conducted in a health care setting. The low costs for the current study suggest that only modest gains in outcomes would likely be needed to justify delivering SBI in an EAP setting.

Effect of a brief training program based on cognitive behavioral therapy in improving work performance: A randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Risa; Mori, Makiko; Tajima, Miyuki; Somemura, Hironori; Sasaki, Norio; Yamamoto, Megumi; Nakamura, Saki; Okanoya, June; Ito, Yukio; Otsubo, Tempei; Tanaka, Katsutoshi

2015-01-01

Efforts to improve performance in the workplace with respect to positive mental health have increased, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has recently attracted attention as an intervention measure to this end. Here, we conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief training program on CBT for improving work performance of employees. The participants were employees of an electric company in Japan. The intervention consisted of 1 group session of CBT (120 min) and web-based CBT homework for 1 month. We evaluated employees in both the intervention and control groups at baseline and follow-up after three months. The main outcome was work performance, which was evaluated by a subjective score from 1 to 10. The secondary outcome was self-evaluation of cognitive flexibility. Analyses were conducted based on ITT. In the intervention group, 84 participants attended the group session, with 79 subsequently completing at least 1 instance of online homework. ITT analysis showed that the subjective performance of the intervention group was significantly improved compared with that of the control group (1.47 vs. 0.69, mean difference 0.78 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.05 to 1.51], Cohen's d=0.31). The ability to recognize dysfunctional thinking patterns and change them to positive ones significantly improved in the intervention group compared to the control group (0.71 vs. 0.26, mean difference 0.45 [95% CI 0.06 to 0.83], d=0.33). However, after adjustment for baseline scores, no significant difference was observed. The ability to view a situation from multiple perspectives and expand one's repertoire of thought patterns in the intervention group also significantly improved (0.83 vs. 0.35, mean difference 0.48 [95% CI 0.35 to 0.95], d=0.29), but here again, significance was lost after adjusting for baseline scores. Our results suggest that a brief training program that combines a group CBT session with web-based CBT homework improved

LeatherNet: an evaluation as a mission planning and briefing tool

OpenAIRE

Hague, Tracy R.

1996-01-01

Information Technology Management The author evaluates LeatherNet, a Distributed Interactive Simulation compliant, virtual simulation system being developed by the Advanced Research Projects Agency to demonstrate Modeling and Simulation(M&S) technologies and to partially fulfill the U. S. Marine Corps M&S goals. The research focuses on evaluation of LeatherNet as a mission planning and briefing tool for Marine infantry company commanders, staff, and subordinate leaders. Evaluation is based...

Methodology to evaluate teen driver training programs : [brief].

Science.gov (United States)

2014-03-01

In the United States, teenage drivers are more at risk of being involved in crashes than : any other age group. Statistics reveal a clear need for improving teenagers driving : skills, judgment and behavior. Driver education programs are a crucial...

Brief Instrumental School-Based Mentoring for Middle School Students: Theory and Impact

Science.gov (United States)

McQuillin, Samuel D.; Lyons, Michael D.

2016-01-01

This study evaluated the efficacy of an intentionally brief school-based mentoring program. This academic goal-focused mentoring program was developed through a series of iterative randomized controlled trials, and is informed by research in social cognitive theory, cognitive dissonance theory, motivational interviewing, and research in academic…

DOE role in nuclear policies and programs: official transcript of public briefing, December 13, 1977

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-02-01

The record for the first of the public briefings in the Consumer Information Series scheduled by the Department of Energy is presented. The series presents, for public information and discussion, those DOE policies and programs of specific interest to consumers and public interest groups. In the first meeting DOE officials responded to questions from the public on the DOE role in nuclear policies and programs

Brief mental health interventions in conflict and emergency settings: an overview of four Médecins Sans Frontières - France programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Coldiron, Matthew E; Llosa, Augusto E; Roederer, Thomas; Casas, German; Moro, Marie-Rose

2013-11-01

Mental health problems, particularly anxiety and mood disorders, are prevalent in the setting of humanitarian emergencies, both natural and man-made disasters. Evidence regarding best strategies for therapeutic interventions is sparse. Médecins Sans Frontières has been providing mental health services during emergencies for over two decades, and here we compare data from four programs. In China, 564 patients were followed for an average of 7 sessions after a major earthquake. The most common diagnoses were PTSD and other anxiety disorders. Between program entry and exit, the median global assessment of functioning increased from 65 to 80. At program entry, 58% were considered moderately, markedly or severely ill; a proportion which fell to 14% at program exit. In Colombia in the setting of chronic violence, 2411 patients were followed for a median of two sessions. Anxiety disorders and major depression were the most common diagnoses, and 76% of patients were moderately or severely ill at program entry. 91% had symptomatic improvement at program exit. In Gaza, 1357 patients were followed for a median of 9 sessions; a majority was under age 15. PTSD and other anxiety disorders were the most common diagnoses, and 91% were moderately or severely ill at entry. 89% had improved symptoms at program exit. In the West Bank, the 1478 patients had similar characteristics to those enrolled in Gaza. 88% were moderately or severely ill at entry; 88% had improved at exit. It was feasible to implement brief yet effective mental health interventions in a wide variety of humanitarian contexts - post-natural disaster, during acute violent conflict and during chronic violent conflict. The most common diagnoses were PTSD, other anxiety disorders and mood disorders. The use of local specially-trained counselors who were focused on coping skills and improving functionality over a brief time period, likely contributed to the symptomatic improvement seen in a large majority of patients

Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxious Youth: Feasibility and Initial Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Crawley, Sarah A.; Kendall, Philip C.; Benjamin, Courtney L.; Brodman, Douglas M.; Wei, Chiaying; Beidas, Rinad S.; Podell, Jennifer L.; Mauro, Christian

2013-01-01

We developed and evaluated a brief (8-session) version of cognitive-behavioral therapy (BCBT) for anxiety disorders in youth ages 6 to 13. This report describes the design and development of the BCBT program and intervention materials (therapist treatment manual and child treatment workbook) and an initial evaluation of child treatment outcomes.…

Development and evaluation of addiction treatment programs in Latin America.

Science.gov (United States)

Marín-Navarrete, Rodrigo; Medina-Mora, María Elena; Pérez-López, Alejandro; Horigian, Viviana E

2018-07-01

The aim of this article is to present a state-of-the-art review of the scientific studies that have evaluated healthcare systems, services and programs for addiction treatment in Latin America. As a secondary aim, this article presents a brief description and analysis of the addiction prevention and treatment resources and programs available in Latin America, based on information from the ATLAS on Substance Use (ATLAS-SU) project led by the WHO. Substance use disorders (SUDs) are among the main causes associated with global burden of disease. Around the world, many initiatives have been proposed to promote policies to reduce substance use and reduce the impact of SUD, including integrating treatments into healthcare systems, increasing access to treatment programs and impacting outcome measures. In Latin America, multiple efforts have been implemented to improve addiction services and programs, although little is known about the impact they have generated. International studies report the availability of strategies and public inicitatives on prevention and treatment of addiction in Latin America. These studies also report established networks of public and private services that include prevention and detoxification programs, outpatient and residential treatment, and also social reintegration initiatives. However, despite these advances, information on the evaluation of the progress, results and impact of these programs is limited.

Programs and Practices for Special Education Students in Alternative Education Settings. Research to Practice Brief. Volume 6, Issue 1

Science.gov (United States)

Unruh, Deanne; Bullis, Michael; Todis, Bonnie; Waintrup, Miriam; Atkins, Trent

2007-01-01

This brief presents a review of alternative education programs targeting students with disabilities. Because there is no clear picture of how alternative education programs operate, specifically regarding youth with disabilities, the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) funded three grants to develop a…

Association between body mass index and response to a brief interdisciplinary treatment program in fibromyalgia.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Chul-Hyun; Luedtke, Connie A; Vincent, Ann; Thompson, Jeffrey M; Oh, Terry H

2012-07-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between baseline body mass index (BMI) and treatment outcome after a brief interdisciplinary fibromyalgia treatment program. Subjects (n = 477) with fibromyalgia participated in the fibromyalgia treatment program. They completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and the Short Form-36 Health Status Questionnaire (SF-36) at baseline and 6 to 12 mos after the fibromyalgia treatment program. Posttreatment changes in FIQ and SF-36 scores were compared after stratifying participants into four BMI groups: nonobese, overweight, moderately obese, and severely obese. All BMI groups achieved significant improvement in the FIQ total score; the FIQ subscales feel good, pain, fatigue, and morning tiredness; and the SF-36 subscales pain index, vitality, social functioning, and mental health index. Posttreatment changes in mean scores for each subscale generally did not differ significantly across BMI groups after adjusting for age and baseline scores. However, the SF-36 subscale scores of physical functioning and role-emotional were significantly less improved in the severely obese compared with the nonobese. Baseline BMI did not affect response to the fibromyalgia treatment program, as measured by the FIQ total score or SF-36 physical and mental component summary scores. However, the severely obese group showed less improvement compared with the nonobese group in the SF-36 physical functioning and role-emotional subscales.

An evaluation of the efficacy of a triple P-positive parenting program podcast series.

Science.gov (United States)

Morawska, Alina; Tometzki, Helen; Sanders, Matthew R

2014-01-01

Parenting programs based on cognitive-behavioral and social learning principles are effective in changing child behavior problems and parenting styles. However, such programs typically have limited population reach. The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a brief radio series that provided parenting advice based on the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program. One hundred thirty-nine parents of children aged 2 to 10 years who had concerns about their child's behavioral and/or emotional adjustment were recruited, randomly assigned to either an intervention or waitlist control group, and completed online self-report measures. Parents in the intervention group were given access to seven Triple P podcasts online over a period of 2 weeks. Parents in the intervention group improved significantly more than parents in the control group, from pre- to postintervention, on measures of child behavioral problems and parenting style, self-efficacy, and confidence. These short-term intervention effects were maintained at the 6-month follow-up. These results suggest that brief radio and online parenting programs can be effective and have the potential to reach a large proportion of parents experiencing child behavior problems. Limitations, clinical significance, and future research suggestions are discussed.

Integrating Faith-Based Organizations into State-Funded Pre-K Programs: Resolving Constitutional Conflict. Pre-K Policy Brief Series

Science.gov (United States)

Goldman, Dan; Boylan, Ellen

2010-01-01

This policy brief addresses federal and state constitutional issues that arise when faith-based organizations participate in state prekindergarten (pre-k) programs and recommends safeguards to ensure that public funding of those programs complies with constitutional principles respecting the separation of church and state and freedom of religion.…

Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Needs to Improve Demilitarization Program Self-Assessment Evaluations - Redacted

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-20

from mandatory disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act. Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Needs to Improve Demilitarization...Project No. D2016-D000RD-0057.000) │ i Results in Brief Defense Logistics Agency Disposition Services Needs to Improve Demilitarization Program Self...Assessment Evaluations Visit us at www.dodig.mil December 20, 2016 Objective Our audit objective was to determine whether the Defense Logistics Agency

Predictors of clinical outcome in fibromyalgia after a brief interdisciplinary fibromyalgia treatment program: single center experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Terry H; Hoskin, Tanya L; Luedtke, Connie A; Weingarten, Toby N; Vincent, Ann; Kim, Chul H; Thompson, Jeffrey M

2012-04-01

To determine which patient characteristics are closely associated with a positive response to a brief interdisciplinary fibromyalgia treatment program (FTP). A prospective cohort study. FTP at a tertiary medical center. A total of 536 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of fibromyalgia who underwent the FTP and completed the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) at baseline and 6-12 months after treatment. A brief 1.5-day interdisciplinary FTP, which included evaluation with a registered nurse and a physician for a diagnosis or confirmation of fibromyalgia, fibromyalgia education, interactive self management session, and physical and occupational therapy. The responder definition was an improvement of 14% or more in the FIQ total score from their baseline to 6-12 months after treatment. Mean (standard deviation) age of our patients was 50.3 ± 13.0 years; 515 women (96%) and 23 men (4%). Two hundred forty-eight patients (46%) met the responder definition at 6-12 months follow-up. In an univariate analysis, younger age (P = .008), college or higher education (P = .02), fewer tender points (P = .048), and higher FIQ depression subscore (P = .02) significantly predicted positive response. In a multivariate analysis, these factors all remained statistically significant. In addition, a positive abuse history became significant (P = .03). There was no significant association for gender, duration of symptoms, marital status, employment, smoking status, or 3 numeric rating scale pain scores. Patients with younger age, more years of education (with college or graduate degree), higher baseline FIQ depression score, lower tender point count, and absent abuse history experience greater benefit from a brief FTP. Copyright © 2012 American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

6 CFR 13.36 - Post-hearing briefs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 6 Domestic Security 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Post-hearing briefs. 13.36 Section 13.36 Domestic Security DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY PROGRAM FRAUD CIVIL REMEDIES § 13.36 Post-hearing briefs. The ALJ may require the parties to file post-hearing briefs. In any event...

Many Eligible Children Don't Participate in School Nutrition Programs: Reauthorization Offers Opportunities to Improve. National Issue Brief Number 85

Science.gov (United States)

Carson, Jessica A.

2015-01-01

This brief uses data from the 2013 Current Population Survey's Food Security Supplement to document levels of participation in two of the largest programs authorized by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010--the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program--by region and place type (rural, suburban, and city), to identify…

Evaluation Program initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rich, B.L.

1987-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide the Department of Energy's (DOE) safeguards and security community with some insights on an important management initiative by the Office of Security Evaluations (OSE). The paper will present the ''what, where, who, when, and why'' of a new Evaluation Program. The Evaluation Program will be comprised of a continuing series of regular and special evaluations of DOE safeguards and security programs and policies. The evaluations will be integrative and ''crosscutting,'' i.e. will extend across DOE organizational lines. Evaluations will be offered as positive advisories to DOE managers with safeguards and security responsibilities and will not be rated. They will complement the ongoing OSE Inspection Program of inspections conducted by OSE's Inspection Division. The purpose for the evaluations is to establish an accurate and current assessment of the effectiveness and status of safeguards and security programs and policies and to provide DOE managers with required information on program and policy effectiveness

Telephonic screening and brief intervention for alcohol misuse among workers contacting the employee assistance program: A feasibility study.

Science.gov (United States)

McPherson, Tracy L; Goplerud, Eric; Derr, Dennis; Mickenberg, Judy; Courtemanche, Sherry

2010-11-01

Substantial empirical support exists for alcohol screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) in medical, but not non-medical settings such as the workplace. Workplace settings remain underutilised for delivering evidenced-based health services. This research aims to translate medical research into behavioural health-care practice in a telephonic call centre acting as a point of entry into an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The goal of the study is to examine the feasibility of implementing routine telephonic alcohol SBIRT in an EAP call centre and assess whether routine SBIRT results in increased identification of workers who misuse alcohol. The design was pretest-posttest, one-group, pre-experimental. An alcohol SBIRT program developed based on World Health Organization recommendations was implemented in one EAP call centre serving one large employer. Workers were offered screening using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) during intake, brief counselling using motivational interviewing, referral to counselling, and follow-up. At 5 months, 93% of workers contacting the EAP completed the AUDIT-C: 40% prescreened positive and 52% went on to screen at moderate or high risk for an alcohol problem. Overall identification rate (18%) approached general US population estimates. Most agreed to follow-up and three-quarters set an appointment for face-to-face counselling. Integration of routine alcohol SBIRT into EAP practice is feasible in telephonic delivery systems and increases identification and opportunity for brief motivational counselling. When SBIRT is seamlessly integrated workers are willing to answer questions about alcohol and participate in follow-up.[McPherson TL, Goplerud E, Derr D, Mickenberg J, Courtemanche S. Telephonic screening and brief intervention for alcohol misuse among workers contacting the employee assistance program: A feasibility study. © 2010 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Interactive Journaling as a Brief Intervention for Level-II DUI and DWI Offenders

Science.gov (United States)

Scheck, Amy Mary; Hoffmann, Norman G.; Proctor, Steven L.; Couillou,Ryan J.

2013-01-01

This study sought to evaluate the acceptability and effectiveness of a brief alcohol intervention in increasing basic alcohol-related knowledge, and the intention to change high-risk drinking behaviors, among a sample of DUI and DWI offenders. Pre- and post-test data, in addition to program evaluation data, from 872 Level-II DUI and DWI offenders…

Report on a Program Evaluation of a Telephone Assisted Parenting Support Service for Families Living in Isolated Rural Areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Cann, Warren; Rogers, Helen; Worley, Greg

2003-01-01

This brief report evaluates a pilot project to deliver a telephone supported, self-directed parenting program to isolated families. The aim of the project was to promote the competence and confidence of parents experiencing early difficulties. Significant improvements were noted in child behavior, parenting style, parental depression, anxiety, and…

Integrating care for frequent users of emergency departments: implementation evaluation of a brief multi-organizational intensive case management intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Kahan, Deborah; Leszcz, Molyn; O'Campo, Patricia; Hwang, Stephen W; Wasylenki, Donald A; Kurdyak, Paul; Wise Harris, Deborah; Gozdzik, Agnes; Stergiopoulos, Vicky

2016-04-27

Addressing the needs of frequent users of emergency departments (EDs) is a health system priority in many jurisdictions. This study describes stakeholder perspectives on the implementation of a multi-organizational brief intervention designed to support integration and continuity of care for frequent ED users with mental health and addictions problems, focusing on perceived barriers and facilitators to early implementation in a large urban centre. Coordinating Access to Care from Hospital Emergency Departments (CATCH-ED) is a brief case management intervention bridging hospital, primary and community care for frequent ED users experiencing mental illness and addictions. To examine barriers and facilitators to early implementation of this multi-organizational intervention, between July and October 2012, 47 stakeholders, including direct service providers, managers and administrators participated in 32 semi-structured qualitative interviews and one focus group exploring their experience with the intervention and factors that helped or hindered successful early implementation. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Stakeholders valued the intervention and its potential to support continuity of care for this population. Service delivery system factors, including organizational capacity and a history of collaborative relationships across the healthcare continuum, and support system factors, such as training and supervision, emerged as key facilitators of program implementation. Operational challenges included early low program referral rates, management of a multi-organizational initiative, variable adherence to the model among participating organizations, and scant access to specialty psychiatric resources. Factors contributing to these challenges included lack of dedicated staff in the ED and limited local system capacity to support this population, and insufficient training and technical assistance available to participating organizations. A multi

Evaluating Education Programs: Are We Getting Anywhere?

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, John W.

This paper asks whether all the current attention being given to educational evaluation and all the activity going on indicates real progress in the output of evaluation and its use in the policy process. The paper reviews the brief history of educational evaluation and gives a qualified "yes" as an answer to the question, noting: significant…

An overview of environment Canada's National Incinerator Testing and Evaluation Program (NITEP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finkelstein, A.

1991-01-01

In response to the many concerns associated with incineration, Environment Canada established the National Incineration Testing and evaluation Program (NITEP) in 1984. It's mission was to assess the incineration process as a means for disposal of MSW in Canada. The program primarily focused on the environment and health impacts of MSW incinerators by determining how design and operating conditions can be modified to reduce emissions of concern. In addition to developing better measuring and monitoring methods, supporting ash residue management research programs, NITEP established four major field projects to develop the data base necessary for national guidelines. This paper presents a brief overview of the most significant field program findings over the past six years and the rationale for the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) Operating and Emissions Guidelines for MSW Incinerators published in June of 1989. In addition an overview of the ash work completed to date, and work still underway, will be presented

An Examination of the Workflow Processes of the Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) Program in Health Care Settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaiser, David J; Karuntzos, Georgia

2016-01-01

Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) is a public health program used to identify, reduce, and prevent problematic use, abuse, and dependence on alcohol and illicit drugs that has been adapted for implementation in emergency departments and ambulatory clinics nationwide. This study used a combination of observational, timing, and descriptive analyses from a multisite evaluation to understand the workflow processes implemented in 21 treatment settings. Direct observations of 59 SBIRT practitioners and semi-structured interviews with 170 stakeholders, program administrators, practitioners, and program evaluators provided information about workflow in different medical care settings. The SBIRT workflow processes are presented at three levels: service delivery, information storage, and information sharing. Analyses suggest limited variation in the overall workflow processes across settings, although performance sites tailored the program to fit with existing clinical processes, health information technology, and patient characteristics. Strategies for successful integration include co-locating SBIRT providers in the medical care setting and integrating SBIRT data into electronic health records. Provisions within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 call for the integration of behavioral health and medical care services. SBIRT is being adapted in different types of medical care settings, and the workflow processes are being adapted to ensure efficient delivery, illustrating the successful integration of behavioral health and medical care. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Who Does Not Benefit from Federal and State Financial Aid Programs? Information Brief. Volume 7, Issue 3

Science.gov (United States)

Florida Board of Governors, State University System, 2009

2009-01-01

This brief presents statistics showing that many students from middle-income and lower-income Florida families do not qualify for federal or state grants and scholarships, and that nearly half of state university system middle- and lower-income families do not receive benefits from federal or state financial aid programs. (Contains technical…

Inclusive Briefing and User Involvement

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Per Anker

2011-01-01

Briefing is not just about specifying needs as requirements but also about evaluating how well design proposals fulfil needs and aspirations. Furthermore, briefing is not only about building design. Briefing starts at the preproject stage to create a basis for the project decision and can include...... by top management. The article describes the briefing processes and the methods for user involvement, identifies problem areas and points out possible improvements. The author was actively involved in the project as deputy project director, with responsibility for the briefing process, and is now...... includes a literature study on briefing and user involvement in building projects, and presents a case study of a major building project of a new headquarters and media centre for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation in Copenhagen. The building project was actively used as part of a corporate change process...

An Echocardiography Training Program for Improving the Left Ventricular Function Interpretation in Emergency Department; a Brief Report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary S. Jacob

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Focused training in transthoracic echocardiography enables emergency physicians (EPs to accurately estimate the left ventricular function. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a brief training program utilizing standardized echocardiography video clips in this regard. Methods: A before and after design was used to determine the efficacy of a 1 hour echocardiography training program using PowerPoint presentation and standardized echocardiography video clips illustrating normal and abnormal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF as well as video clips emphasizing the measurement of mitral valve E-point septal separation (EPSS. Pre- and post-test evaluation used unique video clips and asked trainees to estimate LVEF and EPSS based on the viewed video clips. Results: 21 EPs with no prior experience with the echocardiographic technical methods completed this study. The EPs had very limited prior echocardiographic training. The mean score on the categorization of LVEF estimation improved from 4.9 (95% CI: 4.1-5.6 to 7.6 (95%CI: 7-8.3 out of a possible 10 score (p<0.0001. Categorization of EPSS improved from 4.1 (95% CI: 3.1-5.1 to 8.1 (95% CI: 7.6- 8.7 after education (p<0.0001. Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate a statistically significant improvement of EPs’ ability to categorize left ventricular function as normal or depressed, after a short lecture utilizing a commercially available DVD of standardized echocardiography clips.

Evaluation of a Brief Intervention Designed to Increase CPR Training among Pregnant Pool Owners

Science.gov (United States)

Girasek, Deborah C.

2011-01-01

This study evaluated whether a brief videotape could motivate pregnant pool owners to be trained in infant/child cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Women were recruited from prenatal classes in South Florida. Eligible volunteers were randomized to view a video or receive standard treatment, after completing a questionnaire. The video explained…

Quality Physical Education. NASPE Resource Brief

Science.gov (United States)

National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 2013

2013-01-01

A quality physical education program provides learning opportunities, appropriate instruction, meaningful and challenging content, and student and program assessment. In addition, a quality physical education improves mental alertness, academic performance, and readiness and enthusiasm for learning in the nation's youth. This brief provides a list…

The Computer-Assisted Brief Intervention for Tobacco (CABIT) Program: A Pilot Study

OpenAIRE

Boudreaux, Edwin D; Bedek, Kristyna L; Byrne, Nelson J; Baumann, Brigitte M; Lord, Sherrill A; Grissom, Grant

2012-01-01

Background Health care providers do not routinely carry out brief counseling for tobacco cessation despite the evidence for its effectiveness. For this intervention to be routinely used, it must be brief, be convenient, require little investment of resources, require little specialized training, and be perceived as efficacious by providers. Technological advances hold much potential for addressing the barriers preventing the integration of brief interventions for tobacco cessation into the he...

A theory-based implementation program for alcohol screening and brief intervention (ASBI) in general practices: Planned development and study protocol of a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Abidi, L; Oenema, A; Candel, M J J M; van de Mheen, D

2016-11-01

Previous studies have shown that alcohol screening and brief intervention (ASBI) in general practices can lead to significant reductions in alcohol consumption among patients, yet ASBI is rarely implemented into routine clinical practice. The aim of this paper is to describe the development and evaluation of an ASBI implementation program aimed at increasing ASBI delivery rates of general practitioners (GPs) and decreasing patients' alcohol consumption. This study protocol describes the step-wise development and evaluation of an ASBI implementation program. A four-step method is used to identify relevant determinants of change and intervention components based on the Behaviour Change Wheel and the Theoretical Domains Framework. The program will be evaluated in general practices in The Netherlands in a two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial which investigates the effect of the program on GPs' ASBI delivery behaviour as well as on patients' alcohol consumption. Effective theory- and practice-based strategies to implement ASBI in general practices are highly needed. Using a stepwise method we described the development of a program consisting of an e-learning module, a tailored feedback module and environmental support and materials. We hypothesize that this program will result in an increase of GPs' ASBI delivery behaviour. Secondly, we expect an overall decrease in percentage of patients with excessive or problematic alcohol use and a higher proportion of patients from GPs receiving the ASBI implementation program decreasing their alcohol consumption, compared to patients from GPs in the control group. NTR5539. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

African Social Studies Program-1, 1988-89. Final Report. A Master's Degree Program for African Social Studies Leaders.

Science.gov (United States)

Indiana Univ., Bloomington.

This paper presents the final report on a project that brought African social studies education leaders to Indiana University (Bloomington) to take part in a Master's Degree program. The report contains a brief history of the program, a description of the program, a discussion of issues relating to acculturation, an evaluation, a list of…

Decision-making style and response to parental involvement in brief interventions for adolescent substance use.

Science.gov (United States)

Piehler, Timothy F; Winters, Ken C

2017-04-01

Adolescent decision making has been previously identified as risk factor for substance abuse as well as a proximal intervention target. The study sought to extend this research by evaluating the role of decision-making style in response to parent involvement in brief substance abuse interventions. Adolescents (aged 12 to 18 years; n = 259) identified in a school setting as abusing alcohol and marijuana were randomly assigned to complete 1 of 2 brief interventions (BIs), either a 2-session adolescent-only program (BI-A) or the 2-session adolescent program with an additional parent session (BI-AP). Interventions were manualized and delivered in a school setting by trained counselors. Adolescent decision-making style was evaluated at intake, and alcohol and marijuana use were evaluated at intake and at a 6-month follow-up assessment. Supporting past research with these interventions, BI-AP demonstrated overall stronger outcomes for marijuana when compared with BI-A. Across both intervention models, an adaptive decision-making style (i.e., constructive, rational) assessed at intake predicted greater reductions in marijuana use. A significant moderation effect emerged for alcohol outcomes. Adolescents with maladaptive decision-making tendencies (i.e., impulsive/careless, avoidant) demonstrated the largest benefit from the parental involvement in BI-AP, whereas those with a less impulsive style derived little additional benefit from parental involvement in regard to alcohol use outcomes. Implications for the tailoring of brief interventions for adolescent substance abuse are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Energy-efficient buildings program evaluations. Volume 2: Evaluation summaries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, A.D.; Mayi, D.; Edgemon, S.D.

1997-04-01

This document presents summaries of code and utility building program evaluations reviewed as the basis for the information presented in Energy-Efficient Buildings Program Evaluations, Volume 1: Findings and Recommendations, DOE/EE/OBT-11569, Vol. 1. The main purpose of this volume is to summarize information from prior evaluations of similar programs that may be useful background for designing and conducting an evaluation of the BSGP. Another purpose is to summarize an extensive set of relevant evaluations and provide a resource for program designers, mangers, and evaluators.

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Brief Adolescent Gambling Screen (BAGS).

Science.gov (United States)

Stinchfield, Randy; Wynne, Harold; Wiebe, Jamie; Tremblay, Joel

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the initial reliability, validity and classification accuracy of a new brief screen for adolescent problem gambling. The three-item Brief Adolescent Gambling Screen (BAGS) was derived from the nine-item Gambling Problem Severity Subscale (GPSS) of the Canadian Adolescent Gambling Inventory (CAGI) using a secondary analysis of existing CAGI data. The sample of 105 adolescents included 49 females and 56 males from Canada who completed the CAGI, a self-administered measure of DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for Pathological Gambling, and a clinician-administered diagnostic interview including the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for Pathological Gambling (both of which were adapted to yield DSM-5 Gambling Disorder diagnosis). A stepwise multivariate discriminant function analysis selected three GPSS items as the best predictors of a diagnosis of Gambling Disorder. The BAGS demonstrated satisfactory estimates of reliability, validity and classification accuracy and was equivalent to the nine-item GPSS of the CAGI and the BAGS was more accurate than the SOGS-RA. The BAGS estimates of classification accuracy include hit rate = 0.95, sensitivity = 0.88, specificity = 0.98, false positive rate = 0.02, and false negative rate = 0.12. Since these classification estimates are preliminary, derived from a relatively small sample size, and based upon the same sample from which the items were selected, it will be important to cross-validate the BAGS with larger and more diverse samples. The BAGS should be evaluated for use as a screening tool in both clinical and school settings as well as epidemiological surveys.

Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Brief Adolescent Gambling Screen (BAGS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Randy Stinchfield

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate the initial reliability, validity and classification accuracy of a new brief screen for adolescent problem gambling. The three-item Brief Adolescent Gambling Screen (BAGS was derived from the nine-item Gambling Problem Severity Subscale (GPSS of the Canadian Adolescent Gambling Inventory (CAGI using a secondary analysis of existing CAGI data. The sample of 105 adolescents included 49 females and 56 males from Canada who completed the CAGI, a self-administered measure of DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for Pathological Gambling, and a clinician-administered diagnostic interview including the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for Pathological Gambling (both of which were adapted to yield DSM-5 Gambling Disorder diagnosis. A stepwise multivariate discriminant function analysis selected three GPSS items as the best predictors of a diagnosis of Gambling Disorder. The BAGS demonstrated satisfactory estimates of reliability, validity and classification accuracy and was equivalent to the nine-item GPSS of the CAGI and the BAGS was more accurate than the SOGS-RA. The BAGS estimates of classification accuracy include hit rate = 0.95, sensitivity = 0.88, specificity = 0.98, false positive rate = 0.02, and false negative rate = 0.12. Since these classification estimates are preliminary, derived from a relatively small sample size, and based upon the same sample from which the items were selected, it will be important to cross-validate the BAGS with larger and more diverse samples. The BAGS should be evaluated for use as a screening tool in both clinical and school settings as well as epidemiological surveys.

The Briefing Book Concept.

Science.gov (United States)

Minix, Dean A.

1990-01-01

Describes an open admissions program, a public university's nontraditional population, and their unique academic needs. Provides a political science briefing book assignment in which students research and write about one country. Claims the book is effective in helping students to organize and focus their thoughts and to improve their research and…

A brief intervention for at-risk drinking in an employee assistance program.

Science.gov (United States)

Osilla, Karen Chan; Zellmer, Steven P; Larimer, Mary E; Neighbors, Clayton; Marlatt, G Alan

2008-01-01

The current pilot study examined the preliminary efficacy of a brief intervention (BI) for at-risk drinking in an employee assistance program. Clients (N = 107) entering the employee assistance program (EAP) for mental health services were screened and met criteria for at-risk drinking. EAP therapists were randomly assigned to deliver either the BI plus EAP services as usual (SAU) or SAU only. Participants in the final analyses consisted of 44 BI + SAU (30 women, 14 men) and 30 SAU (21 women, 9 men) EAP clients who completed a 3-month follow-up. Results suggested that participants in the BI + SAU group had significant reductions in peak blood alcohol concentration, peak quantity, and alcohol-related consequences compared with the SAU group. Men in the BI + SAU group had greater reductions in alcohol-related problems compared with men in the SAU group. Groups did not differ by number of total EAP sessions attended or rates of presenting problem resolution. Results provide preliminary evidence to support the integration of alcohol screening and BI as a low-cost method of intervening with clients with at-risk drinking in the context of co-occurring presenting problems.

Program evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1988-01-01

This book contains the proceedings from the panel on program evaluation. Some of the papers included are the following: Seattle City Light's Industrial Retrofit Demonstration Project Uses Quasi-Experimental Research Design and Metering to Measure Savings, Evaluation for PUCs, and The Takeback Effect Low-income Weatherizations Fact or Fiction

Preventing child abuse: psychosocial description of clients of brief intervention programs in Chile

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esteban Gómez

2010-02-01

Full Text Available The study describe characteristics and risk factors for child abuse and neglect,in 591 children and adolescents, their parents and families served by eight brief intervention programs (PIB “Viviendo en Familia”, funded by the Chilean National Service of Children (SENAME and implemented by Protectora de la Infancia (a non-profit organization in Chile. The results revealed the existence of problems of moderate complexity, on the environment,parental competencies, family interactions, family safety and child well-being. About three of each four caregivers show signs of high risk for the abuse or neglect of children, especially in their mental health, a topic that must be considered by the staff to develop a plan of coordinated work with the local network of health services.

The Spiral-Interactive Program Evaluation Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Khaleel, Ibrahim Adamu

1988-01-01

Describes the spiral interactive program evaluation model, which is designed to evaluate vocational-technical education programs in secondary schools in Nigeria. Program evaluation is defined; utility oriented and process oriented models for evaluation are described; and internal and external evaluative factors and variables that define each…

Responsive Space Program Brief

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dors, Eric E. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2014-03-11

The goal of the Responsive Space program is to make significant, integrated science and technology contributions to the end-to-end missions of the U.S. Government that protect against global emerging and nuclear threats, from the earliest adversary planning through resilient event response report describes the LANL space program, mission, and other activities. The report describes some of their activities.

DOE role in nuclear policies and programs: official transcript of public briefing. Addendum December 13, 1977, Washington, D.C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-02-01

A total of 24 questions were read into the official record at the public briefing on nuclear policies and programs. The answers published were researched and written by personnel of DOE's Office of Energy Research, Office of Energy Technology, and the Secretary's Office. A few questions were sent to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for review and for preparation of answers

A Guide to Program Planning Vol. II.

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Earl, Sr.

This booklet is a simplified guide for program planning and is intended to complement a somewhat lengthier companion booklet on program evaluation. It spells out in outline fashion the basic elements and steps involved in the planning process. Brief sections focus in turn on different phases of the planning process, including problem…

Evaluating an employee wellness program.

Science.gov (United States)

Mukhopadhyay, Sankar; Wendel, Jeanne

2013-12-01

What criteria should be used to evaluate the impact of a new employee wellness program when the initial vendor contract expires? Published academic literature focuses on return-on-investment as the gold standard for wellness program evaluation, and a recent meta-analysis concludes that wellness programs can generate net savings after one or two years. In contrast, surveys indicate that fewer than half of these programs report net savings, and actuarial analysts argue that return-on-investment is an unrealistic metric for evaluating new programs. These analysts argue that evaluation of new programs should focus on contract management issues, such as the vendor's ability to: (i) recruit employees to participate and (ii) induce behavior change. We compute difference-in-difference propensity score matching estimates of the impact of a wellness program implemented by a mid-sized employer. The analysis includes one year of pre-implementation data and three years of post-implementation data. We find that the program successfully recruited a broad spectrum of employees to participate, and it successfully induced short-term behavior change, as manifested by increased preventive screening. However, the effects on health care expenditures are positive (but insignificant). If it is unrealistic to expect new programs to significantly reduce healthcare costs in a few years, then focusing on return-on-investment as the gold standard metric may lead to early termination of potentially useful wellness programs. Focusing short-term analysis of new programs on short-term measures may provide a more realistic evaluation strategy.

Research-Based Recommendations to Improve Child Nutrition in Schools and Out-of-School Time Programs. Research-to-Results Brief. Publication #2009-27

Science.gov (United States)

Wandner, Laura D.; Hair, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

This brief discusses aspects of healthy diets for children in elementary and middle school. It summarizes the current guidelines and recommendations for child nutrition and provides information for schools and out-of-school time programs about how to measure child nutrition. (Contains 27 endnotes.)

Right timing in formative program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Hall, Jori; Freeman, Melissa; Roulston, Kathy

2014-08-01

Since many educational researchers and program developers have limited knowledge of formative evaluation, formative data may be underutilized during the development and implementation of an educational program. The purpose of this article is to explain how participatory, responsive, educative, and qualitative approaches to formative evaluation can facilitate a partnership between evaluators and educational researchers and program managers to generate data useful to inform program implementation and improvement. This partnership is critical, we argue, because it enables an awareness of when to take appropriate action to ensure successful educational programs or "kairos". To illustrate, we use examples from our own evaluation work to highlight how formative evaluation may facilitate opportune moments to (1) define the substance and purpose of a program, (2) develop understanding and awareness of the cultural interpretations of program participants, and (3) show the relevance of stakeholder experiences to program goals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

National Evaluation of the Weatherization Assistance Program: Preliminary Evaluation Plan for Program Year 2006

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ternes, Mark P [ORNL; Schweitzer, Martin [ORNL; Tonn, Bruce Edward [ORNL; Schmoyer, Richard L [ORNL; Eisenberg, Joel Fred [ORNL

2007-02-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Weatherization Assistance Program was created by Congress in 1976 under Title IV of the Energy Conservation and Production Act. The purpose and scope of the Program as currently stated in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 10CFR 440.1 is 'to increase the energy efficiency of dwellings owned or occupied by low-income persons, reduce their total residential expenditures, and improve their health and safety, especially low-income persons who are particularly vulnerable such as the elderly, persons with disabilities, families with children, high residential energy users, and households with high energy burden' (Code of Federal Regulations, 2005). DOE sponsored a comprehensive evaluation of the Program in the early 1990's to provide policy makers and program implementers with up-to-date and reliable information they needed for effective decision making and cost-effective operations. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) managed the five part study which was based primarily on data from Program Year (PY) 1989 and supplemented by data from 1991-92 (Brown, Berry, and Kinney, 1994). In more recent years, ORNL has conducted four metaevaluations of the Program's energy savings using studies conducted by individual states between the years 1990-1996 (Berry, 1997), 1996-1998 (Schweitzer and Berry, 1999), 1993-2002 (Berry and Schweitzer, 2003), and 1993-2005 (Schweitzer, 2005). DOE announced through its Weatherization Program Notice 05-1 (DOE, 2004) that it would undertake a new national evaluation of the Program because the Program that was evaluated comprehensively in the early 1990's is vastly different from the Program of today. The Program has incorporated new funding sources, management principles, audit procedures, and energy-efficiency measures in response to findings and recommendations resulting from the 1989 National Evaluation, the Weatherization Plus strategic planning process, and other

DOE role in nuclear policies and programs: official transcript of public briefing. Addendum December 13, 1977, Washington, D. C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1978-02-01

A total of 24 questions were read into the official record at the public briefing on nuclear policies and programs. The answers published were researched and written by personnel of DOE's Office of Energy Research, Office of Energy Technology, and the Secretary's Office. A few questions were sent to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for review and for preparation of answers.

Evaluating training of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for substance use: Reliability of the MD3 SBIRT Coding Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

DiClemente, Carlo C; Crouch, Taylor Berens; Norwood, Amber E Q; Delahanty, Janine; Welsh, Christopher

2015-03-01

Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) has become an empirically supported and widely implemented approach in primary and specialty care for addressing substance misuse. Accordingly, training of providers in SBIRT has increased exponentially in recent years. However, the quality and fidelity of training programs and subsequent interventions are largely unknown because of the lack of SBIRT-specific evaluation tools. The purpose of this study was to create a coding scale to assess quality and fidelity of SBIRT interactions addressing alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs, and prescription medication misuse. The scale was developed to evaluate performance in an SBIRT residency training program. Scale development was based on training protocol and competencies with consultation from Motivational Interviewing coding experts. Trained medical residents practiced SBIRT with standardized patients during 10- to 15-min videotaped interactions. This study included 25 tapes from the Family Medicine program coded by 3 unique coder pairs with varying levels of coding experience. Interrater reliability was assessed for overall scale components and individual items via intraclass correlation coefficients. Coder pair-specific reliability was also assessed. Interrater reliability was excellent overall for the scale components (>.85) and nearly all items. Reliability was higher for more experienced coders, though still adequate for the trained coder pair. Descriptive data demonstrated a broad range of adherence and skills. Subscale correlations supported concurrent and discriminant validity. Data provide evidence that the MD3 SBIRT Coding Scale is a psychometrically reliable coding system for evaluating SBIRT interactions and can be used to evaluate implementation skills for fidelity, training, assessment, and research. Recommendations for refinement and further testing of the measure are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Implementation of tobacco cessation brief intervention in complementary and alternative medicine practice: qualitative evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Eaves, Emery R; Howerter, Amy; Nichter, Mark; Floden, Lysbeth; Gordon, Judith S; Ritenbaugh, Cheryl; Muramoto, Myra L

2017-06-23

This article presents findings from qualitative interviews conducted as part of a research study that trained Acupuncture, Massage, and Chiropractic practitioners' in Arizona, US, to implement evidence-based tobacco cessation brief interventions (BI) in their routine practice. The qualitative phase of the overall study aimed to assess: the impact of tailored training in evidence-based tobacco cessation BI on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners' knowledge and willingness to implement BIs in their routine practice; and their patients' responses to cessation intervention in CAM context. To evaluate the implementation of skills learned from a tailored training program, we conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 54 CAM practitioners in Southern Arizona and 38 of their patients. Interview questions focused on reactions to the implementation of tobacco cessation BIs in CAM practice. After participating in a tailored BI training, CAM practitioners reported increased confidence, knowledge, and motivation to address tobacco in their routine practice. Patients were open to being approached by CAM practitioners about tobacco use and viewed BIs as an expected part of wellness care. Tailored training motivated CAM practitioners in this study to implement evidence-based tobacco cessation BIs in their routine practice. Results suggest that CAM practitioners can be a valuable point of contact and should be included in tobacco cessation efforts.

Measuring conflict management, emotional self-efficacy, and problem solving confidence in an evaluation of outdoor programs for inner-city youth in Baltimore, Maryland.

Science.gov (United States)

Caldas, Stephanie V; Broaddus, Elena T; Winch, Peter J

2016-08-01

Substantial evidence supports the value of outdoor education programs for promoting healthy adolescent development, yet measurement of program outcomes often lacks rigor. Accurately assessing the impacts of programs that seek to promote positive youth development is critical for determining whether youth are benefitting as intended, identifying best practices and areas for improvement, and informing decisions about which programs to invest in. We generated brief, customized instruments for measuring three outcomes among youth participants in Baltimore City Outward Bound programs: conflict management, emotional self-efficacy, and problem solving confidence. Measures were validated through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of pilot-testing data from two groups of program participants. We describe our process of identifying outcomes for measurement, developing and adapting measurement instruments, and validating these instruments. The finalized measures support evaluations of outdoor education programs serving urban adolescent youth. Such evaluations enhance accountability by determining if youth are benefiting from programs as intended, and strengthen the case for investment in programs with demonstrated success. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A review of obesity-themed policy briefs.

Science.gov (United States)

Dodson, Elizabeth A; Eyler, Amy A; Chalifour, Stephanie; Wintrode, Christopher G

2012-09-01

Policy approaches are one of the most promising population-based means of addressing the epidemic of obesity in the U.S., especially as they create supportive environments for healthy living. Policy briefs can be an effective means of disseminating research information to inform obesity prevention efforts; however, they are often ineffective because of length, density, and inaccessibility. The purposes of this project were to identify a collection of obesity-related policy briefs, analyze the content, and make recommendations for model policy briefs. In 2010, online searching strategies were developed with criteria that included a primary topical focus on obesity, written between 2000 and 2010, targeting any population age group, including a policy-change message, and being readily available online. The research team developed a coding tool and used it to analyze briefs. A subsample of the briefs was used for further analysis on dissemination. Analyses were conducted on 100 briefs. Most (72%) were developed between 2005 and 2010; the average length was five pages. The majority had no tables, few figures, and only 36% included photos. The average reading level was high. A lack of monitoring or evaluating dissemination efforts prevailed. Policy briefs represent an effective, often-preferred, potent tool for public health practitioners and researchers to communicate information to policymakers. Recommendations include presenting information clearly, using a concise format, including design elements, noting reference and contact information, employing active and targeted dissemination efforts, and conducting evaluation. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating Dermatology Residency Program Websites.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashack, Kurt A; Burton, Kyle A; Soh, Jonathan M; Lanoue, Julien; Boyd, Anne H; Milford, Emily E; Dunnick, Cory; Dellavalle, Robert P

2016-03-16

Internet resources play an important role in how medical students access information related to residency programs.Evaluating program websites is necessary in order to provide accurate information for applicants and provide information regarding areas of website improvement for programs. To date, dermatology residency websites (D  WS) have not been evaluated.This paper evaluates dermatology residency websites based on availability of predefined measures. Using the FREIDA (Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database) Online database, authors searched forall accredited dermatology program websites. Eligible programs were identified through the FREIDA Online database and had a functioning website. Two authors independently extracted data with consensus or third researcher resolution of differences. This data was accessed and archived from July 15th to July 17th, 2015.Primary outcomes measured were presence of content on education, resident and faculty information, program environment, applicant recruitment, schedule, salary, and website quality evaluated using an online tool (WooRank.com). Out of 117 accredited dermatology residencies, 115 had functioning webpages. Of these, 76.5% (75) had direct links found on the FRIEDA Online database. Most programs contained information on education, faculty, program environment, and applicant recruitment. However, website quality and marketing effectiveness were highly variable; most programs were deemed to need improvements in the functioning of their webpages. Also, additional information on current residents and about potential away rotations were lacking from most websites with only 52.2% (60) and 41.7% (48) of programs providing this content, respectively. A majority of dermatology residency websites contained adequate information on many of the factors we evaluated. However, many were lacking in areas that matter to applicants. We hope this report will encourage dermatology residencyprograms

A High School-Based Evaluation of TakeCARE, a Video Bystander Program to Prevent Adolescent Relationship Violence.

Science.gov (United States)

Sargent, Kelli S; Jouriles, Ernest N; Rosenfield, David; McDonald, Renee

2017-03-01

Although bystander programs to prevent relationship and sexual violence have been evaluated with college students, few evaluations have been conducted with high school students. This study evaluated the effectiveness of TakeCARE, a brief video bystander program designed to promote helpful bystander behavior in situations involving relationship violence among high school students. Students (N = 1295; 52.5% female; 72.3% Hispanic) reported their bystander behavior at a baseline assessment. Classrooms (N = 66) were randomized to view TakeCARE or to a control condition, and high school counselors administered the video in the classrooms assigned to view TakeCARE. Students again reported their bystander behavior at a follow-up assessment approximately 3 months afterward. Results indicate that students who viewed TakeCARE reported more helpful bystander behavior at the follow-up assessment than students in the control condition. Results of exploratory analyses of the likelihood of encountering and intervening upon specific situations calling for bystander behavior are also reported. TakeCARE is efficacious when implemented in an urban high school by high school counselors.

Evaluation of a program on self-esteem and ego-identity for Korean nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Yun-Jung

2016-09-01

Nursing students with high levels of self-esteem and a strong ego-identity maintain a level of self-integrity that enables them to participate successfully in shared group values and interests while simultaneously meeting their own needs. Self-esteem and ego-identity are associated with academic achievement, major (area of study) satisfaction, and life satisfaction in undergraduate students. This study evaluated a brief group program for Korean nursing students that focused on promoting positive self-esteem and ego-identity development. Twenty-three Korean nursing school students participated. Changes in the students' ego-identity and self-esteem were quantitatively examined. Scores for ego-identity and self-esteem increased significantly for the students who participated in the group, while scores in the control group remained the same. The program is judged as an effective method for nursing educators or college mental health providers to utilize in order to promote affirmative ego-identity and self-esteem in nursing students. Additionally, the program contributes to helping students achieve developmental goals during their college life. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Implementation and process evaluation of a workplace colorectal cancer screening program in eastern Washington.

Science.gov (United States)

Hannon, Peggy A; Vu, Thuy; Ogdon, Sara; Fleury, Emily M; Yette, Emily; Wittenberg, Reva; Celedonia, Megan; Bowen, Deborah J

2013-03-01

Colorectal cancer screening is a life-saving intervention, but screening rates are low. The authors implemented and evaluated the Spokane Colorectal Cancer Screening Program-a novel worksite intervention to promote colorectal cancer screening that used a combination of evidence-based strategies recommended by the Guide to Community Preventive Services, as well as additional strategies. Over a period of approximately 3 months, participating worksites held one or more physician-led seminars about colorectal cancer screening for employees. They also distributed free fecal immunochemical tests at the worksite to employees 50 years and older, and they provided test results to employees and their primary care physician. The authors measured attendance at seminars, test kits taken and returned, employee awareness of the program, and colorectal cancer screening rates in participating and comparison worksites. It is estimated that 9% of eligible employees received kits at the worksite, and 4% were screened with these kits. The Spokane Colorectal Cancer Screening Program was a promising pilot test of an innovative worksite screening program that successfully translated evidence-based strategies into practical use in a brief period of time, and it merits a larger study to be able to test its effects more rigorously.

Solar energy program evaluation: an introduction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

deLeon, P.

1979-09-01

The Program Evaluation Methodology provides an overview of the practice and methodology of program evaluation and defines more precisely the evaluation techniques and methodologies that would be most appropriate to government organizations which are actively involved in the research, development, and commercialization of solar energy systems. Formal evaluation cannot be treated as a single methodological approach for assessing a program. There are four basic types of evaluation designs - the pre-experimental design; the quasi-experimental design based on time series; the quasi-experimental design based on comparison groups; and the true experimental design. This report is organized to first introduce the role and issues of evaluation. This is to provide a set of issues to organize the subsequent sections detailing the national solar energy programs. Then, these two themes are integrated by examining the evaluation strategies and methodologies tailored to fit the particular needs of the various individual solar energy programs. (MCW)

Introducing Program Evaluation Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raluca GÂRBOAN

2008-02-01

Full Text Available Programs and project evaluation models can be extremely useful in project planning and management. The aim is to set the right questions as soon as possible in order to see in time and deal with the unwanted program effects, as well as to encourage the positive elements of the project impact. In short, different evaluation models are used in order to minimize losses and maximize the benefits of the interventions upon small or large social groups. This article introduces some of the most recently used evaluation models.

Critical evaluation of international health programs: Reframing global health and evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chi, Chunhuei; Tuepker, Anaïs; Schoon, Rebecca; Núñez Mondaca, Alicia

2018-01-05

Striking changes in the funding and implementation of international health programs in recent decades have stimulated debate about the role of communities in deciding which health programs to implement. An important yet neglected piece of that discussion is the need to change norms in program evaluation so that analysis of community ownership, beyond various degrees of "participation," is seen as central to strong evaluation practices. This article challenges mainstream evaluation practices and proposes a framework of Critical Evaluation with 3 levels: upstream evaluation assessing the "who" and "how" of programming decisions; midstream evaluation focusing on the "who" and "how" of selecting program objectives; and downstream evaluation, the focus of current mainstream evaluation, which assesses whether the program achieved its stated objectives. A vital tenet of our framework is that a community possesses the right to determine the path of its health development. A prerequisite of success, regardless of technical outcomes, is that programs must address communities' high priority concerns. Current participatory methods still seldom practice community ownership of program selection because they are vulnerable to funding agencies' predetermined priorities. In addition to critiquing evaluation practices and proposing an alternative framework, we acknowledge likely challenges and propose directions for future research. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

FY08 VPP Program Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dossett, Sharon D.

2008-01-01

The Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) is a recognized third-party certification of worker safety and health program excellence, based on industry best practices that focus on management leadership and employee involvement, as well as other safety and health program elements. This Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) VPP Program Evaluation is the FY-2008 report of the PNNL VPP Steering Committee regarding the status of VPP at PNNL. It is an update of the previous annual report dated January, 2007 and was completed in January 2008. An annual evaluation of the status of VPP is required of all sites that participate in the DOE-VPP. This report provides a detailed summary of the PNNL VPP Steering Committee’s evaluation of program performance and documents both strengths and improvement opportunities related to the various aspects of the VPP model.

Suitability of a structured Fundamental Movement Skills program for long day care centres: a process evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Petrunoff, Nick; Lloyd, Beverley; Watson, Natalie; Morrisey, David

2009-04-01

Early childhood presents an opportunity to encourage development of Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS). Implementation of a structured program in the Long Day Care (LDC) setting presents challenges. Implementation of a structured FMS program FunMoves was assessed in LDC in metropolitan New South Wales. LDC staff attended a training session conducted by trained Health Promotion Officers (HPOs) and completed an evaluation. During implementation HPOs completed lesson observations. De-identified attendance data was collected and director and staff feedback on the program including barriers to implementation was obtained via questionnaire. Qualitative information relevant to process evaluation was obtained via open questions on questionnaires, and a de-brief diary recording feedback from directors and staff. Knowledge of FMS and FunMoves and staff confidence to deliver the program were high after training. On average, staff stated they ran lessons more than the suggested twice weekly and the majority of children attended 1-3 lessons per week. However, lesson delivery was not as designed, and staff found FunMoves disruptive and time consuming. Six directors and the majority of staff thought that FunMoves could be improved. Structured program delivery was hampered by contextual issues including significant staff turnover and program length and structure being at odds with the setting. Implementation could be enhanced by guidelines for more flexible delivery options including less structured approaches, shorter and simpler lessons, ongoing conversations with the early childhood sector, in-centre engagement of staff and post-training support.

Program evaluation and incentives for administrators of energy-efficiency programs: Can evaluation solve the principal/agent problem?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blumstein, Carl, E-mail: blumstei@berkeley.ed [University of California Energy Institute, 2547 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2010-10-15

This paper addresses the nexus between evaluation of energy-efficiency programs and incentive payments based on performance for program administrators in California. The paper describes the problems that arise when evaluators are asked to measure program performance by answering the counterfactual question-what would have happened in the absence of the program? Then the paper examines some ways of addressing these problems. Key conclusions are (1) program evaluation cannot precisely and accurately determine the counterfactual, there will always be substantial uncertainty, (2) given the current state of knowledge, the decision to tie all incentives to program outcomes is misguided, and (3) incentive programs should be regularly reviewed and revised so that they can be adapted to new conditions.

Program evaluation and incentives for administrators of energy-efficiency programs. Can evaluation solve the principal/agent problem?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blumstein, Carl [University of California Energy Institute, 2547 Channing Way, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States)

2010-10-15

This paper addresses the nexus between evaluation of energy-efficiency programs and incentive payments based on performance for program administrators in California. The paper describes the problems that arise when evaluators are asked to measure program performance by answering the counterfactual question - what would have happened in the absence of the program? Then the paper examines some ways of addressing these problems. Key conclusions are (1) program evaluation cannot precisely and accurately determine the counterfactual, there will always be substantial uncertainty, (2) given the current state of knowledge, the decision to tie all incentives to program outcomes is misguided, and (3) incentive programs should be regularly reviewed and revised so that they can be adapted to new conditions. (author)

Program evaluation and incentives for administrators of energy-efficiency programs: Can evaluation solve the principal/agent problem?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blumstein, Carl

2010-01-01

This paper addresses the nexus between evaluation of energy-efficiency programs and incentive payments based on performance for program administrators in California. The paper describes the problems that arise when evaluators are asked to measure program performance by answering the counterfactual question-what would have happened in the absence of the program? Then the paper examines some ways of addressing these problems. Key conclusions are (1) program evaluation cannot precisely and accurately determine the counterfactual, there will always be substantial uncertainty, (2) given the current state of knowledge, the decision to tie all incentives to program outcomes is misguided, and (3) incentive programs should be regularly reviewed and revised so that they can be adapted to new conditions.

An evaluation of an airline cabin safety education program for elementary school children.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Meng-Yuan

2014-04-01

The knowledge, attitude, and behavior intentions of elementary school students about airline cabin safety before and after they took a specially designed safety education course were examined. A safety education program was designed for school-age children based on the cabin safety briefings airlines given to their passengers, as well as on lessons learned from emergency evacuations. The course is presented in three modes: a lecture, a demonstration, and then a film. A two-step survey was used for this empirical study: an illustrated multiple-choice questionnaire before the program, and, upon completion, the same questionnaire to assess its effectiveness. Before the program, there were significant differences in knowledge and attitude based on school locations and the frequency that students had traveled by air. After the course, students showed significant improvement in safety knowledge, attitude, and their behavior intention toward safety. Demographic factors, such as gender and grade, also affected the effectiveness of safety education. The study also showed that having the instructor directly interact with students by lecturing is far more effective than presenting the information using only video media. A long-term evaluation, the effectiveness of the program, using TV or video accessible on the Internet to deliver a cabin safety program, and a control group to eliminate potential extraneous factors are suggested for future studies. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sustainable Transportation Attitudes and Health Behavior Change: Evaluation of a Brief Stage-Targeted Video Intervention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Norbert Mundorf

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Promoting physical activity and sustainable transportation is essential in the face of rising health care costs, obesity rates, and other public health threats resulting from lack of physical activity. Targeted communications can encourage distinct population segments to adopt active and sustainable transportation modes. Our work is designed to promote the health, social, and environmental benefits of sustainable/active transportation (ST using the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM, which has been successfully applied to a range of health, and more recently, sustainability behaviors. Earlier, measurement development confirmed both the structure of ST pros and cons and efficacy measures as well as the relationship between these constructs and ST stages of change, replicating results found for many other behaviors. The present paper discusses a brief pre-post video pilot intervention study designed for precontemplators and contemplators (N = 604 that was well received, effective in moving respondents towards increased readiness for ST behavior change, and improving some ST attitudes, significantly reducing the cons of ST. This research program shows that a brief stage-targeted behavior change video can increase readiness and reduce the cons for healthy transportation choices.

Sustainable Transportation Attitudes and Health Behavior Change: Evaluation of a Brief Stage-Targeted Video Intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Mundorf, Norbert; Redding, Colleen A; Paiva, Andrea L

2018-01-18

Promoting physical activity and sustainable transportation is essential in the face of rising health care costs, obesity rates, and other public health threats resulting from lack of physical activity. Targeted communications can encourage distinct population segments to adopt active and sustainable transportation modes. Our work is designed to promote the health, social, and environmental benefits of sustainable/active transportation (ST) using the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM), which has been successfully applied to a range of health, and more recently, sustainability behaviors. Earlier, measurement development confirmed both the structure of ST pros and cons and efficacy measures as well as the relationship between these constructs and ST stages of change, replicating results found for many other behaviors. The present paper discusses a brief pre-post video pilot intervention study designed for precontemplators and contemplators (N = 604) that was well received, effective in moving respondents towards increased readiness for ST behavior change, and improving some ST attitudes, significantly reducing the cons of ST. This research program shows that a brief stage-targeted behavior change video can increase readiness and reduce the cons for healthy transportation choices.

Sustainable Transportation Attitudes and Health Behavior Change: Evaluation of a Brief Stage-Targeted Video Intervention

Science.gov (United States)

Mundorf, Norbert; Redding, Colleen A.; Paiva, Andrea L.

2018-01-01

Promoting physical activity and sustainable transportation is essential in the face of rising health care costs, obesity rates, and other public health threats resulting from lack of physical activity. Targeted communications can encourage distinct population segments to adopt active and sustainable transportation modes. Our work is designed to promote the health, social, and environmental benefits of sustainable/active transportation (ST) using the Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM), which has been successfully applied to a range of health, and more recently, sustainability behaviors. Earlier, measurement development confirmed both the structure of ST pros and cons and efficacy measures as well as the relationship between these constructs and ST stages of change, replicating results found for many other behaviors. The present paper discusses a brief pre-post video pilot intervention study designed for precontemplators and contemplators (N = 604) that was well received, effective in moving respondents towards increased readiness for ST behavior change, and improving some ST attitudes, significantly reducing the cons of ST. This research program shows that a brief stage-targeted behavior change video can increase readiness and reduce the cons for healthy transportation choices. PMID:29346314

Grasping the thistle: The role of alcohol brief interventions in Scottish alcohol policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Graham, Lesley J C; Mackinnon, Donna

2010-11-01

Scotland has experienced a substantial rise in alcohol-related harm, which is now one of the biggest public health challenges it faces. Alcohol problems in Scotland are described along with national alcohol policy response in addressing them. The role of a program of Alcohol Brief Interventions is discussed therein. In Scotland, considerable proportions of the population are drinking hazardously or harmfully, common across different age and socioeconomic groups. Rising consumption has been set in wider environmental changes with alcohol becoming more available and affordable. Scotland has had one of the fastest growing chronic liver disease mortality rates in the world at a time when rates in most of Western Europe are falling. Scotland's alcohol policy has an explicit aim to reduce population consumption and includes legislative measures to tackle price and availability. A national program to deliver Alcohol Brief Interventions for hazardous drinkers is a key plank of this wider strategy. A portfolio of studies will monitor and evaluate national policy and, through contribution analysis, describe the role Alcohol Brief Interventions play in reducing alcohol misuse. Effective alcohol policy recognises that determinants of health not only lie at individual level, but include wider social, environmental and economic factors. Scotland's policy is addressing these determinants with both population-based and population-targeted interventions. Scotland has a serious problem with alcohol. A comprehensive, evidence-based, resourced alcohol policy is being implemented, which will need continual review to ensure it remains anchored in evidence while maintaining its ambition.[Graham LJC, MacKinnon D. GRASPING THE THISTLE: The role of alcohol brief interventions in Scottish alcohol policy. © 2010 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

Assessing the Diet, Exercise, Body Image, and Weight of Adolescents: A Guide for Out-of-School Time Program Practitioners. Research-to-Results Brief. Publication #2007-06

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Laurie; Milot, Alyssa

2007-01-01

This brief discusses diet, exercise, body image, and weight and also provides information for practitioners on how to measure these factors among youth in their program. It summarizes (1) what it means to be overweight; (2) what are body image and eating disorders; (3) what to do if you suspect that someone in your program is suffering from an…

Evaluating adolescent pregnancy programs: rethinking our priorities.

Science.gov (United States)

Stahler, G J; DuCette, J P

1991-01-01

Noting that impact evaluations of adolescent pregnancy programs are characterized by poor quality, the authors recommend using a different standard in assessing the value of programs. While the number of adolescent pregnancy programs has multiplied during the last 3 decades, little is known about their impact in ameliorating the negative consequences of too-early childbearing. An ideal evaluation of these programs would randomly select and randomly assign subjects to experimental and control groups. But evaluations conducted by individual program generally face obstacles that limit the randomness of the study. most individual programs lack the financial resources and do not employ the full-time professional evaluators needed to carry out a valid evaluation. These factors result in too short an evaluation period, incomplete and inaccurate data, and lack of randomness in the assignment of control groups. To more accurately assess the impact of the programs, the authors recommend that individual programs focus on process evaluation and collection of complete and reliable data on their clients. From the onset, a program should have a clear description of its content, logic of intervention, and method of implementation. It should maintain thorough records on client characteristics, service utilization, and should conduct long-term follow-ups. For rigorous impact evaluations, programs should rely on 3rd party entities. These independent organizations -- universities or research institutes -- do not have a stake in the outcome of the evaluation, making the study all the more objective. Furthermore, they provide experienced researchers.

Program evaluation and incentives for administrators of energy efficiency programs: can evaluation solve the principal/agent problem?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blumstein, Carl (Univ. of California, Energy Institute (United States))

2009-07-01

This paper addresses the nexus between the evaluation of energy-efficiency programs and incentive payments based on performance for program administrators in California. The paper describes problems that arise when evaluators are asked to measure program performance by answering the counterfactual question, what would have happened in the absence of the program? Then some ways of addressing these problems are examined. Key conclusions are that 1) program evaluation cannot precisely and accurately determine the counterfactual, there will always be substantial uncertainty, 2) given the current state of knowledge, the decision to tie all of the incentive to program outcomes is misguided, and 3) incentive programs should be regularly reviewed and revised so that they can be adapted to new conditions.

Economic Education in Malaysia: A Brief Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, C. A.

1978-01-01

This report provides a brief description of economic education in Malaysia and indicates interest, on the part of various Asian countries, i.e., Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines, in the establishment of economic education programs. (Editor/RK)

A Bystander Bullying Psychoeducation Program with Middle School Students: A Preliminary Report

Science.gov (United States)

Midgett, Aida; Doumas, Diana; Sears, Dara; Lundquist, Amanda; Hausheer, Robin

2015-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a brief, stand-alone bystander bullying psychoeducation program for middle school students. The purpose of the program was to train students to take action as peer advocates. Pre- and post-tests indicated that after completing the 90-minute psychoeducation program, students reported an increase in their…

Developing Social Competence in Children. Choices Briefs, Number 3.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Wendy

This brief presents an overview of effective strategies for developing prosocial attitudes and behaviors in elementary school children. The description of approaches and activities can help educators integrate an antiviolence education program into their schools and classrooms, select a program to implement from many models in use around the…

The efficacy of a brief motivational enhancement education program on CPAP adherence in OSA: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, Agnes Y K; Fong, Daniel Y T; Lam, Jamie C M; Weaver, Terri E; Ip, Mary S M

2014-09-01

Poor adherence to CPAP treatment in OSA adversely affects the effectiveness of this therapy. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) examined the efficacy of a brief motivational enhancement education program in improving adherence to CPAP treatment in subjects with OSA. Subjects with newly diagnosed OSA were recruited into this RCT. The control group received usual advice on the importance of CPAP therapy and its care. The intervention group received usual care plus a brief motivational enhancement education program directed at enhancing the subjects' knowledge, motivation, and self-efficacy to use CPAP through the use of a 25-min video, a 20-min patient-centered interview, and a 10-min telephone follow-up. Self-reported daytime sleepiness adherence-related cognitions and quality of life were assessed at 1 month and 3 months. CPAP usage data were downloaded at the completion of this 3-month study. One hundred subjects with OSA (mean ± SD, age 52 ± 10 years; Epworth Sleepiness Scales [ESS], 9 ± 5; median [interquartile range] apnea-hypopnea index, 29 [20, 53] events/h) prescribed CPAP treatment were recruited. The intervention group had better CPAP use (higher daily CPAP usage by 2 h/d [Cohen d = 1.33, P motivational enhancement education in addition to usual care were more likely to show better adherence to CPAP treatment, with greater improvements in treatment self-efficacy and daytime sleepiness. ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01173406; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

Office of Technology Development's Research, Development, Demonstration, Testing and Evaluation Mid-Year Program Review. Volume 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

This document presents brief summaries of waste management, remedial action, decommissioning/decontamination, and waste processing programs and issues currently being developed at Department of Energy Facilities

Evaluation of Hawaii's Healthy Start Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Duggan, Anne K.; McFarlane, Elizabeth C.; Windham, Amy M.; Rohde, Charles A.; Salkever, David S.; Fuddy, Loretta; Rosenberg, Leon A.; Buchbinder, Sharon B.; Sia, Calvin C. J.

1999-01-01

Describes Hawaii's Healthy Start Program (HST), its ongoing evaluation study, and evaluation findings at the end of two of a planned three years of family-program participation and follow-up. HST uses home visitors to help prevent abusive and neglectful parenting. Found significant differences in program implementation among the three…

NASA Ames Fluid Mechanics Laboratory research briefs

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Sanford (Editor)

1994-01-01

The Ames Fluid Mechanics Laboratory research program is presented in a series of research briefs. Nineteen projects covering aeronautical fluid mechanics and related areas are discussed and augmented with the publication and presentation output of the Branch for the period 1990-1993.

Class Size Reduction: Great Hopes, Great Challenges. Policy Brief.

Science.gov (United States)

WestEd, San Francisco, CA.

This policy brief examines the benefits and the challenges that accompany class-size reduction (CSR). It suggests that when designing CSR programs, states should carefully assess specific circumstances in their schools as they adopt or modify CSR efforts to avoid the unintended consequences that some programs have experienced. Some of the…

Information Brief on Green Power Marketing, 2nd Edition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sweezey, B.; Houston, A.

1998-02-01

This document is the second in a series of information briefs on green power marketing activity in the United States. It includes descriptions of utility green pricing programs, green power marketing activity, retail access legislation and pilot programs, and other data and information supporting the development of green power markets.

Evaluation of educational programs: an affiliate survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Kerker, B

1996-08-01

The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) conducted a survey in 1996 to investigate the use of educational program evaluation among its affiliates. Of the 153 surveys mailed out, 55 (36%) were returned. Evaluations of school-based educational programs were conducted consistently by 19% of respondents and occasionally by 72%; non-school-based programs were evaluated consistently by 31% of associations and occasionally by 64%. In both types of presentations, evaluations were likely to consist of pre- and post-testing, post-tests alone, or informal discussions with participants. The outcome variables most often measured were participant satisfaction with the presentation, knowledge gained, and behavioral change. 75% of educational directors recognized the value of evaluations for purposes such as program planning, providing a baseline, and procuring funding; 80% were interested in doing more evaluations. However, directors identified numerous obstacles to evaluation: insufficient time, lack of expertise or models, problems conducting meaningful impact evaluations, limited funds for this purpose, and fear that results would be disappointing. Despite its low response rate, this survey identified a need for PPFA's Education Department to promote program evaluation among its affiliates, provide staff training, and develop meaningful program impact measures.

Methods for evaluation of industry training programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morisseau, D.S.; Roe, M.L.; Persensky, J.J.

1987-01-01

The NRC Policy Statement on Training and Qualification endorses the INPO-managed Training Accreditation Program in that it encompasses the elements of effective performance-based training. Those elements are: analysis of the job, performance-based learning objectives, training design and implementation, trainee evaluation, and program evaluation. As part of the NRC independent evaluation of utilities implementation of training improvement programs, the staff developed training review criteria and procedures that address all five elements of effective performance-based training. The staff uses these criteria to perform reviews of utility training programs that have already received accreditation. Although no performance-based training program can be said to be complete unless all five elements are in place, the last two, trainee and program evaluation, are perhaps the most important because they determine how well the first three elements have been implemented and ensure the dynamic nature of training. This paper discusses the evaluation elements of the NRC training review criteria. The discussion will detail the elements of evaluation methods and techniques that the staff expects to find as integral parts of performance-based training programs at accredited utilities. Further, the review of the effectiveness of implementation of the evaluation methods is discussed. The paper also addresses some of the qualitative differences between what is minimally acceptable and what is most desirable with respect to trainee and program evaluation mechanisms and their implementation

Continuous Briefing and User Participation in Building Projects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Per Anker

2006-01-01

and the methods for user participation, identifies problem areas and point out possible improvements. The author has been actively involved in the project as deputy project director with re-sponsibility for the briefing process until spring 2005 and is now a researcher.......Briefing is not just about specifying needs as requirements but also about evaluating how well design pro-posals fulfill the needs and aspirations. Furthermore, briefing is not only about building design. Briefing starts at the pre-project stage to create a basis for the project decision...... into the building is required. A building project is often part of a change process of the organisation that is going to occupy the building, and this change process should be management carefully to reach a successful result. An important aspect of briefing is to manage the par-ticipation of the coming users...

FY-2007 PNNL Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Program Evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wright, Patrick A.; Fisher, Julie A.; Goheen, Steven C.; Isern, Nancy G.; Madson, Vernon J.; Meicenheimer, Russell L.; Pugh, Ray; Schneirla, Keri A.; Shockey, Loretta L.; Tinker, Mike R.

2008-01-01

This document reports the results of the FY-2007 PNNL VPP Program Evaluation, which is a self-assessment of the operational and programmatic performance of the Laboratory related to worker safety and health. The report was compiled by a team of worker representatives and safety professionals who evaluated the Laboratory's worker safety and health programs on the basis of DOE-VPP criteria. The principle elements of DOE's VPP program are: Management Leadership, Employee Involvement, Worksite Analysis, Hazard Prevention and Control, and Safety and Health Training.

Development and evaluation of 'briefing notes' as a novel knowledge translation tool to aid the implementation of sex/gender analysis in systematic reviews: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Doull, Marion; Welch, Vivian; Puil, Lorri; Runnels, Vivien; Coen, Stephanie E; Shea, Beverley; O'Neill, Jennifer; Borkhoff, Cornelia; Tudiver, Sari; Boscoe, Madeline

2014-01-01

There is increasing recognition of sex/gender differences in health and the importance of identifying differential effects of interventions for men and women. Yet, to whom the research evidence does or does not apply, with regard to sex/gender, is often insufficiently answered. This is also true for systematic reviews which synthesize results of primary studies. A lack of analysis and reporting of evidence on sex/gender raises concerns about the applicability of systematic reviews. To bridge this gap, this pilot study aimed to translate knowledge about sex/gender analysis (SGA) into a user-friendly 'briefing note' format and evaluate its potential in aiding the implementation of SGA in systematic reviews. Our Sex/Gender Methods Group used an interactive process to translate knowledge about sex/gender into briefing notes, a concise communication tool used by policy and decision makers. The briefing notes were developed in collaboration with three Cochrane Collaboration review groups (HIV/AIDS, Hypertension, and Musculoskeletal) who were also the target knowledge users of the briefing notes. Briefing note development was informed by existing systematic review checklists, literature on sex/gender, in-person and virtual meetings, and consultation with topic experts. Finally, we held a workshop for potential users to evaluate the notes. Each briefing note provides tailored guidance on considering sex/gender to reviewers who are planning or conducting systematic reviews and includes the rationale for considering sex/gender, with examples specific to each review group's focus. Review authors found that the briefing notes provided welcome guidance on implementing SGA that was clear and concise, but also identified conceptual and implementation challenges. Sex/gender briefing notes are a promising knowledge translation tool. By encouraging sex/gender analysis and equity considerations in systematic reviews, the briefing notes can assist systematic reviewers in ensuring the

A brief history of economic evaluation for human papillomavirus vaccination policy.

Science.gov (United States)

Beutels, Philippe; Jit, Mark

2010-09-01

This commentary discusses key issues for health economic evaluation and modelling, applied to human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine programs. We outline some of the specific features of HPV disease and vaccination, and associated policy questions in light of a literature search for economic evaluations on HPV vaccination. We observe that some policy questions could not be reliably addressed by many of the 43 published economic evaluations we found. Despite this, policy making on universal HPV vaccination followed shortly after vaccine licensure in many developed countries, so the role economic evaluation played in informing these decisions (pre-dating 2008) seems to have been fairly limited. For more recent decisions, however, economic evaluation is likely to have been used more widely and more intensively. We expect future cost-effectiveness analyses to be more instrumental in policy making regarding vaccines covering more HPV types, therapeutic HPV vaccines, and novel diagnostic tests for biomarkers of HPV infection and disease integrated with cervical screening programs.

FY-2007 PNNL Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Program Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wright, Patrick A.; Fisher, Julie A.; Goheen, Steven C.; Isern, Nancy G.; Madson, Vernon J.; Meicenheimer, Russell L.; Pugh, Ray; Schneirla, Keri A.; Shockey, Loretta L.; Tinker, Mike R.

2008-08-15

This document reports the results of the FY-2007 PNNL VPP Program Evaluation, which is a self-assessment of the operational and programmatic performance of the Laboratory related to worker safety and health. The report was compiled by a team of worker representatives and safety professionals who evaluated the Laboratory's worker safety and health programs on the basis of DOE-VPP criteria. The principle elements of DOE's VPP program are: Management Leadership, Employee Involvement, Worksite Analysis, Hazard Prevention and Control, and Safety and Health Training.

Brief cognitive behavioral therapy in primary care: a hybrid type 2 patient-randomized effectiveness-implementation design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cully Jeffrey A

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the availability of evidence-based psychotherapies for depression and anxiety, they are underused in non-mental health specialty settings such as primary care. Hybrid effectiveness-implementation designs have the potential to evaluate clinical and implementation outcomes of evidence-based psychotherapies to improve their translation into routine clinical care practices. Methods This protocol article discusses the study methodology and implementation strategies employed in an ongoing, hybrid, type 2 randomized controlled trial with two primary aims: (1 to determine whether a brief, manualized cognitive behavioral therapy administered by Veterans Affairs Primary Care Mental Health Integration program clinicians is effective in treating depression and anxiety in a sample of medically ill (chronic cardiopulmonary diseases primary care patients and (2 to examine the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary outcomes of a focused implementation strategy on improving adoption and fidelity of brief cognitive behavioral therapy at two Primary Care-Mental Health Integration clinics. The study uses a hybrid type 2 effectiveness/implementation design to simultaneously test clinical effectiveness and to collect pilot data on a multifaceted implementation strategy that includes an online training program, audit and feedback of session content, and internal and external facilitation. Additionally, the study engages the participation of an advisory council consisting of stakeholders from Primary Care-Mental Health Integration, as well as regional and national mental health leaders within the Veterans Administration. It targets recruitment of 320 participants randomized to brief cognitive behavioral therapy (n = 200 or usual care (n = 120. Both effectiveness and implementation outcomes are being assessed using mixed methods, including quantitative evaluation (e.g., intent-to-treat analyses across multiple time points and

Brief cognitive behavioral therapy in primary care: a hybrid type 2 patient-randomized effectiveness-implementation design.

Science.gov (United States)

Cully, Jeffrey A; Armento, Maria E A; Mott, Juliette; Nadorff, Michael R; Naik, Aanand D; Stanley, Melinda A; Sorocco, Kristen H; Kunik, Mark E; Petersen, Nancy J; Kauth, Michael R

2012-07-11

Despite the availability of evidence-based psychotherapies for depression and anxiety, they are underused in non-mental health specialty settings such as primary care. Hybrid effectiveness-implementation designs have the potential to evaluate clinical and implementation outcomes of evidence-based psychotherapies to improve their translation into routine clinical care practices. This protocol article discusses the study methodology and implementation strategies employed in an ongoing, hybrid, type 2 randomized controlled trial with two primary aims: (1) to determine whether a brief, manualized cognitive behavioral therapy administered by Veterans Affairs Primary Care Mental Health Integration program clinicians is effective in treating depression and anxiety in a sample of medically ill (chronic cardiopulmonary diseases) primary care patients and (2) to examine the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary outcomes of a focused implementation strategy on improving adoption and fidelity of brief cognitive behavioral therapy at two Primary Care-Mental Health Integration clinics. The study uses a hybrid type 2 effectiveness/implementation design to simultaneously test clinical effectiveness and to collect pilot data on a multifaceted implementation strategy that includes an online training program, audit and feedback of session content, and internal and external facilitation. Additionally, the study engages the participation of an advisory council consisting of stakeholders from Primary Care-Mental Health Integration, as well as regional and national mental health leaders within the Veterans Administration. It targets recruitment of 320 participants randomized to brief cognitive behavioral therapy (n = 200) or usual care (n = 120). Both effectiveness and implementation outcomes are being assessed using mixed methods, including quantitative evaluation (e.g., intent-to-treat analyses across multiple time points) and qualitative methods (e.g., focus interviews

Summary of the planning, management, and evaluation process for the Geothermal Program Review VI conference

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1988-10-01

The purpose of this document is to present an overview of the planning, facilitation, and evaluation process used to conduct the Geothermal Program Review VI (PR VI) conference. This document was also prepared to highlight lessons learned from PR VI and, by utilizing the evaluation summaries and recommendations, be used as a planning tool for PR VII. The conference, entitled Beyond Goals and Objectives,'' was sponsored by the US Department of Energy's (DOE) Geothermal Technology Division (GTD), PR VI was held in San Francisco, California on April 19--21, 1988 and was attended by 127 participants. PR VI was held in conjunction with the National Geothermal Association's (NGA) Industry Round Table. This document presents a brief summary of the activities, responsibilities, and resources for implementing the PR VI meeting and provides recommendations, checklists, and a proposed schedule for assisting in planning PR VII.

Evaluation of the Health Rocks! Program: The Association of Youth Engagement with Program Outcomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Xia

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This evaluation research examined the relationship between program process and program outcome, specifically, youth engagement in the national 4-H Council Health Rocks! program and their program outcomes.  Based on program evaluation surveys completed after the program by participants, youths’ engagement in the program was associated with their gains in knowledge and skills about substance use, and personal assets related to avoiding risks.  When youth participants find a program interesting, are actively engaged in the program, and find the program staff friendly, they benefit more from the program.  Findings underscore the importance of engaging curriculum and friendly staff to the success of extension or afterschool youth programs. The evaluation method may offer an example of balancing rigor of evaluation design and feasibility of implementing an evaluation.

Office of Technology Development's Research, Development, Demonstration, Testing and Evaluation Mid-Year Program Review. Volume 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

This document, Volume 2, presents brief summaries of programs being investigated at USDOE sites for waste processing, remedial action, underground storage tank remediation, and robotic applications in waste management

Guidance for training program evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

An increased concern about the training of nuclear reactor operators resulted from the incident at TMI-2 in 1979. Purpose of this guide is to provide a general framework for the systematic evaluation of training programs for DOE Category-A reactors. The primary goal of such evaluations is to promote continuing quality improvements in the selection, training and qualification programs

Brief Video-Module Administered Mindfulness Program for Physicians: A Pilot Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Pflugeisen, Bethann Mangel; Drummond, Dike; Ebersole, Drew; Mundell, Kate; Chen, David

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a video-module-based mindfulness pilot program intended to reduce stress, improve well-being, and develop mindfulness skills in physicians in a community hospital setting. Preliminary findings are presented. Using a single-sample, pre-post study design, we administered an eight-week mindfulness training offered as part of a wellness initiative for medical staff in a suburban community hospital. Participants enrolled on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants engaged in three 90-min in-person trainings, weekly online video-module trainings, and weekly teleconference coaching calls. Video-module trainings were available at all times, to be accessed at the participants׳ convenience. Journals and a guided meditation audio library were also provided. Physician stress, well-being (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization of patients, and sense of personal accomplishment), and mindfulness skills (observing, describing, acting with awareness, and accepting without judgment) were evaluated at baseline, end-of-program, and eight weeks post-intervention using well-validated instruments. A total of 23 physicians enrolled and 19 completed the program. Compared to baseline, statistically significant decreases in stress, personal accomplishment, and emotional exhaustion were observed at end-of-program and eight weeks post-intervention (all P < .05). Significant increases in all mindfulness skills were observed at end-of-program; these increases persisted for describing, acting with awareness, and accepting without judgment at eight weeks post-intervention (all P < .05). This study provides preliminary evidence that a flexible, video-module-based mindfulness program can decrease stress, increase well-being, and develop lasting mindfulness skills in physicians. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Misprescribing controlled substances: An evaluation of a professional development program.

Science.gov (United States)

Dewey, Charlene M; Ghulyan, Marine V; Swiggart, William H

2016-01-01

Controlled prescription drug (CPD) abuse has reached epidemic proportions in the United States. Most physicians attending a 3-day continuing medical education (CME) professional development program (PDP) lack training in identifying risk and in managing patients who misuse CPDs. To address this issue, the authors conducted an evaluation of a PDP that trains physicians on proper prescribing, identifying substance abuse, utilizing screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT), and implementing motivational interviewing (MI). The authors conducted a program evaluation to assess the efficacy and impact of the PDP on physicians' knowledge and prescribing behaviors. Participants (N = 174) were typically middle-aged (average age of 53 years), male (89%), and physicians (82%) and other health care professionals (18%). Many physicians practice in solo primary care settings (46%). Course evaluations were completed by n = 155 (89%) participants who rated the course and presenters highly (mean 4.8/5 respectively). Physicians' knowledge scores on pre/post assessments increased significantly: pretest (M = 58.7, SD = 13.12) and posttest (M = 78.28, SD = 9.83) (t(173) = 20.06, P ≤ .0001, 95% confidence interval, CI: [-21.51, -17.65]). Almost half of the participants, n = 83/174 (48%), completed the follow-up survey, and 93% agreed/strongly agreed (A/SA) they made professional practice changes. Of participants practicing with an active DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) registration (n = 57), most agreed/strongly agreed they implemented changes to align their practices with current guidelines (89%), used CPD more appropriately (87%), implemented office policies on prescribing (81%), identified and referred more substance abuse patients to treatment (80%), shared new information/experience from course with other 25 health professionals (93%), and felt the course positively impacted their behaviors personally and professionally (90% and 96%, respectively

EVALUE : a computer program for evaluating investments in forest products industries

Science.gov (United States)

Peter J. Ince; Philip H. Steele

1980-01-01

EVALUE, a FORTRAN program, was developed to provide a framework for cash flow analysis of investment opportunities. EVALUE was designed to assist researchers in evaluating investment feasibility of new technology or new manufacturing processes. This report serves as user documentation for the EVALUE program. EVALUE is briefly described and notes on preparation of a...

The Problem with Briefs, in Brief

Science.gov (United States)

Conaway, Carrie L.

2013-01-01

Policy briefs written by academics--the kind typically published in "Education Finance and Policy"--should be a crucial source of information for policy makers. Yet too frequently these briefs fail to garner the consideration they deserve. Their authors are too focused on the potential objections of their fellow academics, who are…

Practical strategies for nursing education program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewallen, Lynne Porter

2015-01-01

Self-evaluation is required for institutions of higher learning and the nursing programs within them. The literature provides information on evaluation models and instruments, and descriptions of how specific nursing education programs are evaluated. However, there are few discussions in the nursing education literature of the practical aspects of nursing education program evaluation: how to get started, how to keep track of data, who to involve in data collection, and how to manage challenging criteria. This article discusses the importance of program evaluation in the academic setting and provides information on practical ways to organize the evaluation process and aggregate data, and strategies for gathering data from students, graduates, alumni, and employers of graduates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Lessons learned from IRIS EPO program evaluations

Science.gov (United States)

Taber, J.; Hubenthal, M.

2012-12-01

Evaluating the overall impact of EPO programs that include activities ranging from formal education through broad public outreach, is a complex issue. The impact of education activities targeted at narrowly defined audiences is generally easier to quantify than the national impact of outreach activities conducted by a relatively small program. For educational activities, our approach has been to leverage the best-practices identified through research and to continuously assess the individual elements internally with the intention of making improvements based on the data generated and the existing research. By constructing our elements on the best practices identified by the research community we feel that internal formative evaluation is a valid means to determine if an activity is effective, particularly when the results are compared to similar programs. For example, effective practices of professional development are well documented in the literature. As a result, this allows us to shape our programs and our evaluations to monitor elements that have been identified as key by the educational research community. Further, such actions allow us to avoid allocating significant resources with the intention of pinning down direct causal relationships between our programs and consumers, when similar interventions (conducted by others) have already shown such relationships. Ongoing review by an EPO advisory committee also provides regular oversight of program impact. While we find internal and external formative evaluation extremely useful in shaping the program and documenting its impact, we also recognize the value of a summative evaluation process. For example, an external summative evaluation of the IRIS EPO program was conducted in 2009, followed by an external panel review, as part of the regular review of IRIS programs. We found that the most valuable part of the external evaluation was our preparation, including clarifying the goals of each of the elements of the

Evaluation of a workplace brief intervention for excessive alcohol consumption: the workscreen project.

Science.gov (United States)

Richmond, R; Kehoe, L; Heather, N; Wodak, A

2000-01-01

The workplace provides a useful setting for early identification and intervention with individuals who have unhealthy lifestyles. The objective was to evaluate the effects of a workplace-based lifestyle intervention (Workscreen) to reduce excessive drinking. There were eight Australia Post networks randomly allocated to experimental and control conditions, comprising 67 worksites and 1206 employees. The experimental condition involved a broad spectrum lifestyle campaign, incorporating support from management, employee awareness of health, and brief interventions for high-risk behaviors, including excessive alcohol use. Focus groups identified relevant cultural factors. Changes in workplace culture and employee behavior were assessed 10 months after baseline. Males and females were analyzed separately. Over half of APOST employees participated at each screening point. In the experimental condition 61% of employees overall and 58% of those identified as excessive drinkers in Phase 1 responded to the lifestyle campaign by attending health assessments. Analyses focusing on the organization as a whole did not reveal significant reductions in excessive alcohol consumption among men or women. However, a significant reduction in number of drinks was observed in the experimental condition among women for whom completion of baseline and follow-up could be confirmed (P workplace-based lifestyle campaign can assist self-selected employees in reducing their alcohol consumption. There was a moderately high level of participation among those identified as drinking excessively, which supports our approach of embedding a low-intensity alcohol program within the context of a broader health promotion campaign. Copyright 2000 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.

Effective Practices for Evaluating Education and Public Outreach Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Wilkerson, S.

2013-12-01

Stephanie Baird Wilkerson, PhD Carol Haden EdD Magnolia Consulting,LLC Education and public outreach (EPO) program developers and providers seeking insights regarding effective practices for evaluating EPO activities programs benefit from understanding why evaluation is critical to the success of EPO activities and programs, what data collection methods are appropriate, and how to effectively communicate and report findings. Based on our extensive experience evaluating EPO programs, we will share lessons learned and examples of how these practices play out in actual evaluation studies. EPO program developers, providers, and evaluators must consider several factors that influence which evaluation designs and data collection methods will be most appropriate, given the nature of EPO programs. Effective evaluation practices of EPO programs take into account a program's phase of development, duration, and budget as well as a program's intended outcomes. EPO programs that are just beginning development will have different evaluation needs and priorities than will well-established programs. Effective evaluation practices consider the 'life' of a program with an evaluation design that supports a program's growth through various phases including development, revision and refinement, and completion. It would be premature and inappropriate to expect the attainment of longer-term outcomes of activities during program development phases or early stages of implementation. During program development, EPO providers should clearly define program outcomes that are feasible and appropriate given a program's scope and expected reach. In many respects, this directly relates to the amount of time, or duration, intended audiences participate in EPO programs. As program duration increases so does the likelihood that the program can achieve longer-term outcomes. When choosing which outcomes are reasonable to impact and measure, program duration should be considered. Effective evaluation

Office of Technology Development`s Research, Development, Demonstration, Testing and Evaluation Mid-Year Program Review. Volume 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-08-01

This document presents brief summaries of waste management, remedial action, decommissioning/decontamination, and waste processing programs and issues currently being developed at Department of Energy Facilities.

Office of Technology Development FY 1993 program summary: Office of Research and Development, Office of Demonstration, Testing and Evaluation. Revision 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-02-01

This report summarizes significant FY93 programmatic information and accomplishments relevant to the individual activities within the Office of Technology Development Program for Research, Development, Demonstration, Testing, and Evaluation (RDDT&E). A brief discussion of the mission of the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) and the Office of Technology Development is presented. An overview is presented of the major problem areas confronting DOE. These problem areas include: groundwater and soils cleanup; waste retrieval and processing; and pollution prevention. The organizational elements within EM are highlighted. An EM-50 Funding Summary for FY92 and FY93 is also provided. RDDT&E programs are discussed and their key problem areas are summarized. Three salient program-formulating concepts are explained. They are: Integrated Demonstrations, Integrated Programs, and the technology window of opportunity. Detailed information for each of the programs within RDDT&E is presented and includes a fact sheet, a list of technical task plans and an accomplishments and objectives section.

Office of Technology Development FY 1993 program summary: Office of Research and Development, Office of Demonstration, Testing and Evaluation. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-02-01

This report summarizes significant FY93 programmatic information and accomplishments relevant to the individual activities within the Office of Technology Development Program for Research, Development, Demonstration, Testing, and Evaluation (RDDT ampersand E). A brief discussion of the mission of the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM) and the Office of Technology Development is presented. An overview is presented of the major problem areas confronting DOE. These problem areas include: groundwater and soils cleanup; waste retrieval and processing; and pollution prevention. The organizational elements within EM are highlighted. An EM-50 Funding Summary for FY92 and FY93 is also provided. RDDT ampersand E programs are discussed and their key problem areas are summarized. Three salient program-formulating concepts are explained. They are: Integrated Demonstrations, Integrated Programs, and the technology window of opportunity. Detailed information for each of the programs within RDDT ampersand E is presented and includes a fact sheet, a list of technical task plans and an accomplishments and objectives section

Methodologies for evaluation of AECB regulatory program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yarranton, G.A.; Gray, B.J.; Yarranton, M.

1986-05-01

AECB (Atomic Energy Control Board) commissioned this report to obtain information about methods of planning and conducting evaluation of its regulatory program. The report begins with a bibliography consisting of 280 abstracts assembled from an extensive search of international literature. Each cited publication describes or uses methods applicable to the evaluation of regulatory programs. The report continues with a review of the methodologies found in the literature. It identifies the most relevant references for each step in program evaluation: the commissioning of evaluation; the identification of evaluation issues; the defining of questions; the answering of questions; the reporting of reslts, and the implementation of recommendations. Finally, the report examines the applicability, advantages and disadvantages of the different evaluation methods and makes recommendations about the selection of methods and their application to the AECB program

Evaluating a Development Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Frantzreb, Arthur C.

Problems in evaluating the success of an institutional resource development program are examined and suggestions are offered for effective assessment. Such a program is seen as a sequence of events in the artful management of people, from the planning stage to obtaining a financial commitment in writing from persons who want to share their assets…

What Is Evidence-Based Practice? Research-to-Results Brief. Publication #2007-14

Science.gov (United States)

Metz, Allison J. R.; Espiritu, Rachele; Moore, Kristin A.

2007-01-01

This brief represents part 1 in a series on fostering the adoption of evidence-based practices in out-of-school time programs. The lag between discovering effective practices and using them "on the ground" can be unnecessarily long, sometimes taking 15 to 20 years! The purpose of this brief is to provide practitioners with a better understanding…

LASL's FY 1978 supporting research program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hammel, E.F.; Merlan, S.J.; Freiwald, D.A.

1978-09-01

This report gives a brief overview of Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory's supporting research program, including philosophy, management and program analysis, funding, and a brief description of the kinds of work currently supported. 10 figures

Development and evaluation of 'briefing notes' as a novel knowledge translation tool to aid the implementation of sex/gender analysis in systematic reviews: a pilot study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marion Doull

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: There is increasing recognition of sex/gender differences in health and the importance of identifying differential effects of interventions for men and women. Yet, to whom the research evidence does or does not apply, with regard to sex/gender, is often insufficiently answered. This is also true for systematic reviews which synthesize results of primary studies. A lack of analysis and reporting of evidence on sex/gender raises concerns about the applicability of systematic reviews. To bridge this gap, this pilot study aimed to translate knowledge about sex/gender analysis (SGA into a user-friendly 'briefing note' format and evaluate its potential in aiding the implementation of SGA in systematic reviews. METHODS: Our Sex/Gender Methods Group used an interactive process to translate knowledge about sex/gender into briefing notes, a concise communication tool used by policy and decision makers. The briefing notes were developed in collaboration with three Cochrane Collaboration review groups (HIV/AIDS, Hypertension, and Musculoskeletal who were also the target knowledge users of the briefing notes. Briefing note development was informed by existing systematic review checklists, literature on sex/gender, in-person and virtual meetings, and consultation with topic experts. Finally, we held a workshop for potential users to evaluate the notes. RESULTS: Each briefing note provides tailored guidance on considering sex/gender to reviewers who are planning or conducting systematic reviews and includes the rationale for considering sex/gender, with examples specific to each review group's focus. Review authors found that the briefing notes provided welcome guidance on implementing SGA that was clear and concise, but also identified conceptual and implementation challenges. CONCLUSIONS: Sex/gender briefing notes are a promising knowledge translation tool. By encouraging sex/gender analysis and equity considerations in systematic reviews, the

Nuclear medicine research: an evaluation of the ERDA program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-08-01

Legislation which established the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) January 19, 1975, stipulated that this new agency should be responsible for all activities previously assigned to the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and not specifically assigned to other agencies. Such activities included the nuclear medicine research program of the AEC Division of Biomedical and Environmental Research (DBER). To determine whether continuation of this program under the broader ERDA mission of energy-related research was in fact appropriate, a special task force was appointed in January 1975 by Dr. James L. Liverman, the director of DBER. This task force, comprised of established scientists knowledgeable about issues related to nuclear medicine either currently or in the past, was charged specifically to assess the historical impact of the AEC/ERDA nuclear medicine program on the development of nuclear medicine, the current status of this program, and its future role within the structure of ERDA. The specific recommendations, in brief form, are as follows: the federal government should continue to support the medical application of nuclear technology; ERDA should retain primary responsibility for support and management of federal nuclear medicine research programs; and management and emphasis of the ERDA nuclear medicine program require modification in certain areas, which are set forth

Nutri One-on-One: The Assessment and Evaluation of a Brief One-on-One Nutritional Coaching in Patients Affected by Metabolic Syndrome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer King

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Nutri One-on-One was a program with the aim to positively modify medical clinic patients’ nutritional habits and lifestyles through a brief one-on-one health coaching session. Each session was conducted by utilizing motivational interviewing techniques to allow for tailored nutrition education and goal setting. These sessions were followed by a phone call to participants at 1 month following the session. The outcomes assessed were participant perception of achieving personal nutrition and lifestyle goals, retention of knowledge, and participants’ satisfaction with the program. Physicians working in the clinic were assessed for satisfaction with the program. Most of the physicians were generally satisfied with the program and found it to be an asset to their practice. Participants perceived that they achieved their goals, were pleased with the program, and retained knowledge.

The "10 Keys" to Healthy Aging: 24-Month Follow-Up Results from an Innovative Community-Based Prevention Program

Science.gov (United States)

Robare, Joseph F.; Bayles, Constance M.; Newman, Anne B.; Williams, Kathy; Milas, Carole; Boudreau, Robert; McTigue, Kathleen; Albert, Steven M.; Taylor, Christopher; Kuller, Lewis H.

2011-01-01

The purpose of this report was to evaluate a prevention program to reduce risk factors for common diseases among older individuals in a lower income community. This randomized community-based study enrolled older adults into a Brief Education and Counseling Intervention or a Brief Education and Counseling Intervention plus a physical activity and…

The school evaluation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, E.; Harrison, J.; Turner, W.

1990-01-01

This paper reports on a pilot program to provide classroom and field training to school facility operators that was implemented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Radiation Programs in 1989. This program consisted of two phases. The first phase developed and delivered a three-day workshop in Nashville, Tennessee. As a result of the workshop a second phase was initiated. The second phase investigated several school buildings with elevated indoor radon levels in the Western United States. Radon entry mechanisms were identified. Measurements to evaluate soil depressurization as a radon control method were made and HVAC systems were characterized. Measurements were made to evaluate HVAC modification as a radon control method. Building shell tightness measurements were made and information was collected to judge the suitability of potential sites for additional EPA sponsored 'hands on' school training. Physical and institutional problem areas were identified

Pilot study evaluating a brief mindfulness intervention for those with chronic pain: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Howarth, Ana; Perkins-Porras, Linda; Smith, Jared G; Subramaniam, Jeevakan; Copland, Claire; Hurley, Mike; Beith, Iain; Riaz, Muhammad; Ussher, Michael

2016-06-02

The burden of chronic pain is a major challenge, impacting the quality of life of patients. Intensive programmes of mindfulness-based therapy can help patients to cope with chronic pain but can be time consuming and require a trained specialist to implement. The self-management model of care is now integral to the care of patients with chronic pain; home-based interventions can be very acceptable, making a compelling argument for investigating brief, self-management interventions. The aim of this study is two-fold: to assess the immediate effects of a brief self-help mindfulness intervention for coping with chronic pain and to assess the feasibility of conducting a definitive randomized controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of such an intervention. A randomized controlled pilot study will be conducted to evaluate a brief mindfulness intervention for those with chronic pain. Ninety chronic pain patients who attend hospital outpatient clinics will be recruited and allocated randomly to either the control or treatment group on a 1:1 basis using the computer-generated list of random numbers. The treatment group receives mindfulness audios and the control group receives audios of readings from a non-fiction book, all of which are 15 minutes in length. Immediate effects of the intervention are assessed with brief psychological measures immediately before and after audio use. Mindfulness, mood, health-related quality of life, pain catastrophizing and experience of the intervention are assessed with standardized measures, brief ratings and brief telephone follow-ups, at baseline and after one week and one month. Feasibility is assessed by estimation of effect sizes for outcomes, patient adherence and experience, and appraisal of resource allocation in provision of the intervention. This trial will assess whether a brief mindfulness-based intervention is effective for immediately reducing perceived distress and pain with the side effect of increasing relaxation

A randomized controlled trial of a brief versus standard group parenting program for toddler aggression.

Science.gov (United States)

Tully, Lucy A; Hunt, Caroline

2017-05-01

Physical aggression (PA) in the toddler years is common and developmentally normal, however, longitudinal research shows that frequent PA is highly stable and associated with long-term negative outcomes. Significant research has demonstrated the efficacy of parenting interventions for reducing externalizing behavior in children yet their typical length may overburden families, leading to low participation rates and high attrition rates. To increase the reach of parenting interventions and impact on the prevalence of externalizing behavior problems, brief interventions are needed. This RCT compared a standard (8 session) group Triple P to a brief (3 session) discussion group and a waitlist control for reducing toddler PA, dysfunctional parenting and related aspects of parent functioning. Sixty-nine self-referred families of toddlers with PA were randomized to the respective conditions. At post-assessment, families in the standard intervention had significantly lower levels of observed child aversive behavior, mother reports of PA and dysfunctional parenting, and higher levels of mother- and partner-rated behavioral self-efficacy than the waitlist control. Families in the standard intervention also had significantly lower levels mother-rated dysfunctional parenting than the brief intervention, and the brief intervention had significantly lower levels of mother-rated dysfunctional parenting than waitlist. There were no significant group differences at post-assessment for measures of parental negative affect or satisfaction with the partner relationship. By 6 month follow-up, families in the brief and standard intervention did not differ significantly on any measure. The implications of the findings to delivery of brief parenting interventions are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 43:291-303, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Super Efficient Refrigerator Program (SERP) evaluation. Volume 1: Process evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandahl, L.J.; Ledbetter, M.R.; Chin, R.I.; Lewis, K.S.; Norling, J.M.

1996-01-01

The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) conducted this study for the US Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the Super Efficient Refrigerator Program (SERP) Evaluation. This report documents the SERP formation and implementation process, and identifies preliminary program administration and implementation issues. The findings are based primarily on interviews with those familiar with the program, such as utilities, appliance manufacturers, and SERP administrators. These interviews occurred primarily between March and April 1995, when SERP was in the early stages of program implementation. A forthcoming report will estimate the preliminary impacts of SERP within the industry and marketplace. Both studies were funded by DOE at the request of SERP Inc., which sought a third-party evaluation of its program.

A summary of the Chalk River valve packing evaluation program 1985 - 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aikin, J.A.; Doubt, G.L.; Lade, C.R.

1990-12-01

The move away from asbestos-based valve packing products has generated concern among valve manufacturers, packing manufacturers and user groups about the reliability and safety of non-asbestos based products for long-term use. AECL Research, Chalk River, has been actively evaluating these new valve packing products since 1985. This report describes the work done at Chalk River from 1985 to 1990. The report includes both Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and CANDU Owners Group (COG) funded studies. A description of the test programs and a brief summary of the functional performance of the more successful materials (die-formed graphite, braided asbestos and braided non-asbestos) on friction, stem leakage and consolidation are provided. At this time, Chalk River and Ontario Hydro have approved the following packing arrangements: for non-live-loaded valves, the recommended replacements packing for braided asbestos is combination flexible graphite packing sets; and, for heavy water valves originally designed with JC187I, the recommended replacement packing is approved braided-asbestos products

Putting program evaluation into practice: enhancing the Girls Just Wanna Have Fun program.

Science.gov (United States)

Bean, Corliss N; Kendellen, Kelsey; Halsall, Tanya; Forneris, Tanya

2015-04-01

In recent years there has been a call for increased community physical activity and sport programs for female youth that are deliberately structured to foster positive developmental outcomes. In addition, researchers have recognized the need to empirically evaluate such programs to ensure that youth are provided with optimal opportunities to thrive. This study represents a utilization-focused evaluation of Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, a female-only physical activity-based life skills community program. A utilization-focused evaluation is particularly important when the evaluation is to help stakeholders utilize the findings in practice. The purpose of this study was twofold: (a) to gain an understanding of the ongoing successes and challenges after year two of program implementation and (b) to examine how the adaptations made based on feedback from the first year evaluation were perceived as impacting the program. From interviews with youth participants and program leaders, three main themes with eight sub-themes emerged. The main themes were: (a) applying lessons learned can make a significant difference, (b) continually implementing successful strategies, and (c) ongoing challenges. Overall, this evaluation represents an important step in understanding how to improve program delivery to better meet the needs of the participants in community-based programming. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PNNL FY2005 DOE Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Program Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wright, Patrick A.; Madson, Vernon J.; Isern, Nancy G.; Haney, Janice M.; Fisher, Julie A.; Goheen, Steven C.; Gulley, Susan E.; Reck, John J.; Collins, Drue A.; Tinker, Mike R.; Walker, Landon A.; Wynn, Clifford L.

2005-01-31

This document reports the results of the FY 2005 PNNL VPP Program Evaluation, which is a self-assessment of the operational and programmatic performance of the Laboratory related to worker safety and health. The report was compiled by a team of worker representatives and safety professionals who evaluated the Laboratory's worker safety and health programs on the basis of DOE-VPP criteria. The principle elements of DOE's VPP program are: Management Leadership, Employee Involvement, Worksite Analysis, Hazard Prevention and Control, and Safety and Health Training.

The Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (BFNE): translation and validation study of the Iranian version

OpenAIRE

Ghaedi Gholam; Bakhtiari Maryam; Melyani Mahdiyeh; Tavoli Azadeh; Montazeri Ali

2009-01-01

Abstract Background The Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (BFNE) is a commonly used instrument to measure social anxiety. This study aimed to translate and to test the reliability and validity of the BFNE in Iran. Methods The English language version of the BFNE was translated into Persian (Iranian language) and was used in this study. The questionnaire was administered to a consecutive sample of 235 students with (n = 33, clinical group) and without social phobia (n = 202, non-clinical...

Evaluation of a Telephone-Delivered, Community-Based Collaborative Care Management Program for Caregivers of Older Adults with Dementia.

Science.gov (United States)

Mavandadi, Shahrzad; Wray, Laura O; DiFilippo, Suzanne; Streim, Joel; Oslin, David

2017-09-01

To evaluate whether a community-based, telephone-delivered, brief patient/caregiver-centered collaborative dementia care management intervention is associated with improved caregiver and care recipient (CR) outcomes. Longitudinal program evaluation of a clinical intervention; assessments at baseline and 3- and 6-month follow-up. General community. Caregivers (N = 440) of older, community-dwelling, low-income CRs prescribed a psychotropic medication by a primary care provider who met criteria for dementia and were enrolled in the SUpporting Seniors Receiving Treatment And INtervention (SUSTAIN) program for older adults. Dementia care management versus clinical evaluation only. Perceived caregiving burden and caregiver general health (primary outcomes); CR neuropsychiatric symptoms and caregiver distress in response to CRs' challenging dementia-related behaviors (secondary outcomes). Caregivers were, on average, 64.0 (SD: 11.8) years old and 62.6% provided care for the CR for 20 or more hours per week. The majority of the sample was female (73.2%), non-Hispanic White (90.2%), and spousal caregivers (72.5%). Adjusted longitudinal models of baseline and 3- and 6-month data suggest that compared with caregivers receiving clinical evaluation only, caregivers receiving care management reported greater reductions in burden over time. Subgroup analyses also showed statistically significant reductions in caregiver-reported frequency of CR dementia-related behaviors and caregiver distress in response to those symptoms at 3-month follow-up. A community-based, telephone-delivered care management program for caregivers of individuals with dementia is associated with favorable caregiver and CR-related outcomes. Findings support replication and further research in the impact of tailored, collaborative dementia care management programs that address barriers to access and engagement. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Value in Evaluating and Communicating Program Impact: The Ohio BR&E Program

Science.gov (United States)

Daivs, Gregory

2012-01-01

Assessing program impact can provide useful program evaluation data. It also provides a basis for program development, marketing, and justification. This article discusses recent impact evaluation efforts and findings of a long-time Extension program; referred to as Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E). How such information can be…

Can sickness absence be reduced by stress reduction programs: On the effectiveness of two approaches

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rhenen, W. van; Blonk, R.W.B.; Schaufeli, W.B.; Dijk, F.J.H. van

2007-01-01

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two brief preventive stress reduction programs - a cognitive focused program and a combined intervention of physical exercise and relaxation - on sickness absence in stressed and non-stressed employees working in various jobs in a

A Pragmatic Evaluation of the National Cancer Institute Physician Data Query (PDQ)®-Based Brief Counseling on Cancer-Related Fatigue among Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy

Science.gov (United States)

Bauml, Joshua; Xie, Sharon X; Penn, Courtney; Desai, Krupali; Dong, Kimberly W; Bruner, Deborah Watkins; Vapiwala, Neha; Mao, Jun James

2018-01-01

Purpose Cancer-Related Fatigue (CRF) negatively affects quality of life among cancer patients. This study seeks to evaluate the outcome and patient receptiveness of a brief counseling program based on National Cancer Institute (NCI) PDQ® information to manage CRF when integrated into Radiation Therapy (RT). Methods We conducted a prospective cohort study among patients undergoing non-palliative RT. Patients with stage I–III tumors and with Karnofsky score 60 or better were given a ten-minute behavioral counseling session during the first two weeks of RT. The Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI) was administered at baseline/end of RT. Results Of 93 patients enrolled, 89% found the counseling useful and practical. By the end of RT, 59% reported increased exercise, 41.6% sought nutrition counseling, 72.7% prioritized daily activities, 74.4% took daytime naps, and 70.5% talked with other cancer patients. Regarding counseling, patients who had received chemotherapy prior to RT had no change in fatigue (−0.2), those who received RT alone had mild increase in fatigue (0.7, p=0.02), and those who received concurrent chemotherapy experienced a substantial increase in fatigue (3.0 to 5.2, p=0.05). Higher baseline fatigue and receipt of chemotherapy were predictive of worsened fatigue in a multivariate model (both p<0.01). Conclusion Our data suggests that brief behavioral counseling based on NCI guidelines is well accepted by patients showing an uptake in many activities to cope with CRF. Those who receive concurrent chemotherapy and with higher baseline fatigue are at risk for worsening fatigue despite of guideline-based therapy. PMID:29479490

School Health: Findings from Evaluated Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Public Health Service (DHHS), Rockville, MD. Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.

This publication presents findings from evaluations of many school health programs from across the United States. Each program includes at least one of the following eight components of a comprehensive school health program: health education, clinical services, counseling and mental health services, school environment, school food programs,…

Summary of Program Evaluation Results: 1985-1986 School Year Pre-Kindergarten Educational Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Heath, Robert W.; And Others

Reported are findings of the 1985-86 program evaluation of the prenatal-to-preschool and preschool programs operating under the auspices of the Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate. Evaluation of the prenatal-to-preschool program (the Kupulani Program) included item analysis of the Questions about Pregnancy Test, development of a revised data…

Anger Management - Evaluation of a Cognitive-Behavioral Training Program for Table Tennis Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steffgen Georges

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Based on a systematic review of the literature on anger and anger management in sport, there is evidence that anger might be dysfunctional, especially in sports requiring selective attention and fine-tuned motor skills. The research literature suggests that cognitive-behavioral intervention programs can be fruitful in helping athletes to understand and control dysfunctional anger. Therefore, the main goal of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief training program for table tennis players in cognitive-behavioral anger management that aimed at changing their noneffective anger reactions. The sample comprised 18 young competitive table tennis players (age range from 16 to 22 years divided randomly into a treatment (n = 10 and a control group (n = 8. A trained group leader instructed the treatment group. Six sessions were held over a period of two months. Cognitive-relaxation coping skills associated with social skills of subjects from the treatment group were compared to no-treatment controls. Psychological measurements (i.e., self-reports on anger were applied before, during and after treatment as well as in a follow-up session. The one-year follow-up session revealed that, in contrast to the control group, the treatment group showed a significant reduction in outwardly negative anger expression as well as anger reactions specific to table tennis. Despite limitations inherent in the research design, the training program was deemed effective.

Evaluating programs that address ideological issues: ethical and practical considerations for practitioners and evaluators.

Science.gov (United States)

Lieberman, Lisa D; Fagen, Michael C; Neiger, Brad L

2014-03-01

There are important practical and ethical considerations for organizations in conducting their own, or commissioning external, evaluations and for both practitioners and evaluators, when assessing programs built on strongly held ideological or philosophical approaches. Assessing whether programs "work" has strong political, financial, and/or moral implications, particularly when expending public dollars, and may challenge objectivity about a particular program or approach. Using a case study of the evaluation of a school-based abstinence-until-marriage program, this article discusses the challenges, lessons learned, and ethical responsibilities regarding decisions about evaluation, specifically associated with ideologically driven programs. Organizations should consider various stakeholders and views associated with their program to help identify potential pitfalls in evaluation. Once identified, the program or agency needs to carefully consider its answers to two key questions: Do they want the answer and are they willing to modify the program? Having decided to evaluate, the choice of evaluator is critical to assuring that ethical principles are maintained and potential skepticism or criticism of findings can be addressed appropriately. The relationship between program and evaluator, including agreements about ownership and eventual publication and/or promotion of data, should be addressed at the outset. Programs and organizations should consider, at the outset, their ethical responsibility when findings are not expected or desired. Ultimately, agencies, organizations, and programs have an ethical responsibility to use their data to provide health promotion programs, whether ideologically founded or not, that appropriately and effectively address the problems they seek to solve.

Automated Work Packages Prototype: Initial Design, Development, and Evaluation. Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oxstrand, Johanna Helene [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Al Rashdan, Ahmad [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Le Blanc, Katya Lee [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Bly, Aaron Douglas [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Agarwal, Vivek [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2015-07-01

The goal of the Automated Work Packages (AWP) project is to demonstrate how to enhance work quality, cost management, and nuclear safety through the use of advanced technology. The work described in this report is part of the digital architecture for a highly automated plant project of the technical program plan for advanced instrumentation, information, and control (II&C) systems technologies. This report addresses the DOE Milestone M2LW-15IN0603112: Describe the outcomes of field evaluations/demonstrations of the AWP prototype system and plant surveillance and communication framework requirements at host utilities. A brief background to the need for AWP research is provided, then two human factors field evaluation studies are described. These studies focus on the user experience of conducting a task (in this case a preventive maintenance and a surveillance test) while using an AWP system. The remaining part of the report describes an II&C effort to provide real time status updates to the technician by wireless transfer of equipment indications and a dynamic user interface.

Automated Work Packages Prototype: Initial Design, Development, and Evaluation. Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oxstrand, Johanna Helene; Al Rashdan, Ahmad; Le Blanc, Katya Lee; Bly, Aaron Douglas; Agarwal, Vivek

2015-01-01

The goal of the Automated Work Packages (AWP) project is to demonstrate how to enhance work quality, cost management, and nuclear safety through the use of advanced technology. The work described in this report is part of the digital architecture for a highly automated plant project of the technical program plan for advanced instrumentation, information, and control (II&C) systems technologies. This report addresses the DOE Milestone M2LW-15IN0603112: Describe the outcomes of field evaluations/demonstrations of the AWP prototype system and plant surveillance and communication framework requirements at host utilities. A brief background to the need for AWP research is provided, then two human factors field evaluation studies are described. These studies focus on the user experience of conducting a task (in this case a preventive maintenance and a surveillance test) while using an AWP system. The remaining part of the report describes an II&C effort to provide real time status updates to the technician by wireless transfer of equipment indications and a dynamic user interface.

Strategies for Evaluating Complex Environmental Education Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, V.

2011-12-01

Evidence for the effectiveness of environmental education programs has been difficult to establish for many reasons. Chief among them are the lack of clear program objectives and an inability to conceptualize how environmental education programs work. Both can lead to evaluations that make claims that are difficult to substantiate, such as significant changes in student achievement levels or behavioral changes based on acquisition of knowledge. Many of these challenges can be addressed by establishing the program theory and developing a logic model. However, claims of impact on larger societal outcomes are difficult to attribute solely to program activities. Contribution analysis may offer a promising method for addressing this challenge. Rather than attempt to definitively and causally link a program's activities to desired results, contribution analysis seeks to provide plausible evidence that can reduce uncertainty regarding the 'difference' a program is making to observed outcomes. It sets out to verify the theory of change behind a program and, at the same time, takes into consideration other influencing factors. Contribution analysis is useful in situations where the program is not experimental-there is little or no scope for varying how the program is implemented-and the program has been funded on the basis of a theory of change. In this paper, the author reviews the feasibility of using contribution analysis as a way of evaluating the impact of the GLOBE program, an environmental science and education program. Initially conceptualized by Al Gore in 1995, the program's implementation model is based on worldwide environmental monitoring by students and scientists around the globe. This paper will make a significant and timely contribution to the field of evaluation, and specifically environmental education evaluation by examining the usefulness of this analysis for developing evidence to assess the impact of environmental education programs.

A Multi-Center Randomized Controlled Trial of Adding Brief Skill-Based Psychoeducation to Primary Needle and Syringe Programs to prevent Human Immunodeficiency Virus: Study Protocol.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Morteza Naserbakht

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Our objective was to design an RCT in order to assess the effects of adding a brief skill-based psychoeducation (PE to routine Needle and Syringe Programs to reduce injection and high risk sexual behaviors associated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV infection among referrals of Drop-in Centers (DICs.This was a randomized control trial with the primary hypothesis that adding skill-based PE to the routine needle syringe program (NSP provided in the DICs would be more effective in reducing injection and high risk sexual behaviors associated with HIV infection compared to the routine programs. We intended to randomly allocate 60 patients per group after obtaining informed written consent,. The intervention group receive a combination of brief psychoeducation consisting two individual sessions of skill-based education concerning blood borne viral infection, specifically HIV. The control group received the routine primary NSP services provided in DIC. Study assessments were undertaken by a psychologist at baseline, 1 and 3 months after recruitment. The primary outcome measure was the comparison of the trend of alterations in high risk sexual and injection behaviors associated with HIV infection during 3 months after the initiation of the intervention between the two groups. Secondary outcome measures included the comparison of HIV/AIDS related knowledge and client satisfaction in the participants.This paper presents a protocol for an RCT of brief skill-based PE by a trained psychologist to reduce the sexual and injection related high risk behaviors among drug users who received primary NSP services in DIC. This trial tried to investigate the efficacy of the intervention on increasing HIV/AIDS related knowledge and client satisfaction. The results of different indicators of high risk behaviors will be discussed.

Executive-style briefings on selected repository design issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

This document is a collection of executive-style briefings on selected repository design issues. Most of the briefings discuss differences between the US repository design bases presented in US Working Draft on Repository Physical Descriptions in a Salt Formation, prepared in support of INFCE discussions of May 1978 and the FRG-Netherlands design bases, presented in Design Study of a Radioactive Waste Repository to be Mined in a Medium-Size Salt Dome by Hamstra and Velzeboer, Netherlands Energy Research Foundation, January 1978. Advantages and disadvantages of the two sets of design bases are discussed, and the impacts of adopting either of these bases on the other's programs and positions are identified

The advanced test reactor strategic evaluation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buescher, B.J.

1989-01-01

Since the Chernobly accident, the safety of test reactors and irradiation facilities has been critically evaluated from the public's point of view. A systematic evaluation of all safety, environmental, and operational issues must be made in an integrated manner to prioritize actions to maximize benefits while minimizing costs. Such a proactive program has been initiated at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). This program, called the Strategic Evaluation Program (STEP), is being conducted for the ATR to provide integrated safety and operational reviews of the reactor against the standards applied to licensed commercial power reactors. This has taken into consideration the lessons learned by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in its Systematic Evaluation Program (SEP) and the follow-on effort known as the Integrated Safety Assessment Program (ISAP). The SEP was initiated by the NRC to review the designs of older operating nuclear power plants to confirm and document their safety. The ATR STEP objectives are discussed

A Qualitative Program Evaluation of a Structured Leadership Mentoring Program at a Large Aerospace Corporation

Science.gov (United States)

Teller, Romney P.

2011-01-01

The researcher utilized a qualitative approach to conduct a program evaluation of the organization where he is employed. The study intended to serve as a program evaluation for the structured in-house mentoring program at a large aerospace corporation (A-Corp). This program evaluation clarified areas in which the current mentoring program is…

Public Relations for Brazilian Libraries: Process, Principles, Program Planning, Planning Techniques and Suggestions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kies, Cosette N.

A brief overview of the functions of public relations in libraries introduces this manual, which provides an explanation of the public relations (PR) process, including fact-finding, planning, communicating, evaluating, and marketing; some PR principles; a 10-step program that could serve as a model for planning a PR program; a discussion of PR…

Development and pilot evaluation of an online psychoeducational program for suicide prevention among university students: A randomised controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin Han

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Suicide is the second leading cause of death for the university aged population globally. A significant proportion of students with suicidal ideation or behaviours do not seek professional help. Few primary suicide prevention programs have specifically targeted help seeking for suicidal ideation or behaviours among university students. Methods: This study reported the development and pilot test of a brief, two-module online psychoeducational program (ProHelp that aimed to encourage help seeking for suicidal ideation and behaviours among university students. The program consists of two five-minute modules that address the risk factors and warning signs of suicide, stigmatising attitudes, and perceived barriers to help seeking. 156 Chinese university students and 101 Australian university students were recruited to evaluate the effectiveness of this program at post-test and one-month follow-up. Participants were randomly assigned to the psychoeducational program or an attention control program. Results: Of the Chinese and Australian students who were randomised into the study, around 50% completed the two­day post­test survey, and 30% completed the one-month follow­up survey. Although no significant difference was found between the control and experimental group on professional help-seeking beliefs and intentions, both groups' help-seeking attitudes increased during the study (p=0.003 for the post­test survey, and p=0.008 for the follow­up survey. The experimental group in both countries demonstrated a significant improvement in suicide literacy at the post-test survey (p=0.015 compared to control. Qualitative feedback indicated that the ProHelp program was user-friendly, clear, and helpful. Conclusions: This study provides initial evidence that a brief online psychoeducational program could enhance university students' suicide literacy in both China and Australia. It also suggests that increasing suicide literacy might not be

Strategies for Evaluating a Freshman Studies Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Ketkar, Kusum; Bennett, Shelby D.

1989-01-01

The study developed an economic model for the evaluation of Seaton Hall University's freshman studies program. Two techniques used to evaluate the economic success of the program are break-even analysis and elasticity coefficient. (Author/MLW)

Industrial Assessment Center Program Impact Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, M.A.

2000-01-26

This report presents the results of an evaluation of the U.S. Department of Energy's Industrial Assessment Center (IAC) Program. The purpose of this program is to conduct energy, waste, and productivity assessments for small to medium-sized industrial firms. Assessments are conducted by 30 university-based industrial assessment centers. The purpose of this project was to evaluate energy and cost savings attributable to the assessments, the trained alumni, and the Websites sponsored by this program. How IAC assessments, alumni, and Web-based information may influence industrial energy efficiency decision making was also studied. It is concluded that appreciable energy and cost savings may be attributed to the IAC Program and that the IAC Program has resulted in more active and improved energy-efficiency decision making by industrial firms.

A mindfulness training program based on brief practices (M-PBI) to reduce stress in the workplace: a randomised controlled pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Arredondo, M; Sabaté, M; Valveny, N; Langa, M; Dosantos, R; Moreno, J; Botella, L

2017-01-01

Work stress is a major contributor to absenteeism and reduced work productivity. A randomised and controlled study in employee-volunteers (with Perceived Stress Scale [PSS-14]>22) was performed to assess a mindfulness program based on brief integrated mindfulness practices (M-PBI) with the aim of reducing stress in the workplace. The PSS-14 of the employees before and after 8-weeks M-PBI program, as well as after a 20-week follow-up, was assessed (primary endpoint). The employees also carried the following questionnaires (secondary endpoints): Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), Experiences Questionnaire-Decentering (EQ-D), and Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Survey (MBI-GS). Heart Rate Variability (HRV) was measured during each session in a subgroup of employees (n = 10) of the interventional group randomly selected. A total of 40 employees (77.5% female median [SD] age of 36.6 [5.6] years) took part in this study: 21 and 19 in the intervention and control group, respectively. No differences in baseline characteristics were encountered between the groups. Results show a significant decrease in stress and increase in mindfulness over time in the intervention group (PSS-14 and FFMQ; p < 0.05 both). Additionally, an improvement in decentering (EQ-D), self-compassion (SCS) and burnout (MBI-GS) were also observed compared to the control group (p < 0.05 in all). HRV measurement also showed an improvement. In conclusion, a brief practices, 8-weeks M-BIP program is an effective tool to quickly reduce stress and improve well-being in a workplace.

Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program: Program Update 1998

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy

1999-03-01

Annual report on the Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program (CCT Program). The report address the role of the CCT Program, implementation, funding and costs, accomplishments, project descriptions, legislative history, program history, environmental aspects, and project contacts. The project descriptions describe the technology and provides a brief summary of the demonstration results.

Handbook of evaluation of utility DSM programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirst, E.; Reed, J. [eds.; Bronfman, B.; Fitzpatrick, G.; Hicks, E.; Hirst, E.; Hoffman, M.; Keating, K.; Michaels, H.; Nadel, S.; Peters, J.; Reed, J.; Saxonis, W.; Schoen, A.; Violette, D.

1991-12-01

Program evaluation has become a central issue in the world of utility integrated resource planning. The DSM programs that utilities were operating to meet federal requirements or to improve customer relations are now becoming big business. DSM is being considered an important resource in a utility`s portfolio of options. In the last five years, the amount of money that utilities have invested in DSM has grown exponentially in most regulatory jurisdictions. Market analysts are now talking about DSM being a $30 billion industry by the end of the decade. If the large volume of DSM-program investments was not enough to highlight the importance of evaluation, then the introduction of regulatory incentives has really focused the spotlight. This handbook was developed through a process that involved many of those people who represent the diverse constituencies of DSM-program evaluation. We have come to recognize the many technical disciplines that must be employed to evaluate DSM programs. An analysis might start out based on the principles of utility load research to find out what happened, but a combination of engineering and statistical methods must be used to ``triangulate`` an estimate of what would have happened without the program. The difference, of course, is that elusive but prized result of evaluation: what happened as the direct result of the DSM program. Technical performance of DSM measures is not the sole determinant of the answer, either. We also recognize the importance of such behavioral attributes of DSM as persistence and free ridership. Finally, DSM evaluation is meaningless without attention to planning an approach, communicating results to relevant decision-makers, and focusing as much on the process as the impacts of the program. These topics are all covered in this handbook.

Evaluation of California's Alcohol and Drug Screening and Brief Intervention Project for Emergency Department Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Susan I Woodruff

2013-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Visits to settings such as emergency departments (EDs may present a “teachable moment” in that a patient may be more open to feedback and suggestions regarding their risky alcohol and illicit drug-use behaviors. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT is an ’opportunistic’ public health approach that targets low-risk users, in addition to those already dependent on alcohol and/or drugs. SBIRT programs provide patients with comprehensive screening and assessments, and deliver interventions of appropriate intensity to reduce risks related to alcohol and drug use. Methods: This study used a single group pre-post test design to assess the effect of the California SBIRT service program (i.e., CASBIRT on 6 substance-use outcomes (past-month prevalence and number of days of binge drinking, illegal drug use, and marijuana use. Trained bilingual/bicultural Health Educators attempted to screen all adult patients in 12 EDs/trauma centers (regardless of the reason for the patient’s visit using a short instrument, and then delivered a brief motivational intervention matched to the patient’s risk level. A total of 2,436 randomly selected patients who screened positive for alcohol and/or drug use consented to be in a 6-month telephone follow-up interview. Because of the high loss to follow-up rate, we used an intention-to-treat approach for the data analysis. Results: Results of generalized linear mixed models showed modest reductions in all 6 drug- and alcohol-use outcomes. Men (versus women, those at relatively higher risk status (versus lower risk, and those with only one substance of misuse (versus both alcohol and illicit drug misuse tended to show more positive change. Conclusion: These results suggest that SBIRT services provided in acute care settings are associated with modest changes in self-reported recent alcohol and illicit drug use. [West J Emerg Med. 2013;14(3:263–270.

Kindergarten Attendance and Readiness for Baltimore's Class of 2027. Policy Brief

Science.gov (United States)

Grigg, Jeffrey; Connolly, Faith; D'Souza, Stephanie; Mitchell, Charlie

2016-01-01

This brief examines kindergarten readiness and attendance in kindergarten for children enrolled in publicly provided early education programs as well as similar children who entered kindergarten without enrolling in these programs. Key findings detail the effects for children if they were enrolled for at least 90 calendar days as a three- or…

Development and Preliminary Psychometric Evaluation of a Brief Self-Report Questionnaire for the Assessment of the DSM-5 level of Personality Functioning Scale: The LPFS Brief Form (LPFS-BF).

Science.gov (United States)

Hutsebaut, Joost; Feenstra, Dine J; Kamphuis, Jan H

2016-04-01

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013) alternative model for personality disorders (PDs) introduced a new paradigm for the assessment of PDs that includes levels of personality functioning indexing the severity of personality pathology irrespective of diagnosis. In this study, we describe the development and preliminary psychometric evaluation of a newly developed brief self-report questionnaire to assess levels of personality functioning, the Level of Personality Functioning Scale-Brief Form (LPFS-BF; Bender, Morey, & Skodol, 2011). Patients (N = 240) referred to a specialized setting for the assessment and treatment of PDs completed the LPFS-BF, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI; Derogatis, 1975), the Severity Indices of Personality Problems (SIPP-118; Verheul et al., 2008), and were administered the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Personality Disorders (SCID-I; APA, 1994; First, Spitzer, Gibbon, & Williams, 1997) and the SCID Axis II Personality Disorders (SCID-II; First, Spitzer, Gibbon, Williams, & Benjamin, 1996). When constrained to a 2-factor oblique solution, the LPFS-BF yielded a structure that corresponded well to an interpretation of Self- and Interpersonal Functioning scales. The instrument demonstrated fair to satisfactory internal consistency and promising construct validity. The LPFS-BF constitutes a short, user-friendly instrument that provides a quick impression of the severity of personality pathology, specifically oriented to the DSM-5 model. Clearly, more research is needed to test its validity and clinical utility. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Developmental Kindergarten Program Evaluation Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Blois, George T.; Cushing, Katherine S.

The evaluation of the Developmental Kindergarten (DK) Program at the Harrison School District #2, Colorado Springs, Colorado, involved pre- and post-testing of student academic gains and interviewing of principals and teachers. The program aimed to provide developmentally appropriate activities for students believed to be "at risk" of…

Evaluating Educational Programs. ERIC Digest Series Number EA 54.

Science.gov (United States)

Beswick, Richard

In this digest, readers are introduced to the scope of instructional program evaluation and evaluators' changing roles in school districts. A program evaluation measures outcomes based on student-attainment goals, implementation levels, and external factors such as budgetary restraints and community support. Instructional program evaluation may be…

Nuclear medicine procedures for the evaluation of male sexual organs: a brief review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernardo-Filho, Mario; Santos-Filho, Sebastiao David; Fonseca, Adenilson de Souza da [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), RJ (Brazil). Inst. de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes. Lab. de Radiofarmacia Experimental; Carter, Kevin [Harvard Univ., Boston, MA (United States). Brigham and Women' s Hospital. Dept. of Radiology; Missailidis, Sotiris [The Open University, Milton Keynes (United Kingdom). Dept. of Chemistry and Analytical Sciences

2008-12-15

Sexuality consists of three aspects that are interrelated and inseparable, biological, physiological and social. The biological aspect considers the individual's capability to give and to receive pleasure. In consequence, it covers the functionality of the sexual organs and the physiology of human sexual response cycle. Diagnostic imaging modalities, such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) have been used to evaluate clinical disorders of the male reproductive system. PET and SPECT procedures basically involve the administration of a radiopharmaceutical that has a higher uptake in a specific tumor or tissue. The aim of this brief review is to present some radiopharmaceuticals that have been used in the clinical evaluation of the male sexual organs (testes, prostate, seminal vesicles, penis) related with male sexuality. This information could be useful in better understanding the male sexual response cycle, as well as the sexual disorders, when considering the male sexual organs and the pelvic floor. Moreover, the findings obtained with PET and SPECT imaging could help to evaluate the efficacy of clinical results of therapeutic procedures. In conclusion, the knowledge from these images could aid in better understanding the physiology of the different organs related with sexuality. Furthermore, they could be important tools to evaluate the physiological integrity of the involved organs, to improve clinical strategies and to accompany the patients under treatment. (author)

Nuclear medicine procedures for the evaluation of male sexual organs: a brief review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernardo-Filho, Mario; Santos-Filho, Sebastiao David; Fonseca, Adenilson de Souza da; Carter, Kevin; Missailidis, Sotiris

2008-01-01

Sexuality consists of three aspects that are interrelated and inseparable, biological, physiological and social. The biological aspect considers the individual's capability to give and to receive pleasure. In consequence, it covers the functionality of the sexual organs and the physiology of human sexual response cycle. Diagnostic imaging modalities, such as single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) have been used to evaluate clinical disorders of the male reproductive system. PET and SPECT procedures basically involve the administration of a radiopharmaceutical that has a higher uptake in a specific tumor or tissue. The aim of this brief review is to present some radiopharmaceuticals that have been used in the clinical evaluation of the male sexual organs (testes, prostate, seminal vesicles, penis) related with male sexuality. This information could be useful in better understanding the male sexual response cycle, as well as the sexual disorders, when considering the male sexual organs and the pelvic floor. Moreover, the findings obtained with PET and SPECT imaging could help to evaluate the efficacy of clinical results of therapeutic procedures. In conclusion, the knowledge from these images could aid in better understanding the physiology of the different organs related with sexuality. Furthermore, they could be important tools to evaluate the physiological integrity of the involved organs, to improve clinical strategies and to accompany the patients under treatment. (author)

Evaluation of Enova's heating programs; Evaluering av Enovas varmeprogrammer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rasmussen, Ingeborg; Grorud, Christian; Heldal, Nicolai; Trong, Maj Dang

2006-07-01

An evaluation of Enova's heating program is presented. The central point was to evaluate to which degree Enova's heating program had resulted in increased supply of renewable energy for heating purposes to the Norwegian energy system. Main results are presented in part 1, chapter 1 to 5, while the facts and analyses behind the evaluation are presented in part 2, chapter I to VII. The main conclusion is that the program seen as one has had triggering effect on the market. The program has thus provided results in the form of increased supply of heating energy. Because of the project limitations and the lack of systematically documented baselines in the procedures, there are insecurities connected to the exact data registered. This makes quantification of the results difficult (ml)

Criteria to evaluate SAT-based training programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arjona, O.; Venegas, M.; Rodriguez, L.; Lopez, M.

1997-01-01

This paper present some coefficients of error obtained to evaluate the quality of the design development and implementation of SAT-based personnel training programs. With the attainment of these coefficients, with the use of the GESAT system, is facilitated the continuos evaluation of training programs and the main deficiencies in the design, development and implementation of training programs are obtained, through the comparison between the program features and their standards or wanted features and doing an statistics analysis of the data kept in the GESAT system

Energy-efficient buildings program evaluations. Volume 1: Findings and recommendations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, A.D.; Mayi, D.; Edgemon, S.D.

1997-04-01

This study was conducted for the US Department of Energy (DOE) by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL). DOE operates the Building Standards and Guidelines Program (BSGP) to increase the effectiveness of building energy codes, standards, and guidelines. The main purpose of this report is to lay the groundwork for conducting an overall evaluation of the program and its effectiveness. Another purpose of this report is to summarize an extensive set of relevant evaluations and provide a building efficiency and program evaluation information resource for program designers, managers, and evaluators. This study presents information from 119 evaluations that have been conducted of both utility and code programs related to energy efficiency in new residential and commercial buildings. The authors used the information in these evaluations to identify major themes and lessons learned from utility and code programs. They also used the information to gain insights into appropriate evaluation methodologies and establish guidelines for designing future evaluations and an evaluation of the BSGP. The report presents general lessons about evaluating programs that have implications for future evaluations included the following. The evaluations provided the basis for developing an effective evaluation approach for residential building energy-efficiency codes and other energy-efficiency programs and other insights for conducting commercial building program evaluations. The findings for conducting effective evaluations are categorized by steps in the evaluation process.

[Development of the Spanish brief-version of the University of California Performance Skills Assessment (Sp-UPSA-Brief) in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder].

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Portilla, María Paz; Gomar, Jesús; Bobes-Bascaran, María Teresa; Menendez-Miranda, Isabel; Saiz, Pilar Alejandra; Muñiz, José; Arango, Celso; Patterson, Thomas; Harvey, Philip; Bobes, Julio; Goldberg, Terry

2014-01-01

In patients with severe mental disorders outcome measurement should include symptoms, cognition, functioning and quality of life at least. Shorter and efficient instruments have greater potential for pragmatic and valid clinical utility. Our aim was to develop the Spanish UPSA Brief scale (Sp-UPSA-Brief). Naturalistic, 6-month follow-up, multicentre study. 139 patients with schizophrenia, 57 with bipolar disorder and 31 controls were evaluated using the Sp-UPSA, CGI-S, GAF, and PSP. We conducted a multivariate linear regression model to identify candidate subscales for the Sp-UPSA-Brief. The stepwise regression model for patients with schizophrenia showed that communication and transportation Sp-UPSA subscales entered first and second at pbipolar disorder transportation and communication Sp-UPSA subscales entered first and second at pbipolar patients. Test-retest was 0.66 and 0.64 (pbipolar patients (p<0.0001).The Sp-UPSA-Brief discriminated between patients and controls. In schizophrenia patients it also discriminated among different levels of illness severity according to CGI-S scores. The Sp-UPSA-Brief is an alternate instrument to evaluate functional capacity that is valid and reliable. Having a shorter instrument makes it more feasible to assess functional capacity in patients with severe mental disorders, especially in everyday clinical practice. Copyright © 2013 SEP y SEPB. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.

Curated Collections for Educators: Five Key Papers about Program Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Thoma, Brent; Gottlieb, Michael; Boysen-Osborn, Megan; King, Andrew; Quinn, Antonia; Krzyzaniak, Sara; Pineda, Nicolas; Yarris, Lalena M; Chan, Teresa

2017-05-04

The evaluation of educational programs has become an expected part of medical education. At some point, all medical educators will need to critically evaluate the programs that they deliver. However, the evaluation of educational programs requires a very different skillset than teaching. In this article, we aim to identify and summarize key papers that would be helpful for faculty members interested in exploring program evaluation. In November of 2016, the 2015-2016 Academic life in emergency medicine (ALiEM) Faculty Incubator program highlighted key papers in a discussion of program evaluation. This list of papers was augmented with suggestions by guest experts and by an open call on Twitter. This resulted in a list of 30 papers on program evaluation. Our authorship group then engaged in a process akin to a Delphi study to build consensus on the most important papers about program evaluation for medical education faculty. We present our group's top five most highly rated papers on program evaluation. We also summarize these papers with respect to their relevance to junior medical education faculty members and faculty developers. Program evaluation is challenging. The described papers will be informative for junior faculty members as they aim to design literature-informed evaluations for their educational programs.

The Nursing Leadership Institute program evaluation: a critique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Havaei F

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Farinaz Havaei, Maura MacPhee School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada Abstract: A theory-driven program evaluation was conducted for a nursing leadership program, as a collaborative project between university faculty, the nurses' union, the provincial Ministry of Health, and its chief nursing officers. A collaborative logic model process was used to engage stakeholders, and mixed methods approaches were used to answer evaluation questions. Despite demonstrated, successful outcomes, the leadership program was not supported with continued funding. This paper examines what happened during the evaluation process: What factors failed to sustain this program? Keywords: leadership development, theory-driven evaluation, mixed methods, collaborative logic modeling

Pre-surgery briefings and safety climate in the operating theatre.

Science.gov (United States)

Allard, Jon; Bleakley, Alan; Hobbs, Adrian; Coombes, Lee

2011-08-01

In 2008, the WHO produced a surgical safety checklist against a background of a poor patient safety record in operating theatres. Formal team briefings are now standard practice in high-risk settings such as the aviation industry and improve safety, but are resisted in surgery. Research evidence is needed to persuade the surgical workforce to adopt safety procedures such as briefings. To investigate whether exposure to pre-surgery briefings is related to perception of safety climate. Three Safety Attitude Questionnaires, completed by operating theatre staff in 2003, 2004 and 2006, were used to evaluate the effects of an educational intervention introducing pre-surgery briefings. Individual practitioners who agree with the statement 'briefings are common in the operating theatre' also report a better 'safety climate' in operating theatres. The study reports a powerful link between briefing practices and attitudes towards safety. Findings build on previous work by reporting on the relationship between briefings and safety climate within a 4-year period. Briefings, however, remain difficult to establish in local contexts without appropriate team-based patient safety education. Success in establishing a safety culture, with associated practices, may depend on first establishing unidirectional, positive change in attitudes to create a safety climate.

Change of patients' perceptions of telemedicine after brief use

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cranen, Karlijn; Cranen, Karlijn; Huis in 't Veld, M.H.A.; IJzerman, Maarten Joost; Vollenbroek-Hutten, Miriam Marie Rosé

Objective: This study aims to investigate whether patients' perceptions regarding a Web-based telemedicine service, for instruction and monitoring of an exercise program, change after brief use. Materials and Methods: Thirty patients were allocated, matched on gender and age, to a control group (10)

Screening High School Students for Eating Disorders: Validity of Brief Behavioral and Attitudinal Measures

Science.gov (United States)

Haines, Jess; Ziyadeh, Najat J.; Franko, Debra L.; McDonald, Julia; Mond, Jonathan M.; Austin, S. Bryn

2011-01-01

Background: Early identification can greatly impact the trajectory of eating disorders, and school-based screening is 1 avenue for identifying those at risk. To be feasible in a school setting, a screening program must use a brief, valid screening tool. The aim of this study was to assess how well brief attitudinal and behavioral survey items…

Evaluation Of Career Guidance Program In Vocational High School

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martaningsih Sri Tutur

2018-01-01

This review of career guidance program evaluation is conducted qualitatively through surveys, interviews and leiterature studies to provide an overview of evaluation program and its relevance to the necessity. Understanding the quality, weaknesses, obstacles to service implementation, and potential utilization are expected to improve career guidance effectiveness services in vocational high school. An evaluation on the overall career guidance program, will provide feedback for ongoing improvement. Various evaluation models are available, it needs to be selected about the relevance to the career counseling program characteristics, so that evaluation feedback is more optimal.

Independent Panel Evaluation of Dry Sludge PISA Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fondeur, F.F.

1999-01-01

Dr. Kirk Yeager and Mr. Marvin Banks from Energetic Material Research and Technology Center (EMRTC) evaluated the Savannah River Site (SRS) efforts in the Dry Sludge program. They evaluated four program areas: energetic material formation, stability, initiation, and propagation. The panel evaluation included a site visit (July 13, 1999 and July 14, 1999) as well as a review of various reports and presentations by researchers involved in the program

Independent Panel Evaluation of Dry Sludge PISA Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fondeur, F.F.

1999-10-20

Dr. Kirk Yeager and Mr. Marvin Banks from Energetic Material Research and Technology Center (EMRTC) evaluated the Savannah River Site (SRS) efforts in the Dry Sludge program. They evaluated four program areas: energetic material formation, stability, initiation, and propagation. The panel evaluation included a site visit (July 13, 1999 and July 14, 1999) as well as a review of various reports and presentations by researchers involved in the program.

The Practice of Health Program Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Sarah R

2017-11-01

The Practice of Health Program Evaluation provides an overview of the evaluation process for public health programs while diving deeper to address select advanced concepts and techniques. The book unfolds evaluation as a three-phased process consisting of identification of evaluation questions, data collection and analysis, and dissemination of results and recommendations. The text covers research design, sampling methods, as well as quantitative and qualitative approaches. Types of evaluation are also discussed, including economic assessment and systems research as relative newcomers. Aspects critical to conducting a successful evaluation regardless of type or research design are emphasized, such as stakeholder engagement, validity and reliability, and adoption of sound recommendations. The book encourages evaluators to document their approach by developing an evaluation plan, a data analysis plan, and a dissemination plan, in order to help build consensus throughout the process. The evaluative text offers a good bird's-eye view of the evaluation process, while offering guidance for evaluation experts on how to navigate political waters and advocate for their findings to help affect change.

Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program: Program Update 2001

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy

2002-07-30

Annual report on the Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program (CCT Program). The report address the role of the CCT Program, implementation, funding and costs, accomplishments, project descriptions, legislative history, program history, environmental aspects, and project contacts. The project descriptions describe the technology and provides a brief summary of the demonstration results. Also includes Power Plant Improvement Initiative Projects.

Evaluation of training programs: A pragmatic perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkinson, J.D.

1996-01-01

The Canadian nuclear regulatory agency endorses the Systematic Approach to Training (SAT) as the most reliable method of providing effective, efficient training to Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) personnel. However the benefits of SAT cannot be realized unless all five phases of SAT are implemented. This is particularly true with respect to evaluation. Although each phase of SAT builds on the preceding one, the evaluation phase continuously feeds back into each of the others and also provides the means to verify the entire training programme building process. It is useful, therefore, to examine the issues relating to the what, why, who, when and how of training programme evaluation. ''What'' identifies the various aspects of the training programme to be evaluated, including the need for training, the training standard, the task list, trainer competence, test results, training results, program acceptance and numerous indicators that identify a need for evaluation. ''Why'' addresses legal and regulatory aspects, resource management, worker and public safety, worker and trainer competence and morale, and the cost/benefit of the training program. ''Who'' examines the need to involve trainers, trainees, plant subject matter experts (SMEs), and both plant and training centre supervisory and management staff. ''When'' addresses time-related concerns such as the importance of ensuring at the outset that the training program is actually needed, the necessity of responding promptly to local, national and world events, changes in legal and regulatory responsibilities, and the overriding importance of timely, routine training program evaluations. ''How'' describes the process of conducting a training program evaluation, and addresses the relationships of these five aspects of evaluation to each other. (author). 10 refs

Framework for a National Testing and Evaluation Program ...

Science.gov (United States)

Abstract:The National STEPP Program seeks to improve water quality by accelerating the effective implementation and adoption of innovative stormwater management technologies. Itwill attempt to accomplish this by establishing practices through highly reliable, and cost-effective Stormwater control measures (SCM) testing, evaluation, and verification services. The program will aim to remove barriers to innovation, minimize duplicative performance evaluation needs, increase confidence that regulatory requirements are met by creating consistency among testing and evaluation protocols, and establishing equity between public domain and proprietary SCM evaluation approaches.The Environmental Technology Verification Program, established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 18 years ago, was the only national program of its kindin the stormwater sector, but is now defunct, leaving a national leadership void. The STEPP initiative was triggered in part by regulatory demands in the government and private sectors to fill this vacuum. A concerted focus and study of this matter led to the release of a Water Environment Federation (WEF) white paper entitled “Investigation into the Feasibility of a National Testing and Evaluation Program for Stormwater Products and Practices” in February 2014. During this second phase of the STEPP initiative, and with EPA support, five analogous technology evaluation programs related to both stormwater and non-stormwater were an

Interagency advanced power group: Semi-annual compilation of briefs, March 1993

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-03-01

The Government Research and Development Summaries now available from NTIS are project briefs prepared by the Interagency Advanced Power Group (IAPG). They describe the status of all programs in the fields of advanced power research, development and engineering. Members of the IAPG are the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force, U.S. Department of Energy and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Their cooperative effort monitors government-funded research and development producing project briefs in the following working groups: Chemical; Electrical; Magnetohydrodynamic; Mechanical, Nuclear, TE, TI; Solar; and Systems. Each project brief contains title; project description; contract number, period, probable completion date and funding; principle investigator name and telephone number; contractor name and address; directing agency; and index terms

A preliminary examination of the validity and reliability of a new brief rating scale for symptom domains of psychosis: Brief Evaluation of Psychosis Symptom Domains (BE-PSD).

Science.gov (United States)

Takeuchi, Hiroyoshi; Fervaha, Gagan; Lee, Jimmy; Agid, Ofer; Remington, Gary

2016-09-01

Brief assessments have the potential to be widely adopted as outcome measures in research but also routine clinical practice. Existing brief rating scales that assess symptoms of schizophrenia or psychosis have a number of limitations including inability to capture five symptom domains of psychosis and a lack of clearly defined operational anchor points for scoring. We developed a new brief rating scale for five symptom domains of psychosis with clearly defined operational anchor points - the Brief Evaluation of Psychosis Symptom Domains (BE-PSD). To examine the psychometric properties of the BE-PSD, fifty patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were included in this preliminary cross-sectional study. To test the convergent and discriminant validity of the BE-PSD, correlational analyses were employed using the consensus Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) five-factor model. To examine the inter-rater reliability of the BE-PSD, single measures intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were calculated for 11 patients. The BE-PSD domain scores demonstrated high convergent validity with the corresponding PANSS factor score (rs = 0.81-0.93) as well as good discriminant validity, as evidenced by lower correlations with the other PANSS factors (rs = 0.23-0.62). The BE-PSD also demonstrated excellent inter-rater reliability for each of the domain scores and the total scores (ICC(2,1) = 0.79-0.96). The present preliminary study found the BE-PSD measure to be valid and reliable; however, further studies are needed to establish the psychometric properties of the BE-PSD because of the limitations such as the small sample size and lacking data on test-retest reliability or sensitivity to change. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Language Program Evaluation: Decisions, Problems, and Solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, James Dean

1995-01-01

Discusses the evaluation of second and foreign language programs, focusing on whether such evaluations should be summative or formative; use outside experts or program staff; emphasize qualitative or quantitative data; and concentrate on the process or the product. An annotated bibliography discusses six important works in the field. (78…

Systems Analysis Programs for Hands-on Integrated Reliability Evaluations (SAPHIRE) Code Reference Manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

C. L. Smith; K. J. Kvarfordt; S. T. Wood

2008-08-01

The Systems Analysis Programs for Hands-on Integrated Reliability Evaluations (SAPHIRE) is a software application developed for performing a complete probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) using a personal computer. SAPHIRE is funded by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and developed by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The INL's primary role in this project is that of software developer. However, the INL also plays an important role in technology transfer by interfacing and supporting SAPHIRE users comprised of a wide range of PRA practitioners from the NRC, national laboratories, the private sector, and foreign countries. SAPHIRE can be used to model a complex system’s response to initiating events, quantify associated damage outcome frequencies, and identify important contributors to this damage (Level 1 PRA) and to analyze containment performance during a severe accident and quantify radioactive releases (Level 2 PRA). It can be used for a PRA evaluating a variety of operating conditions, for example, for a nuclear reactor at full power, low power, or at shutdown conditions. Furthermore, SAPHIRE can be used to analyze both internal and external initiating events and has special features for transforming models built for internal event analysis to models for external event analysis. It can also be used in a limited manner to quantify risk in terms of release consequences to both the public and the environment (Level 3 PRA). SAPHIRE includes a separate module called the Graphical Evaluation Module (GEM). GEM provides a highly specialized user interface with SAPHIRE that automates SAPHIRE process steps for evaluating operational events at commercial nuclear power plants. Using GEM, an analyst can estimate the risk associated with operational events in a very efficient and expeditious manner. This reference guide will introduce the SAPHIRE Version 7.0 software. A brief discussion of the purpose and history of the software is included along with

Systems Analysis Programs for Hands-on Integrated Reliability Evaluations (SAPHIRE) Code Reference Manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

C. L. Smith; K. J. Kvarfordt; S. T. Wood

2006-07-01

The Systems Analysis Programs for Hands-on Integrated Reliability Evaluations (SAPHIRE) is a software application developed for performing a complete probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) using a personal computer. SAPHIRE is funded by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and developed by the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The INL's primary role in this project is that of software developer. However, the INL also plays an important role in technology transfer by interfacing and supporting SAPHIRE users comprised of a wide range of PRA practitioners from the NRC, national laboratories, the private sector, and foreign countries. SAPHIRE can be used to model a complex system’s response to initiating events, quantify associated damage outcome frequencies, and identify important contributors to this damage (Level 1 PRA) and to analyze containment performance during a severe accident and quantify radioactive releases (Level 2 PRA). It can be used for a PRA evaluating a variety of operating conditions, for example, for a nuclear reactor at full power, low power, or at shutdown conditions. Furthermore, SAPHIRE can be used to analyze both internal and external initiating events and has special features for ansforming models built for internal event analysis to models for external event analysis. It can also be used in a limited manner to quantify risk in terms of release consequences to both the public and the environment (Level 3 PRA). SAPHIRE includes a separate module called the Graphical Evaluation Module (GEM). GEM provides a highly specialized user interface with SAPHIRE that automates SAPHIRE process steps for evaluating operational events at commercial nuclear power plants. Using GEM, an analyst can estimate the risk associated with operational events in a very efficient and expeditious manner. This reference guide will introduce the SAPHIRE Version 7.0 software. A brief discussion of the purpose and history of the software is included along with

Short rotation woody crops program: 1982 program summary

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ranney, J.W.; Cushman, J.H.; Trimble, J.L.

1982-09-01

The general objective and overall approach of the program are discussed, and the status, specific goals, and recent results of the three major research areas are presented. The report concludes with brief summaries of the individual research projects in the program.

Senior Program Officer, Evaluation | IDRC - International ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

... provides technical assistance to program staff and partners on evaluation ... monitoring and evaluation approaches; working with colleagues to maintain the ... provides technical supervision and assistance, including analysis of interim ...

Government Research and Development Summaries: Nuclear, Te, Ti Project Briefs. Monthly report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

Nuclear, Te, Ti Project Briefs describe the status of all RandD programs submitted to the Power Information Center by the government sponsors in energy conversion from fission, fusion, and radioisotope power sources and other thermal systems that use thermionic systems. These briefs also follow related investigations of plasma dynamics. The document is not to be reproduced, in whole or in part, for dissemination outside your own organization nor may it be reproduced for advertising or sales promotion purposes

Assessing the effects of employee assistance programs: a review of employee assistance program evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Colantonio, A

1989-01-01

Employee assistance programs have grown at a dramatic rate, yet the effectiveness of these programs has been called into question. The purpose of this paper was to assess the effectiveness of employee assistance programs (EAPs) by reviewing recently published EAP evaluations. All studies evaluating EAPs published since 1975 from peer-reviewed journals in the English language were included in this analysis. Each of the articles was assessed in the following areas: (a) program description (subjects, setting, type of intervention, format), (b) evaluation design (research design, variables measured, operational methods), and (c) program outcomes. Results indicate numerous methodological and conceptual weaknesses and issues. These weaknesses included lack of controlled research designs and short time lags between pre- and post-test measures. Other problems identified are missing information regarding subjects, type of intervention, how variables are measured (operational methods), and reliability and validity of evaluation instruments. Due to the aforementioned weaknesses, positive outcomes could not be supported. Recommendations are made for future EAP evaluations.

Preliminary evaluation of the BIODOSE computer program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bonner, N.A.; Ng, Y.C.

1979-09-01

The BIODOSE computer program simulates the environmental transport of radionuclides released to surface water and predicts the dosage to humans. We have evaluated the program for its suitability to the needs of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Waste Management Program. In particular, it is an evaluation to determine whether BIODOSE models account for the significant pathways and mechanisms resulting in radiological doses to man. In general, BIODOSE is a satisfactory code for converting radionuclide releases to the aqueous environment into doses to man

A Practical Approach to Program Evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Linda J.; Sampson, John F.

1990-01-01

The Research and Evaluation Support Services Unit of the New South Wales (Australia) Department of Education conducts program evaluations to provide information to senior management for decision making. The 10-step system used is described, which provides for planning, evaluation, and staff development. (TJH)

Discount method for programming language evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kurtev, Svetomir; Christensen, Tommy Aagaard; Thomsen, Bent

2016-01-01

This paper presents work in progress on developing a Discount Method for Programming Language Evaluation inspired by the Discount Usability Evaluation method (Benyon 2010) and the Instant Data Analysis method (Kjeldskov et al. 2004). The method is intended to bridge the gap between small scale...... internal language design evaluation methods and large scale surveys and quantitative evaluation methods. The method is designed to be applicable even before a compiler or IDE is developed for a new language. To test the method, a usability evaluation experiment was carried out on the Quorum programming...... language (Stefik et al. 2016) using programmers with experience in C and C#. When comparing our results with previous studies of Quorum, most of the data was comparable though not strictly in agreement. However, the discrepancies were mainly related to the programmers pre-existing expectations...

Motivation for Evaluation: A roadmap for Improving Program Efficacy

Science.gov (United States)

Taber, J. J.; Bohon, W.; Bravo, T. K.; Dorr, P. M.; Hubenthal, M.; Johnson, J. A.; Sumy, D. F.; Welti, R.; Davis, H. B.

2016-12-01

Over the past year, the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program has undertaken a new effort to increase the rigor with which it evaluates its programs and products. More specifically we sought to make evaluation an integral part of our EPO staff's work, enable staff to demonstrate why we do the activities we do, enhance the impact or our products and programs, and empower staff to be able to make evidence-based claims. The challenges we faced included a modest budget, finding an applicable approach to both new and legacy programs ranging from formal and informal education to public outreach, and implementing the process without overwhelming staff. The Collaborative Impact Analysis Method (IAM; Davis and Scalice, 2015) was selected as it allowed us to combine the EPO staff's knowledge of programs, audiences and content with the expertise of an outside evaluation expert, through consultations and a qualitative rubric assessing the initial state of each product/program's evaluation. Staff then developed action plans to make incremental improvements to the evaluation of programs over time. We have found that this approach promotes the development of staff knowledge and skills regarding evaluation, provides a common language among staff, increases enthusiasm to collect and share data, encourages discussions of evaluative approaches when planning new activities, and improves each program's ability to capture the intended and unintended effects on the behaviors, attitudes, skills, interests, and/or knowledge of users/participants. We will share the initial IAM Scores for products and programs in the EPO portfolio, along with examples of the action plans for several key products and programs, and the impact that implementing those actions plans has had on our evaluations. Davis, H. & Scalice, D. (2015). Evaluate the Impact of your Education and Outreach Program Using the Quantitative Collaborative Impact Analysis

Universities and Development: Global Cooperation. Policy Briefing

Science.gov (United States)

Universities UK, 2010

2010-01-01

This policy briefing aims to demonstrate that universities are key organisations in international development. Universities are involved in a wide range of international development activities, including collaborative research projects, developing entrepreneurial and employability skills and the evaluation of non-governmental organisation (NGO)…

A Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Psycho-Education (B-CBE Program for Managing Stress and Anxiety of Main Family Caregivers of Patients in the Intensive Care Unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vico Chung Lim Chiang

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Having a loved one in the intensive care unit (ICU is a stressful event, which may cause a high level of anxiety to the family members. This could threaten their wellbeing and ability to support the patients in, or after discharge from, the ICU. To investigate the outcomes of a brief cognitive-behavioral psycho-education program (B-CBE to manage stress and anxiety of the main family caregivers (MFCs, a pragmatic quasi-experimental study involving 45 participants (treatment group: 24; control group: 21 was conducted in an ICU. The Depression and Anxiety Stress Scale and the Critical Care Family Need Inventory were used to evaluate the primary outcomes on stress and anxiety, and satisfaction with family needs. The treatment group reported significantly better improvement in the information satisfaction score compared to the control group (p < 0.05; η2 = 0.09. Overall main effects were observed on the stress (p < 0.01; η2 = 0.20, anxiety (p < 0.01; η2 = 0.18, depression (p < 0.05; η2 = 0.13, support satisfaction (p < 0.05; η2 = 0.13, and comfort satisfaction (p < 0.05; η2 = 0.11 scores. The experience of this study suggest that MFCs are in great need of additional support like B-CBE to manage their stress and anxiety. Given the brevity of B-CBE, it is practical for critical care nurses to deliver and MFCs to take within the industrious context of an ICU. More studies are needed to investigate these types of brief psychological interventions.

Motor carrier evaluation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Portsmouth, James

1992-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy-Headquarters (DOE-HQ), Transportation Management Program (TMP) has the overall responsibility to provide a well-managed transportation program for the safe, efficient, and economical transportation of DOE-owned materials. The DOE-TMP has established an excellent safety record in the transportation of hazardous materials including radioactive materials and radioactive wastes. This safety record can be maintained only through continued diligence and sustained effort on the part of the DOE-TMP, its field offices, and the contractors' organizations. Key elements in the DOE'S effective hazardous and radioactive materials shipping program are (1) integrity of packages, (2) strict adherence to regulations and procedures, (3) trained personnel, (4) complete management support, and (5) use of the best commercial carriers. The DOE Motor Carrier Evaluation Program was developed to better define the criteria and methodology needed to identify motor carriers for use in the transportation of Highway Route Controlled Quantities (HRCQ), Truck Load (TL) quantities of radioactive materials, hazardous materials and waste. (author)

Evaluation of film dosemeters by linear programming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kragh, P.; Nitschke, J.

1992-01-01

An evaluation method for multi-component dosemeters is described which uses linear programming in order to decrease the dependence on energy and direction. The results of this method are more accurate than those obtained with the evaluation methods so far applied in film dosimetry. In addition, systematic errors can be given when evaluating individual measurements. Combined linear programming, as a special case of the presented method, is described taking a film dosemeter of particular type as an example. (orig.) [de

Process evaluation of a technology-delivered screening and brief intervention for substance use in primary care.

Science.gov (United States)

Ondersma, Steven J; Gryczynski, Jan; Mitchell, Shannon Gwin; O'Grady, Kevin E; Schwartz, Robert P

2016-05-01

Psychotherapy process research examines the content of treatment sessions and their association with outcomes in an attempt to better understand the interactions between therapists and clients, and to elucidate mechanisms of behavior change. A similar approach is possible in technology-delivered interventions, which have an interaction process that is always perfectly preserved and rigorously definable. The present study sought to examine the process of participants' interactions with a computer-delivered brief intervention for drug use, from a study comparing computer- and therapist-delivered brief interventions among adults at two primary health care centers in New Mexico. Specifically, we sought to describe the pattern of participants' ( N =178) choices and reactions throughout the computer-delivered brief intervention, and to examine associations between that process and intervention response at 3-month follow-up. Participants were most likely to choose marijuana as the first substance they wished to discuss ( n = 114, 64.0%). Most participants indicated that they had not experienced any problems as a result of their drug use ( n = 108, 60.7%), but nearly a third of these ( n = 32, 29.6%) nevertheless indicated a desire to stop or reduce its use; participants who did report negative consequences were most likely to endorse financial or relationship concerns. However, participant ratings of the importance of change or of the helpfulness of personalized normed feedback were unrelated to changes in substance use frequency. Design of future e-interventions should consider emphasizing possible benefits of quitting rather than the negative consequences of drug use, and-when addressing consequences-should consider focusing on the impacts of substance use on relationship and financial aspects. These findings are an early but important step toward using process evaluation to optimize e-intervention content.

Process evaluation of a technology-delivered screening and brief intervention for substance use in primary care

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven J. Ondersma

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Psychotherapy process research examines the content of treatment sessions and their association with outcomes in an attempt to better understand the interactions between therapists and clients, and to elucidate mechanisms of behavior change. A similar approach is possible in technology-delivered interventions, which have an interaction process that is always perfectly preserved and rigorously definable. The present study sought to examine the process of participants' interactions with a computer-delivered brief intervention for drug use, from a study comparing computer- and therapist-delivered brief interventions among adults at two primary health care centers in New Mexico. Specifically, we sought to describe the pattern of participants' (N = 178 choices and reactions throughout the computer-delivered brief intervention, and to examine associations between that process and intervention response at 3-month follow-up. Participants were most likely to choose marijuana as the first substance they wished to discuss (n = 114, 64.0%. Most participants indicated that they had not experienced any problems as a result of their drug use (n = 108, 60.7%, but nearly a third of these (n = 32, 29.6% nevertheless indicated a desire to stop or reduce its use; participants who did report negative consequences were most likely to endorse financial or relationship concerns. However, participant ratings of the importance of change or of the helpfulness of personalized normed feedback were unrelated to changes in substance use frequency. Design of future e-interventions should consider emphasizing possible benefits of quitting rather than the negative consequences of drug use, and—when addressing consequences—should consider focusing on the impacts of substance use on relationship and financial aspects. These findings are an early but important step toward using process evaluation to optimize e-intervention content.

Training the next generation of energy efficiency evaluators

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vine, E. [Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory LBNL and California Institute for Energy and Environment, Berkeley, CA (United States); Saxonis, W. [New York Department of Public Service, Albany, NY (United States); Peters, J. [Research Into Action, Portland, OR (United States); Tannenbaum, B. [Research Into Action, Madison, WI (United States); Wirtshafter, B. [Wirstshafter Associates, Rydal, PA (United States)

2013-05-15

The energy efficiency services sector is an increasingly important part of the global economy, with an increased need for trained evaluators to foster energy efficiency program accountability and improvement. Organizations are experiencing difficulty in finding people who are knowledgeable about and experienced in the evaluation of energy efficiency programs. Accordingly, there is a need to assess the training needs of the energy efficiency evaluation community (for both new and 'experienced' evaluators). This paper presents the results of a recent survey conducted by the International Energy Program Evaluation Conference (IEPEC) on energy efficiency evaluation training needs and contrasts those findings with the findings from a survey conducted by the American Evaluation Association on young evaluators (those people in the field <5 years) and another by the Association of Energy Services Professionals. This analysis is also complemented by a brief survey of members of the 2012 Rome Conference IEPEC Planning Committee on international needs.

From efficacy to effectiveness and beyond: what next for brief interventions in primary care?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amy eO'Donnell

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Robust evidence supports the effectiveness of screening and brief alcohol interventions in primary healthcare. However lack of understanding about their ‘active ingredients’ and concerns over the extent to which current approaches remain faithful to their original theoretical roots, has led some to demand a cautious approach to future roll-out pending further research. Against this background, this paper provides a timely overview of the development of the brief alcohol intervention evidence base in order to assess the extent to which it has achieved the four key levels of intervention research: efficacy; effectiveness; implementation; and demonstration.Methods: Narrative overview based on:(1 results of a review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of the effectiveness of brief alcohol intervention in primary healthcare;(2 synthesis of the findings of key additional primary studies on the improvement and evaluation of brief alcohol intervention implementation in routine primary healthcare.Results: The brief intervention field seems to constitute an almost perfect example of the evaluation of a complex intervention. Early evaluations of screening and brief intervention approaches included more tightly controlled efficacy trials and have been followed by more pragmatic trials of effectiveness in routine clinical practice. Most recently, attention has shifted to dissemination, implementation and wider-scale roll-out. However, delivery in routine primary health remains inconsistent, with an identified knowledge gap around how to successfully embed brief alcohol intervention approaches in mainstream care, and as yet unanswered questions concerning what specific intervention component prompt the positive changes in alcohol consumption.Conclusion: Both the efficacy and effectiveness of brief alcohol interventions have been comprehensively demonstrated, and intervention effects seem replicable and stable over time, and across

Non-destructive system to evaluate critical properties of asphalt compaction : [research brief].

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-01

The Wisconsin Highway Research Program sponsored a two-stage investigation to develop a non-destructive system to evaluate critical compaction properties and characteristics of asphalt pavements during the densification process. Stage One activities ...

Innovative strategies for nursing education program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Story, Lachel; Butts, Janie B; Bishop, Sandra B; Green, Lisa; Johnson, Kathy; Mattison, Haley

2010-06-01

Nursing programs are mandated by accreditation bodies to report data significant to program quality and outcomes. The history at one school of nursing in the southern United States revealed the program evaluation committee experienced roadblocks in retrieving such information. Creative approaches were adopted to overcome some of the barriers to program evaluation, including the use of more technological-based approaches to engage alumni who embrace this technology as a way of life. Among the many advantages of these approaches were convenience, ease of administration and analysis, cost effectiveness, and more meaningful data. The advantages far outweighed the few disadvantages incurred, with the most prominent being potential sampling bias. Copyright 2010, SLACK Incorporated.

Research and development at Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe - brief report 1991

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

Research at Kernforschungszentrum Karlsruhe in the nineties is focussed on environmentally compatible high technologies with emphasis on environmental engineering, power engineering, microsystems technology, and selected fields of fundamental research. The KfK research and development trends are reflected by this brief report. The facts and figures inform researchers and specialists by summarizing the major results of the current research projects and by informing about the main targets and trends of long-time research programs and individual projects. The brief reports are completed by comprehensive, annual progress reports which discuss the implementation and results of the KfK research activities and compile references which list the various scientifico-technical reports, contributions to journals, conference papers, and other publications. (orig.) [de

Evaluating OO example programs for CS1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Börstler, Jürgen; Christensen, Henrik Bærbak; Bennedsen, Jens

2008-01-01

Example programs play an important role in learning to program. They work as templates, guidelines, and inspiration for learners when developing their own programs. It is therefore important to provide learners with high quality examples. In this paper, we discuss properties of example programs...... that might affect the teaching and learning of object-oriented programming. Furthermore, we present an evaluation instrument for example programs and report on initial experiences of its application to a selection of examples from popular introductory programming textbooks....

Cyber-Evaluation: Evaluating a Distance Learning Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Henderson, Denise L.

This paper examines how the process of soliciting evaluation feedback from nonresident students in the Army Management Staff College (Virginia) program on leadership and management for civilian employees of the Army has evolved since 1995. Course design is briefly described, including the use of video-teleconferences, chat rooms, an electronic…

Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS): international standards for validation.

OpenAIRE

Benedict, R; Amato, Mp; Boringa, J; Brochet, B; Foley, F; Fredrikson, S; Hamalainen, P; Hartung, H; Krupp, L; Penner, I; Reder, A; Langdon, D.

2012-01-01

An international expert consensus committee recently recommended a brief battery of tests for cognitive evaluation in multiple sclerosis. The Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) battery includes tests of mental processing speed and memory. Recognizing that resources for validation will vary internationally, the committee identified validation priorities, to facilitate international acceptance of BICAMS. Practical matters pertaining to implementation across different langu...

The Wilhelm Wundt Center and the first graduate program for the history and philosophy of psychology in Brazil: A brief report.

Science.gov (United States)

Araujo, Saulo de Freitas; Caropreso, Fátima Siqueira; Simanke, Richard Theisen; Castañon, Gustavo Arja

2013-08-01

The expansion of Brazilian universities since 2009 has promoted a general growth and incentive of scientific activities throughout the country, not only in the so-called hard sciences, but also in the human sciences. In this brief report, we announce the creation of two new institutional spaces dedicated to the history and philosophy of psychology at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF) in Brazil: the Wilhelm Wundt Center for the History and Philosophy of Psychology (NUHFIP) and the Graduate Program in History and Philosophy of Psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved).

Assessing the effects of employee assistance programs: a review of employee assistance program evaluations.

OpenAIRE

Colantonio, A.

1989-01-01

Employee assistance programs have grown at a dramatic rate, yet the effectiveness of these programs has been called into question. The purpose of this paper was to assess the effectiveness of employee assistance programs (EAPs) by reviewing recently published EAP evaluations. All studies evaluating EAPs published since 1975 from peer-reviewed journals in the English language were included in this analysis. Each of the articles was assessed in the following areas: (a) program description (subj...

Behavioral patterns of environmental performance evaluation programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Wanxin; Mauerhofer, Volker

2016-11-01

During the past decades numerous environmental performance evaluation programs have been developed and implemented on different geographic scales. This paper develops a taxonomy of environmental management behavioral patterns in order to provide a practical comparison tool for environmental performance evaluation programs. Ten such programs purposively selected are mapped against the identified four behavioral patterns in the form of diagnosis, negotiation, learning, and socialization and learning. Overall, we found that schemes which serve to diagnose environmental abnormalities are mainly externally imposed and have been developed as a result of technical debates concerning data sources, methodology and ranking criteria. Learning oriented scheme is featured by processes through which free exchange of ideas, mutual and adaptive learning can occur. Scheme developed by higher authority for influencing behaviors of lower levels of government has been adopted by the evaluated to signal their excellent environmental performance. The socializing and learning classified evaluation schemes have incorporated dialogue, participation, and capacity building in program design. In conclusion we consider the 'fitness for purpose' of the various schemes, the merits of our analytical model and the future possibilities of fostering capacity building in the realm of wicked environmental challenges. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring Productivity Outcomes from a Brief Intervention for At-Risk Drinking in an Employee Assistance Program

Science.gov (United States)

Osilla, Karen Chan; Cruz, Erin dela; Miles, Jeremy N.V.; Zellmer, Steven; Watkins, Katherine; Larimer, Mary E.; Marlatt, G. Alan

2009-01-01

Brief intervention (BI) research has traditionally examined alcohol and drug use outcomes; however it is unknown whether BIs can also impact on-the-job productivity. This exploratory study examines changes in workplace productivity and related costs for clients receiving a BI for at-risk drinking in the employee assistance program (EAP). Participants were 44 clients attending the EAP for behavioral health concerns, screened for at-risk drinking, assigned to BI+Usual Care (n=25) or UC alone (n=19), and who completed 3-month follow-up. Absenteeism, presenteeism, and productivity costs were derived as outcomes. At follow-up, participants in the BI+UC group had improved productivity when at work (presenteeism) compared to the UC group. The estimated cost savings from improved productivity for the BI+UC group was $1200 per client over the UC group. Groups did not differ by absenteeism (missed days of work). Preliminary evidence suggests the broad impact BIs may have. Implications for future BI research are discussed. PMID:19897312

Evaluation of demand-side management programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolbe, A.L.; O'Loughlin, M.P.

1990-01-01

Over the past few years, the attention accorded to demand-side management (DSM) measures has called into question the traditional cost minimization approach for evaluating such programs. Two broad approaches to DSM seem to be generally used: one examining the problem from multiple perspectives and the other including various practical methods used in-house by utility planners. Whatever the standard used to evaluate DSM, there remains at least one problem which cannot be quantified. The customers who participate in a DSM program cannot only take into account the effects of DSM on their electricity bills; their comfort can also be affected. This lowering of comfort constitutes a legitimate cost which can explain why some apparently sensible DSM measures are not adopted. A method is proposed to incorporate this cost. It establishes a way to evaluate DSM program tradeoffs that, from the perspective of standard economic theory, maximizes social welfare; explains why at least one of the perspectives in the multiple perspective approach needs to be modified to incorporate all customer costs; and outlines how the proposed standard can be implemented. 8 refs

USAF Weapon System Evaluation Program

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1999-01-01

During this task period, Schafer Corporation provided engineering services and analysis to the USAF at Eglin AFB, Florida in direct support of the USAF Air-to-Surface Weapon System Evaluation Program (WSEP...

A Brief Social Skills Intervention to Reduce Challenging Classroom Behavior

Science.gov (United States)

McDaniel, Sara C.; Bruhn, Allison L.; Troughton, Leonard

2017-01-01

Social skills instruction has been recommended as a way of improving behavioral and social outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). A brief social skills intervention ("Stop and Think" (Knoff in "The stop & think social skills program," Sopris West, Longmont, CO, 2001) was used to extend the…

Single-Sex Education in the 21st Century. Education Policy Brief. Volume 6, Number 9, Fall 2008

Science.gov (United States)

Cable, Kelly E.; Spradlin, Terry E.

2008-01-01

Single-sex education describes a diverse range of situations, including individual classes, programs after school, required programs, voluntary programs, and programs to remedy gender inequities and encourage cultural and racial pride. This brief addresses the genesis and legality of single-sex classrooms, the merits and critiques of single-sex…

Brief Behavioral Sleep Intervention for Adolescents: An Effectiveness Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Paavonen, E Juulia; Huurre, Taina; Tilli, Maija; Kiviruusu, Olli; Partonen, Timo

2016-01-01

Sleep disturbances are common among adolescents, but there are no brief interventions to treat them. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief semistructured, individually delivered sleep intervention to ameliorate adolescents' sleeping difficulties and lengthen sleep duration. All students aged 16-18 years in a high school were screened for sleeping difficulties and 36 students with the highest sleep problem scores were invited to the intervention. Postintervention improvements were observed on self-reported and actiwatch-registered sleep duration, self-reported sleep quality and sleep latency, perceived stress and anxiety (all p values sleep efficiency and sleep latency did not change (p > 0.05). A brief individual sleep intervention can be effective in lengthening sleep duration and improving subjective sleep quality and well-being among adolescents.

Clean Coal Technology Programs: Program Update 2003 (Volume 1)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy

2003-12-01

Annual report on the Clean Coal Technology Demonstration Program (CCTDP), Power Plant Improvement Initiative (PPII), and Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI). The report addresses the roles of the programs, implementation, funding and costs, project descriptions, legislative history, program history, environmental aspects, and project contacts. The project descriptions describe the technology and provides a brief summary of the demonstration results.

Use of the OSCE to Evaluate Brief Communication Skills Training for Dental Students

Science.gov (United States)

Cannick, Gabrielle F.; Horowitz, Alice M.; Garr, David R.; Reed, Susan G.; Neville, Brad W.; Day, Terry A.; Woolson, Robert F.; Lackland, Daniel T.

2009-01-01

Although communications competency is recommended by the American Dental Education Association, only a few (n=5) dental schools report evaluating students’ skills using a competency examination for communication. This study used an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) to evaluate dental students’ competency in interpersonal and tobacco cessation communication skills. All students were evaluated on their interpersonal communication skills at baseline and at six months post-OSCE by standardized patients and on their tobacco cessation communication skills by two independent raters. First- and second-year dental students (n=104) were randomized to a control or intervention group. One month after the baseline OSCE, students in the intervention group participated in a two-hour training session in which faculty members communicated with a standardized patient during a head and neck examination and counseled the patient about tobacco cessation. There were no statistically significant differences from baseline to post-test between the intervention and control group students as measured by the OSCE. However, among first-year students, both the intervention (n=23) and control (n=21) groups significantly increased in tobacco cessation communication scores. Second-year students in both intervention (n=24) and control (n=28) groups declined in interpersonal communication skills from baseline to post-test. Overall, this one-shot intervention was not successful, and results suggest that a comprehensive communication skills training course may be more beneficial than a single, brief training session for improving dental students’ communication skills. PMID:17761627

Alberta: evaluation of nursing retention and recruitment programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Weidner, Arlene; Graham, Carol; Smith, Jennifer; Aitken, Julia; Odell, Jill

2012-03-01

Retention and recruitment strategies are essential to address nursing workforce supply and ensure the viability of healthcare delivery in Canada. Knowledge transfer between experienced nurses and those new to the profession is also a focus for concern. The Multi-Employer/United Nurses of Alberta Joint Committee attempted to address these issues by introducing a number of retention and recruitment (R&R) initiatives for nurses in Alberta: in total, seven different programs that were introduced to some 24,000 nurses and employers across the province of Alberta in 2001 (the Transitional Graduate Nurse Recruitment Program) and 2007 (the remaining six R&R programs). Approximately 1,600 nurses participated in the seven programs between 2001 and 2009. Of the seven strategies, one supported entry into the workplace, two were pre-retirement strategies and four involved flexible work options. This project entailed a retrospective evaluation of the seven programs and differed from the other Research to Action (RTA) projects because it was solely concerned with evaluation of pre-existing initiatives. All seven programs were launched without a formal evaluation component, and the tracking of local uptake varied throughout the province. The union and various employers faced challenges in implementing these strategies in a timely fashion, as most were designed at the bargaining table during negotiations. As a result, systems, policy and procedural changes had to be developed to support their implementation after they became available.Participants in the programs indicated improvements over time in several areas, including higher levels of satisfaction with work–life balance, hours worked and their current practice and profession. The evaluation found that participation led to perceived improvements in nurses' confidence, greater control over their work environment, decreased stress levels, increased energy and morale and perceived improved ability to provide high-quality care

Evaluating a physician leadership development program - a mixed methods approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Throgmorton, Cheryl; Mitchell, Trey; Morley, Tom; Snyder, Marijo

2016-05-16

Purpose - With the extent of change in healthcare today, organizations need strong physician leaders. To compensate for the lack of physician leadership education, many organizations are sending physicians to external leadership programs or developing in-house leadership programs targeted specifically to physicians. The purpose of this paper is to outline the evaluation strategy and outcomes of the inaugural year of a Physician Leadership Academy (PLA) developed and implemented at a Michigan-based regional healthcare system. Design/methodology/approach - The authors applied the theoretical framework of Kirkpatrick's four levels of evaluation and used surveys, observations, activity tracking, and interviews to evaluate the program outcomes. The authors applied grounded theory techniques to the interview data. Findings - The program met targeted outcomes across all four levels of evaluation. Interview themes focused on the significance of increasing self-awareness, building relationships, applying new skills, and building confidence. Research limitations/implications - While only one example, this study illustrates the importance of developing the evaluation strategy as part of the program design. Qualitative research methods, often lacking from learning evaluation design, uncover rich themes of impact. The study supports how a PLA program can enhance physician learning, engagement, and relationship building throughout and after the program. Physician leaders' partnership with organization development and learning professionals yield results with impact to individuals, groups, and the organization. Originality/value - Few studies provide an in-depth review of evaluation methods and outcomes of physician leadership development programs. Healthcare organizations seeking to develop similar in-house programs may benefit applying the evaluation strategy outlined in this study.

The Advanced Test Reactor Strategic Evaluation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buescher, B.J.

1990-01-01

A systematic evaluation of safety, environmental, and operational issues has been initiated at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR). This program, the Strategic Evaluation Program (STEP), provides an integrated review of safety and operational issues against the standards applied to licensed commercial facilities. In the review of safety issues, 18 deviations were identified which required prompt attention. Resolution of these items has been accelerated in the program. An integrated living schedule is being developed to address the remaining findings. A risk evaluation is being performed on the proposed corrective actions and these actions will then be formally ranked in order of priority based on considerations of safety and operational significance. Once the final ranking is completed, an integrated schedule will be developed, which will include considerations of availability of funding and operating schedule. 3 refs., 2 figs

Brief hypnotherapeutic-behavioral intervention for functional abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome in childhood: a randomized controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Gulewitsch, Marco Daniel; Müller, Judith; Hautzinger, Martin; Schlarb, Angelika Anita

2013-08-01

Functional abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome are two prevalent disorders in childhood which are associated with recurrent or chronic abdominal pain, disabilities in daily functioning, and reduced quality of life. This study aimed to evaluate a brief hypnotherapeutic-behavioral intervention program in a prospective randomized controlled design. Thirty-eight children, 6 to 12 years of age, and their parents were randomly assigned to a standardized hypnotherapeutic-behavioral treatment (n = 20) or to a waiting list condition (n = 18). Both groups were reassessed 3 months after beginning. Primary outcome variables were child-completed pain measures and pain-related disability. Secondary outcome variables were parent-completed measures of their children's pain and pain-related disability. Health-related quality of life from both perspectives also served as a secondary outcome. In the treatment group, 11 of 20 children (55.0%) showed clinical remission (>80% improvement), whereas only one child (5.6%) in the waiting list condition was classified as responder. Children in the treatment group reported a significantly greater reduction of pain scores and pain-related disability than children of the waiting list condition. Parental ratings also showed a greater reduction of children's abdominal pain and pain-related disability. Health-related quality of life did not increase significantly. Hypnotherapeutic and behavioral interventions are effective in treating children with long-standing AP. Treatment success of this brief program should be further evaluated against active interventions with a longer follow-up.

Brief history of the Los Alamos laser programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyer, K.

1983-01-01

The laser programs at Los Alamos began in 1969 to investigate the feasibility of laser-induced fusion. However, within a year they had been expanded to include a number of other applications including laser isotope separation. These programs now compose a substantial part of the Laboratory's research programs

Effects of a Brief, Prevention-Focused Parenting Education Program for New Mothers.

Science.gov (United States)

Hooge, Sharon L; Benzies, Karen M; Mannion, Cynthia A

2014-09-01

We evaluated the effects of a parenting program, Baby and You, on parenting knowledge, parenting morale, and social support using a single-group, pre-test, and post-test design with 159 Canadian mothers of infants aged 2 to 9 months old. Baby and You is a prevention-focused parenting program (PFPP) to improve maternal and infant health through education and social support. The 4-week curriculum focuses on infant development and safety, parent-child relationships, maternal self-care, and community resources. We computed repeated-measures ANOVAs separately for scores on Parenting Knowledge Scale, Parenting Moral Index, and Family Support Scale. We found a significant increase between pre-test and post-test on parenting knowledge, but not parenting morale or social support. Parenting morale may be a stable construct that shows little change over time. It may take more than 4 weeks of programming for mothers to identify and integrate new sources of social support. © The Author(s) 2014.

Evaluation of a parenting skills program in Russia.

Science.gov (United States)

MacKinnon, Lee

2013-01-01

This article analyzes participant interviews and the photovoice project of 15 young disadvantaged mothers in Pskov, Russia. The women's statements and photovoice were part of a formative evaluation of the Pskov Positive Parenting Program, designed by the University of Massachusetts Institute for Global Health (IGH) and funded by USAID. The evaluation revealed that the Program met its goal of helping the women learn sensitive caregiving behaviors. The mothers emphasized that the Program met their need for social connection. The young mothers' participation in the positive social network of the group may have been a key ingredient to the Program's success and may have implications for the design of parenting programs cross-culturally.

Evaluation of a Research Mentorship Program in Community Care

Science.gov (United States)

Ploeg, Jenny; de Witt, Lorna; Hutchison, Brian; Hayward, Lynda; Grayson, Kim

2008-01-01

This article describes the results of a qualitative case study evaluating a research mentorship program in community care settings in Ontario, Canada. The purpose of the program was to build evaluation and research capacity among staff of community care agencies through a mentorship program. Data were collected through in-depth, semi-structured…

E-Basics: Online Basic Training in Program Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Silliman, Ben

2016-01-01

E-Basics is an online training in program evaluation concepts and skills designed for youth development professionals, especially those working in nonformal science education. Ten hours of online training in seven modules is designed to prepare participants for mentoring and applied practice, mastery, and/or team leadership in program evaluation.…

Motor carrier evaluation program plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Portsmouth, J.H.; Maxwell, J.E.; Boness, G.O.; Rice, L.E.

1991-04-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Transportation Management Program (TMP) has established a program to assist the DOE field offices and their contractors in evaluating the motor carriers used to transport DOE-owned hazardous and radioactive materials. This program was initiated to provide the DOE field offices with the tools necessary to help ensure, during this period of motor carrier deregulation, that only highly qualified carriers transport radioactive and hazardous commodities for the DOE. This program will assist DOE in maintaining their excellent performance record in the safe transportation of hazardous commodities. The program was also developed in response to public concern surrounding the transportation of hazardous materials. Representatives of other federal agencies, states, and tribal governments, as well as the news media, have expressed concern about the selection and qualification of carriers engaged in the transportation of Highway Route-Controlled Quantities (HRCQ) and Truckload (TL) quantities of radioactive material for the DOE. 8 refs

Purposive facebook recruitment endows cost-effective nutrition education program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lohse, Barbara; Wamboldt, Patricia

2013-08-15

Recent legislation established a requirement for nutrition education in federal assistance programs to be evidence-based. Recruitment of low-income persons to participate and evaluate nutrition education activities can be challenging and costly. Facebook has been shown to be a cost-effective strategy to recruit this target audience to a nutrition program. The purpose of our study was to examine Facebook as a strategy to recruit participants, especially Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education (SNAP-Ed) eligible persons, to view and evaluate an online nutrition education program intended to be offered as having some evidence base for SNAP-Ed programming. English-speaking, low-income Pennsylvania residents, 18-55 years with key profile words (eg, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Food bank), responded to a Facebook ad inviting participation in either Eating Together as a Family is Worth It (WI) or Everyone Needs Folic Acid (FA). Participants completed an online survey on food-related behaviors, viewed a nutrition education program, and completed a program evaluation. Facebook set-up functions considered were costing action, daily spending cap, and population reach. Respondents for both WI and FA evaluations were similar; the majority were white, Cost per completed evaluation was US $25.48; cost per low-income completer was US $39.92. Results were similar for the FA evaluation; 795 Facebook users clicked on the ad with 110 unique site visitors, and 73 completing the evaluation (ie, 73/795, 9.2% of ad clickers and 73/110, 66% of site visitors completed the evaluation). Cost per valid completed survey with program evaluation was US $18.88; cost per low-income completer was US $27.53. With Facebook we successfully recruited low-income Pennsylvanians to online nutrition program evaluations. Benefits using Facebook as a recruitment strategy included real-time recruitment management with lower costs and more efficiency compared to previous data from

The New Brunswick Laboratory Safeguards Measurement Evaluation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cacic, C.G.; Trahey, N.M.; Zook, A.C.

1987-01-01

The New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL) has been tasked by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Safeguards and Security (OSS) to assess and evaluate the adequacy of measurement technology as applied to materials accounting in DOE nuclear facilities. The Safeguards Measurement Evaluation (SME) Program was developed as a means to monitor and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of accounting measurements by site, material balance area (MBA), or unit process. Phase I of the SME Program, initiated during 1985, involved evaluation of the primary accountability measurement methods at six DOE Defense Programs facilities: Savannah River Plant, Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, Y-12 Plant, Rocky Flats Plant, Rockwell Hanford Operations, and NBL. Samples of uranyl nitrate solution, dried plutonium nitrates, and plutonium oxides were shipped to the participants for assay and isotopic abundance measurements. Resulting data are presented and evaluated as indicators of current state-of-the-practice accountability measurement methodology, deficiencies in materials accounting practices, and areas for possible assistance in upgrading measurement capabilities. Continuing expansion of the SME Program to include materials which are representative of specific accountability measurement points within the DOE complex is discussed

Trends in Multicultural Programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Mylopoulos, Chryss

1985-01-01

Outlines basic principles and philosophy behind library multicultural programs and provides brief overview of development of such programs in Canadian libraries. Programing themes (cultural identity, contribution of ethnocultural groups to Canadian society, interpretation of multiculturalism as social policy) and suggestions for integrating…

Issues Surrounding the Evaluation of Teacher Internship Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, D.

2006-12-01

Georgia Intern-Fellowships for Teachers (GIFT) is a collaborative effort designed to enhance mathematics and science experiences of Georgia teachers and their students through summer research internships for teachers. By offering business, industry, public science institute and research summer fellowships to teachers, GIFT provides educators with first-hand exposure to the skills and knowledge necessary for the preparation of our future workforce. Since 1991, GIFT has placed middle and high school math, science and technology teachers in over 1100 positions throughout the state. In these fellowships, teachers are involved in cutting edge scientific and engineering research, data analysis, curriculum development and real-world inquiry and problem solving, and create Action Plans to assist them in translating the experience into changed classroom practice. Since 2004, an increasing number of high school students have worked with their teachers in research laboratories. The GIFT program has an advisory board composed of university researchers, business and education leaders. The board members work in various subcommittees assisting the program with areas such as sponsor recruitment, evaluation and long term planning. The evaluation subcommittee has been actively involved in providing direction regarding the evaluation of the GIFT program's impact on teachers and their students. The program recently conducted a survey of its former participants. This presentation will discuss the results of the survey and the challenges associated with program evaluation of teacher internship programs.

Energy 2000: effects of the program and conclusions from its evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balthasar, A.

2000-01-01

The action program Energy 2000 has been continually reviewed by independent experts in view of its effects. This resulted in around 50 scientific studies between 1991 and 1999, dealing with different aspects of the program. In the book 'Energy 2000: effects of the program and conclusions from its evaluation', the results of these evaluations are summarised, and conclusions for the design of the follow-up program are drawn. The organisational frame of the program is presented and the question answered whether the determining principles of the program proved practical. Besides, the effects of state intervention, of the conflict solving groups and the voluntary actions of Energy 2000 are appraised. A separate chapter is dedicated to the evaluation strategy of the program, its implementation and the benefits of the evaluations. Propositions for the evaluation of the follow-up program are formulated as well. Dr. Andreas Balthasar is President of the Swiss Evaluation Society. (author)

Initiatives in training program evaluation outside the nuclear utility industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Allen, C.J.

1987-01-01

Training literature is reviewed, and program evaluative practices outside the nuclear utility industry are reported. The findings indicate some innovations in philosophy and practice and program evaluation, although not necessarily in the context of evaluation as a route to assessing the impact of training. Program evaluation is described in the context of the impact of training, suggesting continued efforts to accept a multivariate concept of individual and organizational performance

The Evaluation of an Employee Assistance Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Gam, John; And Others

1983-01-01

Presents the results of an evaluative study of an employee assistance program sponsored by the Russell Corporation, an apparel manufacturing firm. Results suggested that the program is beneficial in terms of both productivity enhancement and humanitarianism. (Author)

Creating illusions of past encounter through brief exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Alan S; Marsh, Elizabeth J

2009-05-01

Titchener (1928) suggested that briefly glancing at a scene could make it appear strangely familiar when it was fully processed moments later. The closest laboratory demonstration used words as stimuli, and showed that briefly glancing at a to-be-judged word increased the subject's belief that it had been presented in an earlier study list (Jacoby & Whitehouse, 1989). We evaluated whether a hasty glance could elicit a false belief in a prior encounter, from a time and place outside of the experiment. This goal precluded using word stimuli, so we had subjects evaluate unfamiliar symbols. Each symbol was preceded by a brief exposure to an identical symbol, a different symbol, or no symbol. A brief glance at an identical symbol increased attributions to preexperimental experience, relative to a glance at a different symbol or no symbol, providing a possible mechanism for common illusions of false recognition.

Interfacing theories of program with theories of evaluation for advancing evaluation practice: Reductionism, systems thinking, and pragmatic synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Huey T

2016-12-01

Theories of program and theories of evaluation form the foundation of program evaluation theories. Theories of program reflect assumptions on how to conceptualize an intervention program for evaluation purposes, while theories of evaluation reflect assumptions on how to design useful evaluation. These two types of theories are related, but often discussed separately. This paper attempts to use three theoretical perspectives (reductionism, systems thinking, and pragmatic synthesis) to interface them and discuss the implications for evaluation practice. Reductionism proposes that an intervention program can be broken into crucial components for rigorous analyses; systems thinking view an intervention program as dynamic and complex, requiring a holistic examination. In spite of their contributions, reductionism and systems thinking represent the extreme ends of a theoretical spectrum; many real-world programs, however, may fall in the middle. Pragmatic synthesis is being developed to serve these moderate- complexity programs. These three theoretical perspectives have their own strengths and challenges. Knowledge on these three perspectives and their evaluation implications can provide a better guide for designing fruitful evaluations, improving the quality of evaluation practice, informing potential areas for developing cutting-edge evaluation approaches, and contributing to advancing program evaluation toward a mature applied science. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Californium-252 Program Equipment Evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chattin, Fred Rhea [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Wilson, Kenton [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Ezold, Julie G. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2017-12-01

To successfully continue the ²⁵²Cf production and meet the needs of the customers, a comprehensive evaluation of the Building 7920 processing equipment was requested to identify equipment critical to the operational continuity of the program.

Brief debrisoquin administration to assess central dopaminergic function in children.

Science.gov (United States)

Riddle, M A; Shaywitz, B A; Leckman, J F; Anderson, G M; Shaywitz, S E; Hardin, M T; Ort, S I; Cohen, D J

1986-03-17

Central dopaminergic (DA) function in children was assessed by monitoring plasma-free homovanillic acid (pHVA) levels after brief (18 hour) administration with debrisoquin sulfate, a peripherally active antihypertensive agent that blocks peripheral, but not central, HVA production. Brief debrisoquin administration resulted in marked reductions in pHVA in each of six patients studied. In five of the six patients, post-debrisoquin pHVA levels remained relatively stable over the six-hour period of observation. No significant cardiovascular or behavioral side effects of debrisoquin were observed. The brief debrisoquin administration method appears to be a safe, simple, and potentially valid peripheral technique for evaluating aspects of central dopaminergic function in children with neuropsychiatric disorders. Additional work is needed to further establish this method's validity and reliability.

EZLP: An Interactive Computer Program for Solving Linear Programming Problems. Final Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Jarvis, John J.; And Others

Designed for student use in solving linear programming problems, the interactive computer program described (EZLP) permits the student to input the linear programming model in exactly the same manner in which it would be written on paper. This report includes a brief review of the development of EZLP; narrative descriptions of program features,…

Evaluation assessment of Rail Freight Transportation Research and Development Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1983-02-01

This report presents an evaluation assessment of the Canadian Rail Freight Transportation Research and Development (R and D) Program. The assessment was to assist in preparing for an evaluation of the Program and to stimulate a better understanding of the broader issues and problems of evaluating R and D programs. In general, the objectives of the program are aimed at improving rail freight productivity, capacity, safety, cost, and the domestic and foreign competitive position of railway suppliers. This is to be acccomplished by stimulating a stronger industry commitment to R and D and inducing investment in new technology through joint federal-industry funding and participation in rail freight R and D projects. In view of the low funding levels of the Program, it is unlikely that it will have a significant direct impact upon these ultimate objectives. Impacts will likely only be achieved through the Program's ability to stimulate increased industrial R and D and investment in new technology. A model of the Program developed in the report shows that the critical linkages between the activities and objectives of the Program are the leadership or advocacy functions performed by the Program's managers and of the results of projects supported under the Program; and the processes of program planning and project selection. An assessment of the Program's structure indicates that there are no significant issues that would make the evaluation of the Program or its major components inadvisable. Twelve potential evaluation questions and the basic approaches required to address each of them are presented in the report. 5 figs., 10 tabs.

Implications of Continuous Quality Improvement for Program Evaluation and Evaluators.

Science.gov (United States)

Mark, Melvin M.; Pines, Edward

1995-01-01

Explores the implications that continuous quality improvement (CQI) programs are likely to have for evaluation. CQI, often known as total quality management, offers a structured approach to the analysis of an organization's processes and improvement that should provide advantages to evaluators once they have gained experience with the approach.…

Can the documented patient briefing be carried out with an iPad app?

Science.gov (United States)

Schlechtweg, Philipp Martin; Hammon, Matthias; Heberlein, Christian; Giese, David; Uder, Michael; Schwab, Siegfried Alexander

2013-06-01

To evaluate the feasibility of an iPad-based documented patient briefing for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) examinations. A standard briefing sheet and questionnaire for a MRI scan was converted from paper form into an iPad application. Twenty patients, who had been referred for an MRI scan, were briefed about the examination in paper form as well as via the iPad application before performing the MRI scan. Time each patient needed for the briefing and the number of questions that came up were documented. Patients' acceptance of the electronic briefing was assessed using a questionnaire. The mean processing time was 2.36 min (range 0.58 to 09.35 min., standard deviation ±2.05 min) for the paper-based briefing and 4.15 min (range 1.56 to 13.48 min, SD ± 2.36 min) for the app-based briefing. Concerning technical aspects, patients asked two questions during the app-based briefing; no questions arose during the paper-based briefing. Six patients preferred electronic briefing and four patients, the paper-based form. No patient preferred the electronic form with additional multimedial information. Eight participants did not mind which briefing version was used; two participants did not express their preference at all. Our experiences showed that electronic briefing using an iPad is feasible and has the potential to become a user-friendly alternative to the conventional paper-based approach. Owing to the broad range of the results, a follow-up study will seek to determine the influencing factors on processing time and other potential questions.

A systematic review of evaluated suicide prevention programs targeting indigenous youth.

Science.gov (United States)

Harlow, Alyssa F; Bohanna, India; Clough, Alan

2014-01-01

Indigenous young people have significantly higher suicide rates than their non-indigenous counterparts. There is a need for culturally appropriate and effective suicide prevention programs for this demographic. This review assesses suicide prevention programs that have been evaluated for indigenous youth in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States. The databases MEDLINE and PsycINFO were searched for publications on suicide prevention programs targeting indigenous youth that include reports on evaluations and outcomes. Program content, indigenous involvement, evaluation design, program implementation, and outcomes were assessed for each article. The search yielded 229 articles; 90 abstracts were assessed, and 11 articles describing nine programs were reviewed. Two Australian programs and seven American programs were included. Programs were culturally tailored, flexible, and incorporated multiple-levels of prevention. No randomized controlled trials were found, and many programs employed ad hoc evaluations, poor program description, and no process evaluation. Despite culturally appropriate content, the results of the review indicate that more controlled study designs using planned evaluations and valid outcome measures are needed in research on indigenous youth suicide prevention. Such changes may positively influence the future of research on indigenous youth suicide prevention as the outcomes and efficacy will be more reliable.

7 CFR 3405.22 - Evaluation of program.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Evaluation of program. 3405.22 Section 3405.22 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HIGHER EDUCATION CHALLENGE GRANTS PROGRAM...

Improving utility conservation programs: outcomes, interventions, and evaluations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Condelli, L; Archer, D; Aronson, E; Curbow, B; McLeod, B; Pettigrew, T F; White, L T; Yates, S

1984-06-01

Four major California utility companies have active energy conservation programs mandated by the State's Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). These companies evaluate their programs and send reports of the evaluations to the CPUC. A review of 213 of these reports revealed a marketing research approach toward promoting conservation. Advertising and informational campaigns characterize most programs, and attitudes and self-reported behavior were the major outcome measures. This approach is shown to be ineffective. Suggestions for improvement include: (1) the use of actual energy consumption as the primary outcome measure in evaluating conservation programs; (2) the abandonment of conventional advertising, and the use of it only for the promotion of ''hard'' interventions; (3) increased use of social diffusion methods to disseminate information; (4) the design of more effective educational material by incorporating cognitive social psychological principles; and (5) the utilization of ''hard'' interventions that have a direct, verifiable link to conservation.

Evaluation Planning, Evaluation Management, and Utilization of Evaluation Results within Adult Literacy Campaigns, Programs and Projects (with Implications for Adult Basic Education and Nonformal Education Programs in General). A Working Paper.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhola, H. S.

Addressed to professionals involved in program evaluation, this working paper covers various aspects of evaluation planning, including the following: planning as a sociotechnical process, steps in evaluation planning, program planning and implementation versus evaluation planning and implementation, the literacy system and its subsystems, and some…

NEPTUNE Helping Program Managers Understand Their Program Customers

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Uriell, Zannette

2004-01-01

.... This annotated brief outlines some of these studies and discusses in greater detail a recent project that assessed a number of dissimilar programs, leading to the creation of the NEPTUNE System...

The NLM evaluation lecture series: introduction to the special section on evaluating health communication programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Logan, Robert A; Kreps, Gary L

2014-12-01

This article introduces the Journal of Health Communication's special section, Evaluating Health Communication Programs. This special section is based on a public lecture series supported by the National Library of Medicine titled "Better Health: Evaluating Health Communication Programs" designed to share best practices for using evaluation research to develop, implement, refine, and institutionalize the best health communication programs for promoting public health. This introduction provides an overview to the series, summarizes the major presentations in the series, and describe implications from the series for translational health communication research, interventions, and programs that can enhance health outcomes.

Impact of a physical activity intervention program on cognitive predictors of behaviour among adults at risk of Type 2 diabetes (ProActive randomised controlled trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sutton Stephen

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the ProActive Trial an intensive theory-based intervention program was no more effective than theory-based brief advice in increasing objectively measured physical activity among adults at risk of Type 2 diabetes. We aimed to illuminate these findings by assessing whether the intervention program changed cognitions about increasing activity, defined by the Theory of Planned Behaviour, in ways consistent with the theory. Methods N = 365 sedentary participants aged 30–50 years with a parental history of Type 2 diabetes were randomised to brief advice alone or to brief advice plus the intervention program delivered face-to-face or by telephone. Questionnaires at baseline, 6 and 12 months assessed cognitions about becoming more physically active. Analysis of covariance was used to test intervention impact. Bootstrapping was used to test multiple mediation of intervention impact. Results At 6 months, combined intervention groups (face-to-face and telephone reported that they found increasing activity more enjoyable (affective attitude, d = .25, and they perceived more instrumental benefits (e.g., improving health (d = .23 and more control (d = .32 over increasing activity than participants receiving brief advice alone. Stronger intentions (d = .50 in the intervention groups than the brief advice group at 6 months were partially explained by affective attitude and perceived control. At 12 months, intervention groups perceived more positive instrumental (d = .21 and affective benefits (d = .29 than brief advice participants. The intervention did not change perceived social pressure to increase activity. Conclusion Lack of effect of the intervention program on physical activity over and above brief advice was consistent with limited and mostly small short-term effects on cognitions. Targeting affective benefits (e.g., enjoyment, social interaction and addressing barriers to physical activity may strengthen intentions, but

A Brief Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) Assessment to Evaluate Concussions

Science.gov (United States)

Mucha, Anne; Collins, Michael W.; Elbin, R.J.; Furman, Joseph M.; Troutman-Enseki, Cara; DeWolf, Ryan M.; Marchetti, Greg; Kontos, Anthony P.

2014-01-01

Background Vestibular and ocular motor impairments and symptoms have been documented in patients with sport-related concussions. However, there is no current brief clinical screen to assess and monitor these issues. Purpose To describe and provide initial data for the internal consistency and validity of a brief clinical screening tool for vestibular and ocular motor impairments and symptoms after sport-related concussions. Study Design Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods Sixty-four patients, aged 13.9 ± 2.5 years and seen approximately 5.5 ± 4.0 days after a sport-related concussion, and 78 controls were administered the Vestibular/Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) assessment, which included 5 domains: (1) smooth pursuit, (2) horizontal and vertical saccades, (3) near point of convergence (NPC) distance, (4) horizontal vestibular ocular reflex (VOR), and (5) visual motion sensitivity (VMS). Participants were also administered the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale (PCSS). Results Sixty-one percent of patients reported symptom provocation after at least 1 VOMS item. All VOMS items were positively correlated to the PCSS total symptom score. The VOR (odds ratio [OR], 3.89; P concussed group. An NPC distance ≥5 cm and any VOMS item symptom score ≥2 resulted in an increase in the probability of correctly identifying concussed patients of 38% and 50%, respectively. Receiver operating characteristic curves supported a model including the VOR, VMS, NPC distance, and ln(age) that resulted in a high predicted probability (area under the curve = 0.89) for identifying concussed patients. Conclusion The VOMS demonstrated internal consistency as well as sensitivity in identifying patients with concussions. The current findings provide preliminary support for the utility of the VOMS as a brief vestibular/ocular motor screen after sport-related concussions. The VOMS may augment current assessment tools and may serve as a single component of a comprehensive approach

Exploring productivity outcomes from a brief intervention for at-risk drinking in an employee assistance program.

Science.gov (United States)

Osilla, Karen Chan; dela Cruz, Erin; Miles, Jeremy N V; Zellmer, Steven; Watkins, Katherine; Larimer, Mary E; Marlatt, G Alan

2010-03-01

Brief intervention (BI) research has traditionally examined alcohol and drug use outcomes; however it is unknown whether BIs can also impact on-the-job productivity. This exploratory study examines changes in workplace productivity and related costs for clients receiving a BI for at-risk drinking in the employee assistance program (EAP). Participants were 44 clients attending the EAP for behavioral health concerns, screened for at-risk drinking, assigned to BI+Usual Care (n=25) or UC alone (n=19), and who completed 3-month follow-up. Absenteeism, presenteeism, and productivity costs were derived as outcomes. At follow-up, participants in the BI+UC group had improved productivity when at work (presenteeism) compared to the UC group. The estimated cost savings from improved productivity for the BI+UC group was $1200 per client over the UC group. Groups did not differ by absenteeism (missed days of work). Preliminary evidence suggests the broad impact BIs may have. Implications for future BI research are discussed. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Economic evaluation of brief psychodynamic interpersonal therapy in patients with multisomatoform disorder.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadja Chernyak

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: A brief psychodynamic interpersonal therapy (PIT in patients with multisomatoform disorder has been recently shown to improve health-related quality of life. AIMS: To assess cost-effectiveness of PIT compared to enhanced medical care in patients with multisomatoform disorder. METHOD: An economic evaluation alongside a randomised controlled trial (International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number ISRCTN23215121 conducted in 6 German academic outpatient centres was performed. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER was calculated from the statutory health insurance perspective on the basis of quality adjusted life years (QALYs gained at 12 months. Uncertainty surrounding the cost-effectiveness of PIT was presented by means of a cost-effectiveness acceptability curve. RESULTS: Based on the complete-case analysis ICER was 41840 Euro per QALY. The results did not change greatly with the use of multiple imputation (ICER = 44222 and last observation carried forward (LOCF approach to missing data (ICER = 46663. The probability of PIT being cost-effective exceeded 50% for thresholds of willingness to pay over 35 thousand Euros per QALY. CONCLUSIONS: Cost-effectiveness of PIT is highly uncertain for thresholds of willingness to pay under 35 thousand Euros per QALY.

Process Evaluation for a Prison-based Substance Abuse Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Staton, Michele; Leukefeld, Carl; Logan, T. K.; Purvis, Rick

2000-01-01

Presents findings from a process evaluation conducted in a prison-based substance abuse program in Kentucky. Discusses key components in the program, including a detailed program description, modifications in planned treatment strategies, program documentation, and perspectives of staff and clients. Findings suggest that prison-based programs have…

FHWA Research and Technology Evaluation: Public-Private Partnership Capacity Building Program

Science.gov (United States)

2018-02-01

This report details the evaluation of the Federal Highway Administrations Office of Innovative Program Delivery Public-Private Partnership (P3) Capacity Building Program (P3 Program). The evaluators focused on the P3 Programs P3 Toolkit as an e...

Process Evaluation and Continuous Improvement in Community Youth Programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer V. Trachtenberg

2008-06-01

Full Text Available A method of using process evaluation to provide improvement plans in order to promote community youth programs is described. The core elements of this method include the following: (1 collection and analysis of baseline data, (2 feedback provided to programs describing their strengths and limitations, (3 programs provided with assistance in preparing improvement plans in regard to their baseline data, and (4 follow-up evaluation assessed program changes based on their improvement plans and baseline data. A case study of an inner-city neighborhood youth center is used to demonstrate this method.

Evaluability Assessment of a National Driver Retraining Program: Are We Evaluating in the Right Lane?

Science.gov (United States)

Joanisse, Melanie; Stinchcombe, Arne; Yamin, Stephanie

2010-01-01

An evaluability assessment (EA) of the 55 Alive program, a national older driver refresher course aimed at improving driving skills, was conducted. This EA adds to the evaluation literature as previous outcome evaluations neglected to explore whether this program was prepared for such assessments. A mixed-method protocol was executed across three…

1992-1993 Bonneville Appliance Efficiency Program: Showerhead evaluation. Volume I - report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Warwick, W.M.

1995-01-01

The Bonneville Power Administration (Bonneville) provides wholesale electric power to over 100 retail distribution utilities in the Pacific Northwest. Bonneville is faced with meeting growing loads from these utilities. It acquires conservation as one means of meeting this load growth. Bonneville has offered a variety of conservation programs since 1980. Efficient showerheads have been a feature in residential conservation programs ever since. Bonneville launched the Residential Appliance Efficiency Program to focus on water-heater energy conservation opportunities in 1992. The Residential Appliance Efficiency Program consists of two parts, a water-heater efficiency program, and a hot-water efficiency program. This report evaluates the savings and costs of the first two years of the showerhead portion of the Residential Appliance Efficiency Program (the showerhead program). Although it is not a formal evaluation of the program limited to implementation or a {open_quotes}process{close_quotes} evaluation, observations about program design and implementation are included as appropriate. Results of this evaluation are limited to program participants within the Bonneville service territory.

Economic value evaluation in disease management programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Magnezi, Racheli; Reicher, Sima; Shani, Mordechai

2008-05-01

Chronic disease management has been a rapidly growing entity in the 21st century as a strategy for managing chronic illnesses in large populations. However, experience has shown that disease management programs have not been able to demonstrate their financial value. The objectives of disease management programs are to create quality benchmarks, such as principles and guidelines, and to establish a uniform set of metrics and a standardized methodology for evaluating them. In order to illuminate the essence of disease management and its components, as well as the complexity and the problematic nature of performing economic calculations of their profitability and value, we collected data from several reports that dealt with the economic intervention of disease management programs. The disease management economic evaluation is composed of a series of steps, including the following major categories: data/information technology, information generation, assessment/recommendations, actionable customer plans, and program assessment/reassessment. We demonstrate the elements necessary for economic analysis. Disease management is one of the most innovative tools in the managed care environment and is still in the process of being defined. Therefore, objectives should include the creation of quality measures, such as principles and guidelines, and the establishment of a uniform set of metrics and a standardized methodology for evaluating them.

Letter report for the superconducting magnet development program (Number 4). Progress report, June 1, 1975--September 1, 1975

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1976-01-01

The program objectives are outlined. Brief discussions of research progress are given for the following: systems design, coil design, conductor selection and test, radiation effects, coil protection, structural analysis and material tests, cryogenics and refrigeration, coil fabrication, and coil test and evaluation

Comparison of Brief Summary Formats Through a Health Literacy Lens.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharp, Michele L; Hall, Lori; Eleftherion, Anthony; Simpson, Katherine; Neuhauser, Linda

2018-01-01

Print pharmaceutical advertisements in the United States require inclusion of a brief summary of side effects, warnings, precautions, and contraindications from the labeling. The full package insert, which sponsors have traditionally used to fulfill the brief summary requirement, does not adhere to health literacy best practices, limiting its value to consumers. This study compared the understandability and usability of brief summaries in 3 formats designed to be more consumer friendly. Three brief summary formats were tested: (1) 2-column "Question and Answer"; (2) "Prescription Drug Facts Box," similar to current US over-the-counter drug facts labeling; and (3) "Health Literacy," based on clear communication principles. Researchers evaluated the formats using the Suitability Assessment of Materials (SAM) tool and conducted structured, scripted, one-on-one interviews (usability tests) with participants with estimated low to average education levels. This research was replicated across 2 therapeutic areas (type 2 diabetes and plaque psoriasis). SAM scores showed that the Health Literacy format outperformed the Question and Answer format and the Prescription Drug Facts Box format in both therapeutic areas, with both Health Literacy brief summaries rated on the SAM as "superior." Qualitative usability tests supported the SAM findings, with the Health Literacy format preferred consistently over the Question and Answer format, and more often than not over the Prescription Drug Facts Box format. Sponsors can employ a user-tested Health Literacy format to improve the understandability and usability of brief summaries with patients.

Evaluating and Selecting Sport Management Undergraduate Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Cuneen, Jacquelyn; Sidwell, M. Joy

1998-01-01

States that the accelerated growth of sport management undergraduate programs that began in the 1980s has continued into the current decade. There are currently 180 sport management major programs in American colleges and universities. Describes the sports management approval process and suggests useful strategies to evaluate sport management…

ENergy and Power Evaluation Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-11-01

In the late 1970s, national and international attention began to focus on energy issues. Efforts were initiated to design and test analytical tools that could be used to assist energy planners in evaluating energy systems, particularly in developing countries. In 1984, the United States Department of Energy (DOE) commissioned Argonne National Laboratory`s Decision and Information Sciences Division (DIS) to incorporate a set of analytical tools into a personal computer-based package for distribution in developing countries. The package developed by DIS staff, the ENergy and Power Evaluation Program (ENPEP), covers the range of issues that energy planners must face: economic development, energy demand projections, supply-and-demand balancing, energy system expansion, and environmental impact analysis. Following the original DOE-supported development effort, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), with the assistance from the US Department of State (DOS) and the US Department of Energy (DOE), provided ENPEP training, distribution, and technical support to many countries. ENPEP is now in use in over 60 countries and is an international standard for energy planning tools. More than 500 energy experts have been trained in the use of the entire ENPEP package or some of its modules during the international training courses organized by the IAEA in collaboration with Argonne`s Decision and Information Sciences (DIS) Division and the Division of Educational Programs (DEP). This report contains the ENPEP program which can be download from the internet. Described in this report is the description of ENPEP Program, news, forums, online support and contacts.

Evaluation of programs to improve complementary feeding in infants and young children.

Science.gov (United States)

Frongillo, Edward A

2017-10-01

Evaluation of complementary feeding programs is needed to enhance knowledge on what works, to document responsible use of resources, and for advocacy. Evaluation is done during program conceptualization and design, implementation, and determination of effectiveness. This paper explains the role of evaluation in the advancement of complementary feeding programs, presenting concepts and methods and illustrating them through examples. Planning and investments for evaluations should occur from the beginning of the project life cycle. Essential to evaluation is articulation of a program theory on how change would occur and what program actions are required for change. Analysis of program impact pathways makes explicit the dynamic connections in the program theory and accounts for contextual factors that could influence program effectiveness. Evaluating implementation functioning is done through addressing questions about needs, coverage, provision, and utilization using information obtained from process evaluation, operations research, and monitoring. Evaluating effectiveness is done through assessing impact, efficiency, coverage, process, and causality. Plausibility designs ask whether the program seemed to have an effect above and beyond external influences, often using a nonrandomized control group and baseline and end line measures. Probability designs ask whether there was an effect using a randomized control group. Evaluations may not be able to use randomization, particularly for programs implemented at a large scale. Plausibility designs, innovative designs, or innovative combinations of designs sometimes are best able to provide useful information. Further work is needed to develop practical designs for evaluation of large-scale country programs on complementary feeding. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Can an hour or two of sun protection education keep the sunburn away? Evaluation of the Environmental Protection Agency's Sunwise School Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenausis Kristin

2003-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Melanoma incidence is rising at a rate faster than any other preventable cancer in the United States. Childhood exposure to ultraviolet (UV light increases risk for skin cancer as an adult, thus starting positive sun protection habits early may be key to reducing the incidence of this disease. Methods The Environmental Protection Agency's SunWise School Program, a national environmental and health education program for sun safety of children in primary and secondary schools (grades K-8, was evaluated with surveys administered to participating students and faculty. Results Pretests (n = 5,625 and posttests (n = 5,028 were completed by students in 102 schools in 42 states. Significant improvement was noted for the three knowledge variables. Intentions to play in the shade increased from 68% to 75%(p Conclusions Brief, standardized sun protection education can be efficiently interwoven into existing school curricula, and result in improvements in knowledge and positive intentions for sun protection.

Fusion Reactor Safety Research Program annual report, FY-79

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crocker, J.G.; Cohen, S.

1980-08-01

The objective of the program is the development, coordination, and execution of activities related to magnetic fusion devices and reactors that will: (a) identify and evaluate potential hazards, (b) assess and disclose potential environmental impacts, and (c) develop design standards and criteria that eliminate, mitigate, or reduce those hazards and impacts. The program will provide a sound basis for licensing fusion reactors. Included in this report are portions of four reports from two outside contractors, discussions of the several areas in which EG and G Idaho is conducting research activities, a discussion of proposed program plan development, mention of special tasks, a review of fusion technology program coordination by EG and G with other laboratories, and a brief view of proposed FY-80 activities

The Evaluation Of A Diversity Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christa Fouche

2004-11-01

Die artikel evalueer die inhoud van ’n diversiteits-program wat ontwerp en ontwikkel is ten einde die redes waarom diversiteits-opleiding faal, aan te spreek.’n Groot maatskappy in die banksektor het die ontwikkeling geinisieer en ’n aantal senior personeellede is genader om die inhoud te evalueer. Daar is bevind dat die inhoud aan wêreldklas standaarde voldoen.

Evaluation of the implementation of Get Healthy at Work, a workplace health promotion program in New South Wales, Australia.

Science.gov (United States)

Khanal, Santosh; Lloyd, Beverley; Rissel, Chris; Portors, Claire; Grunseit, Anne; Indig, Devon; Ibrahim, Ismail; McElduff, Sinead

2016-02-01

Issue addressed Get Healthy at Work (GHaW) is a statewide program to reduce chronic disease risk among NSW workers by helping them make small changes to modifiable lifestyle chronic disease risk factors and create workplace environments that support healthy lifestyles. It has two primary components: a workplace health program (WHP) for businesses and online or face-to-face Brief Health Checks (BHCs) for workers. In this paper, we discuss our evaluation to identify areas for improvement in the implementation of WHP and to assess the uptake of BHCs by workers. Methods Routinely collected WHP and BHC program data between July 2014 and February 2016 were analysed. A baseline online survey regarding workplace health promotion was conducted with 247 key contacts at registered GHaW worksites and a control group of 400 key contacts from a range of businesses. Seven telephone interviews were conducted with service provider key contacts. Results As at February 2016, 3133 worksites (from 1199 businesses) across NSW had registered for GHaW, of which 36.8% started the program. Similar proportions of GHaW (34.0%) and control (31.7%) businesses had existing WHPs. BHCs were completed by 12740 workers, and of those whose risks were assessed, 78.9% had moderate or high risk of diabetes and 33.6% had increased or high risk of cardiovascular disease. Approximately half (50.6%) of eligible BHC participants were referred to Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service (GHS) and 37.7% to Quitline. The uptake of face-to-face BHCs compared with online was significantly higher for males, people aged over 35 years, those undertaking less physical activity and those less likely to undertake active travel to work. Service providers suggested that the program's structured five-step pathway did not offer adequate flexibility to support worksites' progress through the program. Conclusions During the evaluation period, a substantial number of NSW worksites registered for GHaW but their progress

Evaluating Youth Sexual Health Peer Education Programs: "Challenges and Suggestions for Effective Evaluation Practices"

Science.gov (United States)

Jaworsky, Denise; Larkin, June; Sriranganathan, Gobika; Clout, Jerri; Janssen, Jesse; Campbell, Lisa; Flicker, Sarah; Stadnicki, Dan; Erlich, Leah; Flynn, Susan

2013-01-01

Although peer sexual health education is a common form of sexual health promotion for youth, systematic reviews of these programs are relatively rare. In this study we interviewed youth peer educators to inquire about their experience of program evaluation and their perception of what is needed to develop effective evaluation practices. Data were…

Practitioner Review: The Effectiveness of Solution Focused Brief Therapy with Children and Families: A Systematic and Critical Evaluation of the Literature from 1990-2010

Science.gov (United States)

Bond, Caroline; Woods, Kevin; Humphrey, Neil; Symes, Wendy; Green, Lorraine

2013-01-01

Background and scope: Solution focused brief therapy (SFBT) is a strengths-based therapeutic approach, emphasizing the resources that people possess and how these can be applied to a positive change process. The current study provides a systematic review of the SFBT evidence base and a critical evaluation of the use and application of SFBT in…

A framework for telehealth program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nepal, Surya; Li, Jane; Jang-Jaccard, Julian; Alem, Leila

2014-04-01

Evaluating telehealth programs is a challenging task, yet it is the most sensible first step when embarking on a telehealth study. How can we frame and report on telehealth studies? What are the health services elements to select based on the application needs? What are the appropriate terms to use to refer to such elements? Various frameworks have been proposed in the literature to answer these questions, and each framework is defined by a set of properties covering different aspects of telehealth systems. The most common properties include application, technology, and functionality. With the proliferation of telehealth, it is important not only to understand these properties, but also to define new properties to account for a wider range of context of use and evaluation outcomes. This article presents a comprehensive framework for delivery design, implementation, and evaluation of telehealth services. We first survey existing frameworks proposed in the literature and then present our proposed comprehensive multidimensional framework for telehealth. Six key dimensions of the proposed framework include health domains, health services, delivery technologies, communication infrastructure, environment setting, and socioeconomic analysis. We define a set of example properties for each dimension. We then demonstrate how we have used our framework to evaluate telehealth programs in rural and remote Australia. A few major international studies have been also mapped to demonstrate the feasibility of the framework. The key characteristics of the framework are as follows: (a) loosely coupled and hence easy to use, (b) provides a basis for describing a wide range of telehealth programs, and (c) extensible to future developments and needs.

Using Evaluability Assessment to Improve Program Evaluation for the Blue-Throated Macaw Environmental Education Project in Bolivia

Science.gov (United States)

Salvatierra da Silva, Daniela; Jacobson, Susan K.; Monroe, Martha C.; Israel, Glenn D.

2016-01-01

An evaluability assessment of a program to save a critically endangered bird helped prepare the Blue-throated Macaw Environmental Education Project for evaluation and program improvement. The evaluability assessment facilitated agreement among key stakeholders on evaluation criteria and intended uses of evaluation information in order to maximize…

Education Model Program on Water-Energy Research: A New STEM Graduate Program from Development through Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

McCay, D.; Fiorenza, P.; Lautz, L.

2017-12-01

More than half of Ph.D. scientists and engineers find employment in non-academic sectors. Recognizing the range of career options for graduate degree holders and the need to align graduate education with the expectations of prospective employers, the National Science Foundation (NSF) created the NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) program. To date, over 100 NRT programs have been funded. As these programs are implemented, it is important to assess their progress, successes, and challenges. This presentation describes the ongoing evaluation of one NRT program, "Education Model Program on Water-Energy Research" (or EMPOWER) at Syracuse University. Through seminars, mini-grants, professional development activities, field courses, internship opportunities, and coursework, EMPOWER's goal is to equip students with the skills needed for the range of career options in water and energy. In collaboration with an external evaluator, EMPOWER is examining the fidelity of the program to proposed goals, providing feedback to inform project improvement (formative assessment) and assessing the effectiveness of achieving program goals (summative assessment). Using a convergent parallel mixed method design, qualitative and quantitative data were collected to develop a full assessment of the first year of the program. Evaluation findings have resulted in several positive changes to the program. For example, EMPOWER students perceive themselves to have high technical skills, but the data show that the students do not believe that they have a strong professional network. Based on those findings, EMPOWER offered several professional development events focused on building one's professional network. Preliminary findings have enabled the EMPOWER leadership team to make informed decisions about the ways the program elements can be redesigned to better meet student needs, about how to the make the program more effective, and determine the program elements that may be sustained beyond the funding

The RERTR Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Travelli, A.

1992-01-01

The progress of the Reduced Enrichment Research and Test Reactor (RERTR) Program is described. The major events, findings, and activities of 1991 are reviewed after a brief summary of the results which the RERTR Program had achieved by the end of 1991 in collaboration with its many international partners

Program Evaluation of a Special Education Day School for Conduct Problem Adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Maher, Charles A.

1981-01-01

Describes a procedure for program evaluation of a special education day school. The procedure enables a program evaluator to: (1) identify priority evaluation information needs of a school staff, (2) involve those persons in evaluation design and implementation, and (3) determine the utility of the evaluation for program decision-making purposes.…

A Glossary of Research Terms for Out-of-School Time Program Practitioners. Research-to-Results Fact Sheet. Publication #2007-02

Science.gov (United States)

Bronte-Tinkew, Jacinta; Horowitz, Allison; Redd, Zakia; Moore, Kristin A.; Valladares, Sherylls

2007-01-01

This glossary of common research and evaluation terms can serve as a quick reference guide for out-of school time practitioners as they face the challenges posed in this new era of program accountability. Subsequent briefs will provide more detailed information on particular types of research and evaluation designs. A list of additional resources…

Manipulator system man-machine interface evaluation program. [technology assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Malone, T. B.; Kirkpatrick, M.; Shields, N. L.

1974-01-01

Application and requirements for remote manipulator systems for future space missions were investigated. A manipulator evaluation program was established to study the effects of various systems parameters on operator performance of tasks necessary for remotely manned missions. The program and laboratory facilities are described. Evaluation criteria and philosophy are discussed.

Cross-cultural validation and psychometric evaluation of the Spanish Brief Religious Coping Scale (S-BRCS).

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Nelda C; Sousa, Valmi D

2011-07-01

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Spanish Brief Religious Coping Scale (S-BRCS). A descriptive correlational design was used to conduct the study among a convenience sample of 121 Mexican Americans with diabetes. The positive and negative religious coping subscales had Cronbach’s alphas of .85 and .86, respectively. All interitem and item-to-total correlations for each subscale were above the recommended criteria of .30. Factor loadings of the positive subscale using oblique (oblimin) and orthogonal (varimax) rotation ranged from .71 to .86 and from .72 to .86, respectively.Factor loadings of the negative subscale using oblimin and varimax rotation ranged from .64 to .83 and from .63 to .83,respectively. The S-BRCS was found to be a valid and reliable instrument to measure religious coping among Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans with type 2 diabetes. IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH AND PRACTICE: Further psychometric evaluation of the S-BRCS among larger sample of Mexican Americans and other Hispanic ethnic groups is warranted. The S-BRCS has the potential to become a standard instrument that can be used by clinicians who work with Hispanic clients with diabetes mellitus to provide culturally competent diabetes care.

Evaluation of otolaryngology residency program websites.

Science.gov (United States)

Svider, Peter F; Gupta, Amar; Johnson, Andrew P; Zuliani, Giancarlo; Shkoukani, Mahdi A; Eloy, Jean Anderson; Folbe, Adam J

2014-10-01

Prior to applying or interviewing, most prospective applicants turn to the Internet when evaluating residency programs, making maintenance of a comprehensive website critical. While certain "intangibles" such as reputation may not be communicated effectively online, residency websites are invaluable for conveying other aspects of a program. Prior analyses have reported that certain criteria such as research experience and didactics are important considerations for applicants. To evaluate the comprehensiveness of otolaryngology residency websites. Review of otolaryngology residency program websites. Websites of 99 civilian residency programs were searched for the presence of 23 criteria. Presence of 23 criteria for application process, incentives, instruction, research, clinical training, and other. Only 5 programs contained at least three-quarters of the criteria analyzed; on average programs reported less than 50% of information sought. Among the 99 residency program websites, a description of the following criteria was noted: comprehensive faculty listing (88%), didactics (80%), contact e-mail (77%), current residents (74%), description of facilities (70%), intern schedule (70%), research requirements (69%), otolaryngology rotation schedule (64%), other courses (61%), ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service) link (55%), year-to-year responsibility progression (47%), call schedule (40%), active/past research projects (37%), area information (34%), message from the program director (33%) or chair (23%), selection criteria (30%), salary (directly on site) (23%), surgical statistics (18%), parking (9%), and meal allowance (7%). The mean (SD) percentage present of factors encompassing "clinical training" was 55% (23%), significantly higher than the mean (SD) percentage of factors covered under the "incentives" category (19% [11%]; P = .01). The proportion of overall criteria present on websites did not differ on organizing programs by region (range, 42

Proactive and Brief Smoking Cessation Intervention for Smokers at Outdoor Smoking "Hotspots" in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Sophia Siu Chee; Cheung, Yee Tak Derek; Wan, Zoe; Wang, Man Ping; Lam, Tai-Hing

2018-04-01

Increased outdoor smoking is a common phenomenon after indoor smoking bans were in place. A series of observational studies were conducted to evaluate a novel, proactive, and brief smoking cessation intervention at outdoor smoking "hotspots," i.e., outdoor public areas where ashtrays were available and smokers clustered to smoke. The number of smokers at 26 selected hotspots were observed and counted for two consecutive days. Further observations of the smokers' characteristics and brief smoking cessation intervention were conducted at ten of the hotspots with the greatest number of smokers. Responses of the smokers to the brief intervention, including a leaflet and brief smoking cessation advice using AWAR protocol delivered by trained smoking cessation ambassadors, were assessed. A total of 24,034 smokers were observed within 464 h, which equals 51.8 smokers per hour. Of the 5070 pedestrians observed at the ten hotspots during the intervention sessions, 1228 (24.2 %) were smokers. In the 1228 smokers who were approached during our intervention sessions, about two thirds were willing to receive the self-help leaflet on smoking cessation whereas about half received the brief smoking cessation advice. Recruiting smokers and delivering brief smoking cessation interventions at smoking hotspots are feasible and likely effective to reach large numbers of smokers. Studies to evaluate the effectiveness of using this approach for smoking cessation are warranted.

Clemson University Science Master's Program in Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure: A program evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

O'Sell, Elizabeth Eberhart

The Clemson University Science Master's Program (SMP) in Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure is a program which aims to link engineering, materials, construction, environment, architecture, business, and public policy to produce graduates with unique holistic perspective and expertise to immediately contribute to the workforce in the area of sustainable and resilient infrastructure. A program evaluation of the SMP has been performed to study the effectiveness of the SMP and identify areas where the goals and vision of the SMP are achieved and areas where improvements can be made. This was completed by analysis of trends within survey responses, review of Master's thesis reports, and review of courses taken. It was found that the SMP has facilitated new interdisciplinary research collaborations of faculty in different concentration areas within the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering, as well as collaboration with faculty in other departments. It is recommended that a course which provides instruction in all eight competency areas be required for all SMP students to provide a comprehensive overview and ensure all students are exposed to concepts of all competency areas. While all stakeholders are satisfied with the program and believe it has been successful thus far, efforts do need to be made as the program moves forward to address and improve some items that have been mentioned as needing improvement. The concerns about concentration courses, internship planning, and advising should be addressed. This evaluation provides benefits to prospective students, current SMP participants, and outside program supporters. The goal of this evaluation is to provide support that the SMP is an effective and worthwhile program for participating students, while attempting to identify any necessary program improvements and provide recommendations for achieving these improvements. This goal has been accomplished.

Overview of Evaluation Methods for R&D Programs. A Directory of Evaluation Methods Relevant to Technology Development Programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruegg, Rosalie [TIA Consulting, Inc., Emeral Isle, NC (United States); Jordan, Gretchen B. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2007-03-01

This document provides guidance for evaluators who conduct impact assessments to determine the “realized” economic benefits and costs, energy, environmental benefits, and other impacts of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) R&D programs. The focus of this Guide is on realized outcomes or impacts of R&D programs actually experienced by American citizens, industry, and others.

Relevance Evaluation of Engineering Master's Program in Peru

OpenAIRE

Miñán, Erick; Lavalle, Carlos; Díaz-Puente, José M.

2012-01-01

In a context of mass higher education, it is necessary to ensure not only quality but also the relevance of engineering master's programs, namely the appropriateness of the objectives and outcomes to the needs and interests of the program beneficiaries. After a literature review we analyzed the evaluation models of three organizations in Peru: the Board of Evaluation, Accreditation and Certification of the University Education Quality CONEAU, the Institute of Quality and Accreditation of Comp...

Challenges to Evaluating Physical Activity Programs in American Indian/Alaska Native Communities

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Erica Blue; Butler, James; Green, Kerry M.

2018-01-01

Despite the importance of evaluation to successful programming, a lack of physical activity program (PAP) evaluation for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) programs exists, which is significant given the high rates of obesity and diabetes in this population. While evaluation barriers have been identified broadly among AI/AN programs, challenges…

Training Staff to Implement Brief Stimulus Preference Assessments

Science.gov (United States)

Weldy, Christina R.; Rapp, John T.; Capocasa, Kelli

2014-01-01

We trained 9 behavioral staff members to conduct 2 brief preference assessments using 30-min video presentations that contained instructions and modeling. After training, we evaluated each staff member's implementation of the assessments in situ. Results indicated that 1 or 2 training sessions for each method were sufficient for teaching each…

Characteristics of team briefings in gynecological surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsyth, Katherine L; Hildebrand, Emily A; Hallbeck, M Susan; Branaghan, Russell J; Blocker, Renaldo C

2018-02-24

Preoperative briefings have been proven beneficial for improving team performance in the operating room. However, there has been minimal research regarding team briefings in specific surgical domains. As part of a larger project to develop a briefing structure for gynecological surgery, the study aimed to better understand the current state of pre-operative team briefings in one department of an academic hospital. Twenty-four team briefings were observed and video recorded. Communication was analyzed and social network metrics were created based on the team member verbal interactions. Introductions occurred in only 25% of the briefings. Network analysis revealed that average team briefings exhibited a hierarchical structure of communication, with the surgeon speaking the most frequently. The average network for resident-led briefings displayed a non-hierarchical structure with all team members communicating with the resident. Briefings conducted without a standardized protocol can produce variable communication between the role leading and the team members present. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Why invest in an educational fellowship program?

Science.gov (United States)

Searle, Nancy S; Hatem, Charles J; Perkowski, Linda; Wilkerson, LuAnn

2006-11-01

Expanding and refining the repertoire of medical school teaching faculty is required by the many current and changing demands of medical education. To meet this challenge academic medical institutions have begun to establish programs--including educational fellowship programs--to improve the teaching toolboxes of faculty and to empower them to assume leadership roles within both institutional and educational arenas. In this article, the authors (1) provide historical background on educational fellowship programs; (2) describe the prevalence and focus of these programs in North American medical schools, based on data from a recent (2005) survey; and (3) give a brief overview of the nine fellowship programs that are discussed fully in other articles in this issue of Academic Medicine. These articles describe very different types of educational fellowships that, nevertheless, share common features: a cohort of faculty members who are selected to participate in a longitudinal set of faculty development activities to improve participants' teaching skills and to build a cadre of educational leaders for the institution. Evaluation of educational fellowships remains a challenging issue, but the authors contend that one way to evaluate the programs' effectiveness is to look at the educational improvements that have been instigated by program graduates. The authors hope that the various program descriptions will help readers to improve their existing programs and/or to initiate new programs.

What Works for Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health: Lessons from Experimental Evaluations of Programs and Interventions. Publication #2014-64

Science.gov (United States)

Fish, Heather; Manlove, Jennifer; Moore, Kristen Anderson; Mass, Elizabeth

2014-01-01

The United States continues to have one of the highest teen birth rates in the developed world, and adolescent rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are also high. These factors highlight the need to identify effective evidence-based programs to improve adolescent reproductive health. This brief synthesizes findings from 118 experimental…

Financial Education in TRIO Programs. Institutional Policy Brief

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Hannah; Kezar, Adrianna

2009-01-01

To address some of the financial challenges facing low-income students, federal policymakers enacted a provision in the 2008 Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) that makes financial literacy a required service of all TRIO programs (or, in the case of McNair, simply makes permissible). Effective August 2008, these programs started offering…

A prospective study assessing agreement and reliability of a geriatric evaluation

OpenAIRE

Locatelli, Isabella; Monod, St?fanie; Cornuz, Jacques; B?la, Christophe J.; Senn, Nicolas

2017-01-01

Background The present study takes place within a geriatric program, aiming at improving the diagnosis and management of geriatric syndromes in primary care. Within this program it was of prime importance to be able to rely on a robust and reproducible geriatric consultation to use as a gold standard for evaluating a primary care brief assessment tool. The specific objective of the present study was thus assessing the agreement and reliability of a comprehensive geriatric consultation. Method...

Evaluating the impacts of the clean cities program.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Shiyong; Kaza, Nikhil

2017-02-01

The Department of Energy's Clean Cities program was created in 1993 to reduce petroleum usage in the transportation sector. The program promotes alternative fuels such as biofuels and fuel-saving strategies such as idle reduction and fleet management through coalitions of local government, non-profit, and private actors. Few studies have evaluated the impact of the program because of its complexity that include interrelated strategies of grants, education and training and diversity of participants. This paper uses a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) approach to evaluate the effectiveness of the program between 1990 and 2010. We quantify the effectiveness of the Clean Cities program by focusing on performance measures such as air quality, number of alternative fueling stations, private vehicle occupancy and transit ridership. We find that counties that participate in the program perform better on all these measures compared to counties that did not participate. Compared to the control group, counties in the Clean Cities program experienced a reduction in days with bad air quality (3.7%), a decrease in automobile commuters (2.9%), an overall increase in transit commuters (2.1%) and had greater numbers of new alternative fueling stations (12.9). The results suggest that the program is a qualified success. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The program success story: a valuable tool for program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavinghouze, Rene; Price, Ann Webb; Smith, Kisha-Ann

2007-10-01

Success stories are evaluation tools that have been used by professionals across disciplines for quite some time. They are also proving to be useful in promoting health programs and their accomplishments. The increasing popularity of success stories is due to the innovative and effective way that they increase a program's visibility, while engaging potential participants, partners, and funders in public health efforts. From the community level to the federal level, program administrators are using success stories as vehicles for celebrating achievements, sharing challenges, and communicating lessons learned. Success stories are an effective means to move beyond the numbers and connect to readers-with a cause they can relate to and want to join. This article defines success stories and provides an overview of several types of story formats, how success stories can be systematically collected, and how they are used to communicate program success.

Quasi-Experimental Evaluation of a Student Mentoring Program

OpenAIRE

Sandner, Malte

2013-01-01

This paper presents evidence from a natural-experiment which evaluates the effectiveness of a student mentoring program. The mentoring includes several compulsory, scheduled, faceto- face appointments between a mentor and a student in the first study year. All mentors are graduated and employed by the institution. For the evaluation, I use the fact that the mentoring is only offered to students in an economics and management program, whereas it is not offered to students in an industrial engi...

A Qualitative Evaluation of Program Budgeting and Marginal Analysis in a Canadian Pediatric Tertiary Care Institution.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Neale; Mitton, Craig; Hiltz, Mary-Ann; Campbell, Matthew; Dowling, Laura; Magee, J Fergall; Gujar, Shashi Ashok

2016-10-01

Hospitals in Canada are being asked by governments to improve efficiency and do more with fewer resources. Healthcare decision makers are thus driven to find better ways to manage budgets and deliver on their mission. Formal processes of priority setting and resource allocation (PSRA) are one means to this end. This paper reports an evaluation of one such approach, Program Budgeting and Marginal Analysis (PBMA), as applied at a children and women's tertiary care facility in Nova Scotia, Canada. A brief evaluation conducted immediately after the conclusion of the PBMA process was supplemented with a larger retrospective evaluation. The retrospective evaluation included 26 face-to-face individual interviews with senior and middle managers who took part in PBMA. Interview transcripts were analyzed against a template consisting of 19 elements of structure, process, attitudes, and outcomes associated with high performance in PSRA. Respondents had a good experience with the implementation of PBMA, and considered it an improvement over past practice. Success was attributed to effective leadership, and substantial efforts to engage staff members. Understanding of economic and ethical principles of decision making was reportedly increased. Areas for improvement included ensuring that everyone participated in good faith, better communication of final results, and stronger follow-through to determine if anticipated changes and benefits in fact occurred. The evaluation framework employed here proved useful in assessing the quality of this resource allocation exercise. The results are directly useful to local decision makers, and the identified strengths and weaknesses are broadly consistent with those reported in studies of other organizations.

Operating experience and corrective action program at Ontario Hydro Nuclear

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Collingwood, Barry; Turner, David

1998-01-01

This is a slide-based talk given at the COG/IAEA: 5. Technical Committee Meeting on 'Exchange of operating experience of pressurized heavy water reactors'. In the introduction there are presented the operating experience (OPEX) program of OHN, and the OPEX Program Mission, ensuring that the right information gets to the right staff at the right time. The OPEX Processes are analysed. These are: - Internal Corrective Action; - Inter-site Lesson Transfer; - External Lesson Transfer; - External Posting of OHN Events; - Internalizing Operating Experience. Steps in solving the Corrective Action Program are described: - Identify the Problem; - Notify Immediate Supervision/Manager; - Evaluate the Problem; - Correct the Problem; Monitor/Report Status. The Internal Corrective Action is then presented as a flowchart. The internalizing operating experience is presented under three aspects: - Communication; - Interface; - Training. The following items are discussed, respectively: peer meetings, department/section meetings, safety meetings, e-mail folders, newsletters and bulletin boards; work planning, pre-job briefings, supervisors' briefing cards; classroom initial and refresher (case studies), simulator, management courses. A diagram is presented showing the flow and treatment of information within OHN, centered on the weekly screening meetings. Finally, the corrective action processes are depicted in a flowchart and analysed in details

Independent auto evaluation of an operative radiological protection program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Medrano L, M.A.; Rodriguez C, C.C.; Linares R, D.; Zarate M, N.; Zempoalteca B, R.

2006-01-01

The program of operative radiological protection of a nuclear power plant consists of multiple procedures and associate tasks that have as purpose the radiological protection of the workers of the power station. It is for this reason that the constant evaluation of the one it programs it is an important tool in the identification of their weaknesses (and strengths), so they can be assisted appropriately. In this work the main elements of the program of independent auto evaluation of the program of operative radiological protection of the Laguna Verde Central that has been developed and implemented by the National Institute of Nuclear Research are described. (Author)

Taiwan Teacher Preparation Program Evaluation: Some Critical Perspectives

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Tze-Chang

2015-01-01

This paper focuses on the influences and changes of recent Taiwan teacher preparation program evaluation (TTPPE) as one of the national evaluation projects conducted by the Higher Education Evaluation and Accreditation Council of Taiwan. The main concerns are what kind of ideology is transformed through the policy by means of evaluation, and what…

Validation of the Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire-Brief

Science.gov (United States)

Torrealday, O.; Stein, L. A. R.; Barnett, N.; Golembeske, C.; Lebeau, R.; Colby, S. M.; Monti, P. M.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a brief version of the Marijuana Effect Expectancy Questionnaire (MEEQ; Schafer & Brown, 1991). The original MEEQ was reduced to 6 items (MEEQ-B). Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed and two factors were identified (positive effects and negative effects) accounting for 52.3% of the variance.…

Evolution of a multilevel framework for health program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Masso, Malcolm; Quinsey, Karen; Fildes, Dave

2017-07-01

A well-conceived evaluation framework increases understanding of a program's goals and objectives, facilitates the identification of outcomes and can be used as a planning tool during program development. Herein we describe the origins and development of an evaluation framework that recognises that implementation is influenced by the setting in which it takes place, the individuals involved and the processes by which implementation is accomplished. The framework includes an evaluation hierarchy that focuses on outcomes for consumers, providers and the care delivery system, and is structured according to six domains: program delivery, impact, sustainability, capacity building, generalisability and dissemination. These components of the evaluation framework fit into a matrix structure, and cells within the matrix are supported by relevant evaluation tools. The development of the framework has been influenced by feedback from various stakeholders, existing knowledge of the evaluators and the literature on health promotion and implementation science. Over the years, the framework has matured and is generic enough to be useful in a wide variety of circumstances, yet specific enough to focus data collection, data analysis and the presentation of findings.

Organizational Structures that Support Internal Program Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Lambur, Michael T.

2008-01-01

This chapter explores how the structure of large complex organizations such as Cooperative Extension affects their ability to support internal evaluation of their programs and activities. Following a literature review of organizational structure and its relation to internal evaluation capacity, the chapter presents the results of interviews with…

Effects of a brief pilot sexual harassment prevention workshop on employees' knowledge.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, Cody; Kramer, Alaina; Woolman, Kendra; Staecker, Emma; Visker, Joseph; Cox, Carol

2013-10-01

Administrators from three workplaces were interested in conducting evidence-based sexual harassment prevention training for their employees, but they could devote little time during the workday to the training. A pilot program to evaluate the use of a 1-hour workshop that followed best practice recommendations and adult learning principles using job-related scenarios was designed. Participants' overall sexual harassment prevention knowledge scores significantly increased from before to after the workshop and were significantly higher after the workshop than those of a control group. The majority of participants also perceived that their workplaces were committed to employees understanding the sexual harassment policy, and that the workplace would seriously investigate claims and take corrective action. Even a brief workshop covering essential content using adult learning principles can be effective in sexual harassment prevention knowledge acquisition. Copyright 2013, SLACK Incorporated.

Compulsory Project-Level Involvement and the Use of Program-Level Evaluations: Evaluating the Local Systemic Change for Teacher Enhancement Program

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Kelli; Weiss, Iris R.

2011-01-01

In 1995, the National Science Foundation (NSF) contracted with principal investigator Iris Weiss and an evaluation team at Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI) to conduct a national evaluation of the Local Systemic Change for Teacher Enhancement program (LSC). HRI conducted the core evaluation under a $6.25 million contract with NSF. This program…

Methods for evaluating a mature substance abuse prevention/early intervention program.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, L R; Hall, M; Fisher, D A; Miller, T R

2000-05-01

The authors describe methods for work in progress to evaluate four workplace prevention and/or early intervention programs designed to change occupational norms and reduce substance abuse at a major U.S. transportation company. The four programs are an employee assistance program, random drug testing, managed behavioral health care, and a peer-led intervention program. An elaborate mixed-methods evaluation combines data collection and analysis techniques from several traditions. A process-improvement evaluation focuses on the peer-led component to describe its evolution, document the implementation process for those interested in replicating it, and provide information for program improvement. An outcome-assessment evaluation examines impacts of the four programs on job performance measures (e.g., absenteeism, turnover, injury, and disability rates) and includes a cost-offset and employer cost-savings analysis. Issues related to using archival data, combining qualitative and quantitative designs, and working in a corporate environment are discussed.

A Pilot of a Brief Positive Parenting Program on Children Newly Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Zand, Debra H; Bultas, Margaret W; McMillin, Stephen Edward; Halloran, Donna; White, Taryn; McNamara, Donnamarie; Pierce, Katherine J

2017-12-14

Disruptive behaviors can be of comparable or greater concern to parents than the core symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Provision of effective interventions to address these behaviors within the first year of initial diagnosis holds great potential for improving the child's, parents', and family's functioning. We piloted a four-session, manualized, positive parenting program on 21 parents of newly diagnosed children ages 2 through 12 years using a mixed methods design. Seventy-five percent of parents completed four sessions, with 100% reporting high levels of service satisfaction. Preliminary results indicated clinically and statistically significant reductions in child maladaptive behaviors, as well as improvements in parental and family functioning. Practitioners and parents identified several potential implementation adaptations, including additional sessions to focus on ASD education and real-time parent-child interactions. Taken as a whole, these data suggest that a brief positive parenting intervention may be a feasible way to improve child, parent, and family functioning during the first year of ASD diagnosis. Findings point to the need for additional research to determine treatment efficacy and to assist with the identification of moderators and mediators of effects. © 2017 Family Process Institute.

The US Department of Energy Personnel Dosimetry Evaluation and Upgrade Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faust, L.G.; Stroud, C.M.; Swinth, K.L.; Vallario, E.J.

1987-11-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Personnel Dosimetry Evaluation and Upgrade Program is designed to identify and evaluate dosimetry deficiencies and to conduct innovative research and development programs that will improve overall capabilities, thus ensuring that DOE can comply with applicable standards and regulations for dose measurement. To achieve these goals, two programs were initiated to evaluate and upgrade beta measurement and neutron dosimetry. 3 refs

Evidence of Impact: Examination of Evaluation Studies Published in the "Journal of Extension"

Science.gov (United States)

Workman, Jeffrey D.; Scheer, Scott D.

2012-01-01

Research was conducted to explore the level of evidence of impact collected through program evaluation (outcome studies) by Extension as published in "JOE." Articles reviewed were those listed under the headings of "Feature Articles" and "Research in Brief" in 5-year increments (1965-69, 1975-79, 1985-89, 1995-99, and…

Child Development Program Evaluation Scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiene, Richard J.

The Child Development Program Evaluation Scale (CDPES) is actually two scales in one, a licensing scale and a quality scale. Licensing predictor items have been found to predict overall compliance of child day care centers with state regulations in four states. Quality scale items have been found to predict the overall quality of child day care…

Objective Evaluation in an Online Geographic Information System Certificate Program

OpenAIRE

Scott L. WALKER

2005-01-01

Objective Evaluation in an Online Geographic Information System Certificate Program Asst. Professor. Dr. Scott L. WALKER Texas State University-San Marcos San Marcos, Texas, USA ABSTRACT Departmental decisions regarding distance education programs can be subject to subjective decision-making processes influenced by external factors such as strong faculty opinions or pressure to increase student enrolment. This paper outlines an evaluation of a departmental distance-education program....

Nondestructive Evaluation Program: Progress in 1986

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-07-01

The increasing cost of equipment for power generating plants and the potential increases in productivity and safety available through rapidly developing Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) technology led EPRI to initiate a Nondestructive Evaluation Program in 1974. To date, the major focus has been on light water reactor inspection problems; however, increased application to other systems is now under way. This report presents a comprehensive review of the EPRI effort in the NDE area. Most of the report consists of contractor-supplied progress reports on each current project. An organizational plan of the program is presented in overview. In addition, organization from several viewpoints is presented, e.g., in-service inspection operators, R and D personnel, and utility representatives. The report summarizes significant progress made since the previous EPRI Special Report NP-4315-SR was issued in May 1986. Section 1 contains information about the program organization, and the sections that follow contain contractor-supplied progress reports of each current project. The progress reports are grouped by plant components - pipe, pressure vessel, steam generator and boiler tubes, and turbine. In addition, Part 6 is devoted to discussions of technology transfer

Evaluation of the RATU2 and RETU research programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Faidy, C.; Hayns, M.R.

1998-05-01

The report is an evaluation of the Finnish RATU2 (Structural Integrity of Nuclear Power Plants) and RETU (Reactor Safety) programs. The first generation of nuclear safety research programs were started in 1988-1990. Mid-term reviews were carried out and published in 1992. Many of the recommendations from those reviews have been implemented and they are referred to in this evaluation report

Science Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Laboratory Delivering science and technology to protect our nation and promote world stability Science & ; Innovation Collaboration Careers Community Environment Science & Innovation Facilities Science Pillars Research Library Science Briefs Science News Science Highlights Lab Organizations Science Programs Applied

Texas geothermal R D and D program planning support document. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davis, R.J.; Conover, M.F.; Keeney, R.C.; Personett, M.L.; Richmann, D.L.

1981-08-28

Program planning support was provided by; developing a geothermal RD and D program structure, characterizing the status of geothermal RD and D through review of literature and interaction with the geothermal research community, developing a candidate list of future Texas geothermal projects, and prioritizing the candidate projects based on appropriate evaluation criteria. The method used to perform this study and the results thereof are presented. Summary reviews of selected completed and ongoing projects and summary descriptions and evaluations of the candidate RD and D projects ar provided. A brief discussion emerging federal RD and D policies is presented. References and independent project rankings by three of the GRP members are included. (MHR)

24 CFR 266.115 - Program monitoring and evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... AUTHORITIES HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY RISK-SHARING PROGRAM FOR INSURED AFFORDABLE MULTIFAMILY PROJECT LOANS Housing Finance Agency Requirements § 266.115 Program monitoring and evaluation. (a) HFA certifications... under this part, basic underwriting and closing information must be submitted in a format specified by...

DOE's Phytoremediation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levine, R.S.

1996-01-01

This presentation contains an outline of the US DOE's phytoremediation program. A brief overview of the goals, infrastructure, and results of the program is presented. Environmental contaminants addressed include chlorinated hydrocarbons, metals, radionuclides, inorganic wastes, and mixed hazardous and radioactive wastes. Studies of soil remediation using phytoextraction and water remediation using rhizofiltration are briefly described

Methodology for the evaluation of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program.

Science.gov (United States)

Gibbs, L; Staiger, P K; Townsend, M; Macfarlane, S; Gold, L; Block, K; Johnson, B; Kulas, J; Waters, E

2013-04-01

Community and school cooking and gardening programs have recently increased internationally. However, despite promising indications, there is limited evidence of their effectiveness. This paper presents the evaluation framework and methods negotiated and developed to meet the information needs of all stakeholders for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden (SAKG) program, a combined cooking and gardening program implemented in selectively funded primary schools across Australia. The evaluation used multiple aligned theoretical frameworks and models, including a public health ecological approach, principles of effective health promotion and models of experiential learning. The evaluation is a non-randomised comparison of six schools receiving the program (intervention) and six comparison schools (all government-funded primary schools) in urban and rural areas of Victoria, Australia. A mixed-methods approach was used, relying on qualitative measures to understand changes in school cultures and the experiential impacts on children, families, teachers, parents and volunteers, and quantitative measures at baseline and 1 year follow up to provide supporting information regarding patterns of change. The evaluation study design addressed the limitations of many existing evaluation studies of cooking or garden programs. The multistrand approach to the mixed methodology maintained the rigour of the respective methods and provided an opportunity to explore complexity in the findings. Limited sensitivity of some of the quantitative measures was identified, as well as the potential for bias in the coding of the open-ended questions. The SAKG evaluation methodology will address the need for appropriate evaluation approaches for school-based kitchen garden programs. It demonstrates the feasibility of a meaningful, comprehensive evaluation of school-based programs and also demonstrates the central role qualitative methods can have in a mixed-method evaluation. So what? This paper

Sustainable Markets Investment Briefings: Overview

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cotula, Lorenzo

2007-08-15

This is the first of a series of briefings which discuss the sustainable development issues raised by legal arrangements for the protection of foreign investment. The briefings are based on legal research by IIED and its partners. The goal is to provide accessible but accurate information for human rights, development and environmental organisations working on issues raised by foreign investment in low- and middle-income countries. Briefing 1 provides a general overview of key issues.

[Validity, reliability, and acceptability of the brief version of the self-management knowledge, attitude, and behavior assessment scale for diabetes patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Y Z; Wang, W J; Feng, N P; Chen, B; Li, G C; Liu, J W; Liu, H L; Yang, Y Y

2016-07-06

To evaluate the validity, reliability, and acceptability of the brief version of the self-management knowledge, attitude, and behavior (KAB) assessment scale for diabetes patients. Diabetes patients who were managed at the Xinkaipu Community Health Service Center of Tianxin in Changsha, Hunan Province were selected for survey by cluster sampling. A total of 350 diabetes patients were surveyed using the brief scale to collect data on knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of self-management. Content validity was evaluated by Pearson correlation coefficient between the brief scale and subscales of knowledge, attitude, and behavior. Structure validity was evaluated by factor analysis, and discrimination validity was evaluated by an independent sample t-test between the high-score and low-score groups. Reliability was tested by internal consistency reliability and split-half reliability. The evaluation indexes of internal consistency reliability were Cronbach's α coefficients, θ coefficient, and Ω coefficient. Acceptability was evaluated by valid response rate and completion time of the brief scale. A total of 346(98.9%) valid questionnaires were returned, with average survey time of (11.43±3.4) minutes. Average score of the brief scale was 78.85 ± 11.22; scores of the knowledge, attitude, and behavior subscales were 16.45 ± 4.42, 21.33 ± 2.03, and 41.07 ± 8.34, respectively. Pearson correlation coefficients between the brief scale and the knowledge, attitude, and behavior subscales were 0.92, 0.42, and 0.60, respectively; P-values were all less than 0.01, indicating that the face validity and content validity of the brief scale were achieved to a good level. The common factor cumulative variance contribution rate of the brief scale and three subscales was from 53.66% to 61.75%, which achieved more than 50% of the approved standard. There were 11 common factors; 41 of the total 42 items had factor loadings above 0.40 in their relevant common factor, indicating

Evaluation of an Australian Alcohol Media Literacy Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, Chloe S; Howard, Steven J; Jones, Sandra C; Kervin, Lisa K

2016-11-01

A 10-lesson alcohol media literacy program was developed, underpinned by the message interpretation processing model, inoculation theory, and constructivist learning theory, and was tailored to be culturally relevant to the Australian context. This program aimed to increase students' media deconstruction skills and reduce intent to drink alcohol. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in achieving these goals through a short-term quasi-experimental trial. Elementary schools were assigned to either the intervention group (83 students) or a wait-list control group (82 students). Student questionnaires were administered at three time points (baseline, after the intervention group completed the program, and after the wait-list control group completed the program) to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. The intervention and wait-list control groups reported significantly higher media deconstruction skills as a result of the intervention. Both groups reported significantly lower social norms, whereas the wait-list control group reported significantly lower positive alcohol expectancies. There were no significant changes to self-efficacy to refuse alcohol, preference for alcohol-branded merchandise, and understanding of persuasive intent as a result of the intervention. To date, the majority of alcohol media literacy studies have been conducted in the United States and have focused on deconstructing television and print-based ads. This evaluation provides evidence that an alcohol media literacy program that was developed for a specific cultural context, and that incorporates a broad range of multimodal advertisements, can have a positive impact on beliefs and attitudes that are known predictors/precursors of drinking behaviors.

Performance-Based Funding Brief

Science.gov (United States)

Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2011

2011-01-01

A number of states have made progress in implementing performance-based funding (PFB) and accountability. This policy brief summarizes main features of performance-based funding systems in three states: Tennessee, Ohio, and Indiana. The brief also identifies key issues that states considering performance-based funding must address, as well as…

Professional Development. Issue Brief

Science.gov (United States)

Keleher, Julia

2017-01-01

In this professional development research brief, the author sets forth the overarching considerations that should be kept in mind when conceptualizing professional development for educators working with neglected or delinquent youth (N or D). The brief begins by defining professional development and demonstrating why it is a critical support for…

Using GIS to evaluate a fire safety program in North Carolina.

Science.gov (United States)

Dudley, Thomas; Creppage, Kathleen; Shanahan, Meghan; Proescholdbell, Scott

2013-10-01

Evaluating program impact is a critical aspect of public health. Utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a novel way to evaluate programs which try to reduce residential fire injuries and deaths. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the application of GIS within the evaluation of a smoke alarm installation program in North Carolina. This approach incorporates national fire incident data which, when linked with program data, provides a clear depiction of the 10 years impact of the Get Alarmed, NC! program and estimates the number of potential lives saved. We overlapped Get Alarmed, NC! program installation data with national information on fires using GIS to identify homes that experienced a fire after an alarm was installed and calculated potential lives saved based on program documentation and average housing occupancy. We found that using GIS was an efficient and quick way to match addresses from two distinct sources. From this approach we estimated that between 221 and 384 residents were potentially saved due to alarms installed in their homes by Get Alarmed, NC!. Compared with other program evaluations that require intensive and costly participant telephone surveys and/or in-person interviews, the GIS approach is inexpensive, quick, and can easily analyze large disparate datasets. In addition, it can be used to help target the areas most at risk from the onset. These benefits suggest that by incorporating previously unutilized data, the GIS approach has the potential for broader applications within public health program evaluation.

Computer-assisted mechanistic evaluation of organic reactions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gushurst, A.J.

1988-01-01

CAMEO, an interactive computer program which predicts the products of organic reactions given starting materials and conditions, has been refined and extended in the area of base-catalyzed and nucleophilic processes. The present capabilities of the program are outlined including brief discussion on the major segments in CAMEO: graphics, perception, and reaction evaluation. The implementation of general algorithms for predicting the acidities of a vast number of organic compounds to within 2 pK{sub a} units in dimethylsulfoxide and water are then described, followed by a presentation of the reactivity rules used by the program to evaluate nucleophilc reactions. Finally, a treatment of sulfur and phosphorus ylides, iminophosphoranes, and P=X-activated anions is given illuminating the various competitions available for these reagents, such as between proton transfer and addition, 1,2- and 1,4-addition, and the Peterson, Wittig, and Horner-Emmons olefination reactions.

Can simply answering research questions change behaviour? Systematic review and meta analyses of brief alcohol intervention trials.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jim McCambridge

Full Text Available Participant reports of their own behaviour are critical for the provision and evaluation of behavioural interventions. Recent developments in brief alcohol intervention trials provide an opportunity to evaluate longstanding concerns that answering questions on behaviour as part of research assessments may inadvertently influence it and produce bias. The study objective was to evaluate the size and nature of effects observed in randomized manipulations of the effects of answering questions on drinking behaviour in brief intervention trials.Multiple methods were used to identify primary studies. Between-group differences in total weekly alcohol consumption, quantity per drinking day and AUDIT scores were evaluated in random effects meta-analyses. Ten trials were included in this review, of which two did not provide findings for quantitative study, in which three outcomes were evaluated. Between-group differences were of the magnitude of 13.7 (-0.17 to 27.6 grams of alcohol per week (approximately 1.5 U.K. units or 1 standard U.S. drink and 1 point (0.1 to 1.9 in AUDIT score. There was no difference in quantity per drinking day.Answering questions on drinking in brief intervention trials appears to alter subsequent self-reported behaviour. This potentially generates bias by exposing non-intervention control groups to an integral component of the intervention. The effects of brief alcohol interventions may thus have been consistently under-estimated. These findings are relevant to evaluations of any interventions to alter behaviours which involve participant self-report.

Usability Briefing - a process model for healthcare facilities

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fronczek-Munter, Aneta

2014-01-01

Background: In complex buildings with many types of users it can be difficult to satisfy the numerous, often contradictory requirements. Research in usability mostly focuses on evaluating products or facilities with users, after they were built. This paper is part of a PhD project “Usability...... with various users/stakeholders, using creative boundary objects at workshops.  Practical Implications: The research results have relevance to researchers, client organisations, facility managers and architects planning new complex facilities.  Research limitations: The proposed model is theoretical and needs...... briefing for hospitals”, where methods for capturing user needs and experiences at hospital facilities are investigated in order to feed into design processes and satisfy the users’ needs and maximise the effectiveness of facilities. Purpose: This paper introduces the concept of usability briefing...

Evaluation of the Navy Master Planning Program

Science.gov (United States)

1976-05-01

Navy planning directives, interviews with Navy planning personnel, researc " of applicable literature on planning and program evaluation, and the...master planning has absorbed the additional roles of program management and public relations marketing . The Navy planner is now deeply involved in...master planning 62conducted by NAVFAC headquarters in 1972, various Navy planning directives, a " Market Survey" of NAVFAC services and customer 63

Linear Programming (LP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rogner, H.H.

1989-01-01

The submitted sections on linear programming are extracted from 'Theorie und Technik der Planung' (1978) by W. Blaas and P. Henseler and reformulated for presentation at the Workshop. They consider a brief introduction to the theory of linear programming and to some essential aspects of the SIMPLEX solution algorithm for the purposes of economic planning processes. 1 fig

Evaluation of Pre-Departure English Training Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Saukah

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The program evaluation reported in this article covers three batches of participants, from 1996 through 1997, sponsored by the Directorate General of Higher Education projects to prepare faculty members of teacher training institutions for overseas studies. The result outcomes could be achieved when the initial English competence requirred for participating in the program was at least at the Pre-Advanced level. The criterion validity of the TOEFL-Equivalent test developed by the program was assured, and the test could, therefore, be used as a good predictor of the International TOEFL. Other recommendations are also given for the improvement of the planning and implementation of the program in the future

Curriculum Evaluation and Employers Opinions: the case study of Educational Technology Program in Bachelor Degree (Continuing Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nakhon Lalognam

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The purposes of this research were: 1 to evaluate the Educational Technology Program (Continuing Program in Bachelor Degree curriculum which is revised in 2007 by applying CIPP model for evaluation. 2 to study the opinions of the employers about the ideal characteristics and actual characteristics of graduates. 3 to study the opinions for the requirements of the Educational Technology Program in Bachelor Degree (Continuing Program and knowledge implementation in work of graduates. 4 to make the suggestions and guidelines to improve the Educational Technology Program in Bachelor Degree (Continuing Program to achieve potentiality and responsive for the requirements of learners and employers. The sample of this research were 310 persons ; consisted of graduates in the Educational Technology Program in Bachelor Degree (Continuing Program in academic year 2006 - 2010, the committee of the Educational Technology Program in Bachelor Degree (Continuing Program , instructors and employers by using Multi-stage Random Sampling and Simple Random Sampling. The instruments of this research were the 5 levels rating scale questionnaire and the structured interview type. They consisted of 3 sets: 1 for graduates, 2 for the committee of the Educational Technology Program in Bachelor Degree (Continuing Program and 3 for instructors and employers. The research found that: 1. The results of evaluation on the Educational Technology Program in Bachelor Degree (Continuing Program which is revised in 2007 were: 1.1 The opinions of graduates to curriculum in all of aspects were average at the uncertain level which the context aspect was at the high level, input aspect was at the uncertain level, process aspect was at the uncertain level and product aspect was at the high level. 1.2 The opinions of the curriculum committee and instructors to curriculum in all of aspects were average at the high level which the context aspect was at the high level, input aspect was at the

38 CFR 1.15 - Standards for program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... program operates. (3) Validity. The degree of statistical validity should be assessed within the research... intent, contain a method to measure fulfillment of the objectives, ascertain the degree to which goals... the data. (f) Each program evaluation requires a systematic research design to collect the data...

Evaluation of ADVANCE: A Nontraditional Adult Diploma Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Deegan, James

An evaluation of Project ADVANCE (Adult Diploma Validating and Accrediting Necessary Competence and Experiences), an adult competency-based high school completion program, was conducted to determine program effectiveness, as viewed subjectively by recent graduates and present students. Personal interviews and/or questionnaires were given to 31 of…

Computer programs for TRIGA calibration, burnup evaluation, and bookkeeping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, George W.

1978-01-01

Several computer programs have been developed at the University of Arizona to assist the direction and operation of the TRIGA Reactor Laboratory. The programs fall into the following three categories: 1. Programs for calculation of burnup of each fuel element in the reactor core, for maintaining an inventory of fuel element location and fissile content at any time, and for evaluation of the reactivity effects of burnup or proposed fuel element rearrangement in the core. 2. Programs for evaluation, function fitting, and tabulation of control rod measurements. 3. Bookkeeping programs to summarize and tabulate reactor runs and irradiations according to time, energy release, purpose, responsible party, etc. These summarized data are reported in an annual operating report for the facility. The use of these programs has saved innumerable hours of repetitious work, assuring more accurate, objective results, and requiring a minimum of effort to repeat calculations when input data are modified. The programs are written in FORTRAN-IV, and have been used on a CDC-6400 computer. (author)

Utility Green-Pricing Programs: What Defines Success? (Topical Issues Brief)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Swezey, B.; Bird, L.

2001-09-13

''Green pricing'' is an optional service through which customers can support a greater level of investment by their electric utility in renewable energy technologies. Electric utilities in 29 states are now implementing green-pricing programs. This report examines important elements of green-pricing programs, including the different types of programs offered, the premiums charged, customer response, and additional factors that experience indicates are key to the development of successful programs. The best-performing programs tend to share a number of common attributes related to product design, value creation, product pricing, and program implementation. The report ends with a list of ''best practices'' for utilities to follow when developing and implementing programs.

Green Power Partnership Related Programs & Organizations

Science.gov (United States)

The U.S. EPA's Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program designed to reduce the environmental impact of electricity generation by promoting renewable energy. This page provides a brief program overview, including vision and accomplishments.

Experiential Education and Empowerment Evaluation: Mars Rover Educational Program Case Example.

Science.gov (United States)

Fetterman, David; Bowman, Cassie

2002-01-01

Empowerment evaluation helps people improve their programs using self-evaluation. Empowerment evaluation has three steps: establishing a mission; taking stock of the most significant activities; and planning for the future by establishing goals, strategies, and criteria for evidence. A NASA experiential program for small, distributed groups of…

Hydrogen [Brief history of the discovery and use of hydrogen since the 16. century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alleau, Thierry

2015-10-01

After a brief history of the discovery and use of hydrogen since the 16. century, the author notices that this gas is now mainly used for its chemical properties and energetic performance. He indicates and comments the main chemical, physical and energetic characteristics, and then presents the different production processes: from water (with different electrolytes: alkaline liquid electrolyte, per-fluorinated acid solid electrolyte, ceramic acid solid electrolyte) or from carbonated, fossil or biological fuels. He proposes an overview of issues like transport, storage and distribution, evokes the present cost (great variations between countries), and indicates how it is used in the chemical, petrochemical and energy industries. He briefly discusses other issues: risks, standards and regulation. He proposes a brief overview of international policies and programs, and indicates some research programs: Ene-Farm in Japan for co-generation (heat and electricity from fuel cell) and light vehicles in different countries

Public Incentives for Hiring and Training Employees: An Employer's Guide. Workforce Brief #8.

Science.gov (United States)

Bergman, Terri

The six sections of this brief provide the following information: (1) the types of public incentives available to employers for hiring and training of employees, including increasing economic activity and increasing labor market supply; (2) federally operated incentive programs (Welfare-to-Work Tax Credit, Work Opportunity Tax Credit, Employee…

National briefing summaries: Nuclear fuel cycle and waste management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneider, K.J.; Bradley, D.J.; Fletcher, J.F.; Konzek, G.J.; Lakey, L.T.; Mitchell, S.J.; Molton, P.M.; Nightingale, R.E.

1991-04-01

Since 1976, the International Program Support Office (IPSO) at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) has collected and compiled publicly available information concerning foreign and international radioactive waste management programs. This National Briefing Summaries is a printout of an electronic database that has been compiled and is maintained by the IPSO staff. The database contains current information concerning the radioactive waste management programs (with supporting information on nuclear power and the nuclear fuel cycle) of most of the nations (except eastern European countries) that now have or are contemplating nuclear power, and of the multinational agencies that are active in radioactive waste management. Information in this document is included for three additional countries (China, Mexico, and USSR) compared to the prior issue. The database and this document were developed in response to needs of the US Department of Energy.

National briefing summaries: Nuclear fuel cycle and waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, K.J.; Bradley, D.J.; Fletcher, J.F.; Konzek, G.J.; Lakey, L.T.; Mitchell, S.J.; Molton, P.M.; Nightingale, R.E.

1991-04-01

Since 1976, the International Program Support Office (IPSO) at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) has collected and compiled publicly available information concerning foreign and international radioactive waste management programs. This National Briefing Summaries is a printout of an electronic database that has been compiled and is maintained by the IPSO staff. The database contains current information concerning the radioactive waste management programs (with supporting information on nuclear power and the nuclear fuel cycle) of most of the nations (except eastern European countries) that now have or are contemplating nuclear power, and of the multinational agencies that are active in radioactive waste management. Information in this document is included for three additional countries (China, Mexico, and USSR) compared to the prior issue. The database and this document were developed in response to needs of the US Department of Energy

Developmental Light-Water Reactor Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forsberg, C.W.

1989-12-01

This report summarizes the progress of the Developmental Light-Water Reactor (DLWR) Program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in FY 1989. It also includes (1) a brief description of the program, (2) definition of goals, (3) earlier achievements, and (4) proposed future activities

Family conflict, emotional security, and child development: translating research findings into a prevention program for community families.

Science.gov (United States)

Cummings, E Mark; Schatz, Julie N

2012-03-01

The social problem posed by family conflict to the physical and psychological health and well-being of children, parents, and underlying family relationships is a cause for concern. Inter-parental and parent-child conflict are linked with children's behavioral, emotional, social, academic, and health problems, with children's risk particularly elevated in distressed marriages. Supported by the promise of brief psycho-educational programs (e.g., Halford et al. in Journal of Family Psychology 22:497-505, 2008; Sanders in Journal of Family Psychology 22:506-517, 2008), the present paper presents the development and evaluation of a prevention program for community families with children, concerned with family-wide conflict and relationships, and building on Emotional Security Theory (Davies and Cummings in Psychological Bulletin 116:387-411, 1994). This program uniquely focuses on translating research and theory in this area into brief, engaging programs for community families to improve conflict and emotional security for the sake of the children. Evaluation is based on multi-domain and multi-method assessments of family-wide and child outcomes in the context of a randomized control design. A series of studies are briefly described in the programmatic development of a prevention program for conflict and emotional security for community families, culminating in a program for family-wide conflict and emotional security for families with adolescents. With regard to this ongoing program, evidence is presented at the post-test for improvements in family-wide functioning, consideration of the relative benefits for different groups within the community, and preliminary support for the theoretical bases for program outcomes.

Evaluating a Psychology Graduate Student Peer Mentoring Program

Science.gov (United States)

Fleck, Christina; Mullins, Morell E.

2012-01-01

Research on mentoring outcomes and characteristics of various types of mentoring programs in different settings is limited. The present study sampled 39 graduate students at a small Midwestern university to evaluate peer mentoring in a graduate school setting. Mentoring function and outcome relationships as well as program characteristics were…

Cybernetics of Brief Family Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Keeney, Bradford P.; Ross, Jeffrey M.

1983-01-01

Presents a cybernetic view of brief family therapy. Includes a historical discussion of the key ideas underlying brief family therapy, a cybernetic model of therapeutic change, and a clinical case for exemplification. (Author/JAC)

Strategies and policies for improving energy efficiency programs: Closing the loop between evaluation and implementation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vine, Edward

2008-01-01

Program implementers often use evaluation results to improve the performance of their programs, but, as described in this paper, this is not always the case. Based on a review of the literature, participation in workshops, and interviews with over 50 program implementers, evaluators, and regulators in the United States and Canada, the utilization of evaluation results is investigated by asking the following questions: (1) How are program evaluation results used by program implementers and other stakeholders? (2) How are program evaluation results communicated to program implementers and other stakeholders? (3) Are the needs of program implementers being met by program evaluation? (4) What is the role of the utility regulator in facilitating the use of program evaluation results? (5) What other mechanisms can facilitate the use of program evaluation results? While there is some consensus on the answers to these questions, the type of interest in and use of evaluation varies by functional role (e.g., evaluator versus implementer), maturity of the energy efficiency market, institutional context (e.g., evaluation and implementation conducted inside the same organization, or evaluation and implementation conducted by separate entities), and by regulatory demands and evaluation interests

Management briefs 2/92

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

Brief reports inform about research activities and meetings. The German industry's alarm at the introduction of a carbon dioxide tax is expressed in an article, and a short note refers to the disquiet on the part of the natural gas industry. A brief account is given of the continuation and expansion of nuclear power generation in Japan. (DG) [de

The management of evaluating the European programs and policies implemented in Romania

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doctoral student ROMAN MIHAELA

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Starting with the reform and modernization of the public administration in Romania in the mid 1990s, an important element of this process being the development of the management process, respectively of planning and managing public policies, the Romanian government started also a process of developing the capacity for evaluating public programs and policies, both the ones with European or foreign financing and the ones with domestic financing. Up-to-date analyses and studies have showed, however, that at the level of the national public sector there is a major discrepancy between the progress made in the evaluation of European programs or the ones with foreign financing and the programs financed from public funds, namely that there is a consolidated evaluation practice as regards the first types of programs, which is virtually inexistent as regards programs financed from the public budget.This paper intends to identify the progress made at the level of the Romanian public administration as regards the management of evaluating programs with European financing, to see the characteristics of building the evaluation capacity within the national system of these programs and the motivation stimulating such approaches. The first part of this paper shall contain a presentation of the background of the current evaluation system, including both the legislative framework and the institutional framework with duties of management and evaluation of European programs; further, I shall analyze the evolution of this system in order to be able to draw conclusions regarding the evaluation capacity of Romania.

Evaluation of a cross-cultural training program for Pakistani educators: Lessons learned and implications for program planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazur, Rebecca; Woodland, Rebecca H

2017-06-01

In this paper, we share the results of a summative evaluation of PEILI, a US-based adult professional development/training program for secondary school Pakistani teachers. The evaluation was guided by the theories of cultural competence (American Psychological Association, 2003; Bamberger, 1999; Wadsworth, 2001) and established frameworks for the evaluation of professional development/training and instructional design (Bennett, 1975; Guskey, 2002; King, 2014; Kirkpatrick, 1967). The explicit and implicit stakeholder assumptions about the connections between program resources, activities, outputs, and outcomes are described. Participant knowledge and skills were measured via scores on a pre/posttest of professional knowledge, and a standards-based performance assessment rubric. In addition to measuring short-term program outcomes, we also sought to incorporate theory-driven thinking into the evaluation design. Hence, we examined participant self-efficacy and access to social capital, two evidenced-based determinants or "levers" that theoretically explain the transformative space between an intervention and its outcomes (Chen, 2012). Data about program determinants were collected and analyzed through a pre/posttest of self-efficacy and social network analysis. Key evaluation findings include participant acquisition of new instructional skills, increased self-efficacy, and the formation of a nascent professional support network. Lessons learned and implications for the design and evaluation of cross-cultural teacher professional development programs are discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review of fusion research program: historical summary and program projections

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murphy, E.S.

1976-09-01

This report provides a brief review of the history and current status of fusion research in the United States. It also describes the Federally funded program aimed at the development of fusion reactors for electric power generation.

Evaluation of a Hospital-Based Pneumonia Nurse Navigator Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Seldon, Lisa E; McDonough, Kelly; Turner, Barbara; Simmons, Leigh Ann

2016-12-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a hospital-based pneumonia nurse navigator program. This study used a retrospective, formative evaluation. Data of patients admitted from January 2012 through December 2014 to a large community hospital with a primary or secondary diagnosis of pneumonia, excluding aspiration pneumonia, were used. Data included patient demographics, diagnoses, insurance coverage, core measures, average length of stay (ALOS), disposition, readmission rate, financial outcomes, and patient barriers to care were collected. Descriptive statistics and parametric testing were used to analyze data. Core measure performance was sustained at the 90th percentile 2 years after the implementation of the navigator program. The ALOS did not decrease to established benchmarks; however, the SD for ALOS decreased by nearly half after implementation of the navigator program, suggesting the program decreased the number and length of extended stays. Charges per case decreased by 21% from 2012 to 2014. Variable costs decreased by 4% over a 2-year period, which increased net profit per case by 5%. Average readmission payments increased by 8% from 2012 to 2014, and the net revenue per case increased by 8.3%. The pneumonia nurse navigator program may improve core measures, reduce ALOS, and increase net revenue. Future evaluations are necessary to substantiate these findings and optimize the cost and quality performance of navigator programs.

Space Discovery: Teaching with Space. Evaluation: Summer, Fall 1998 Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Ewell, Bob

1998-01-01

This is the final report of the 1998 NASA-sponsored evaluation of the effectiveness of the United States Space Foundation's five-day Space Discovery Standard Graduate Course (Living and Working in Space), the five-day Space Discovery Advanced Graduate Course (Advanced Technology and Biomedical Research), the five-day introductory course Aviation and Space Basics all conducted during the summer of 1998, and the Teaching with Space two-day Inservice program. The purpose of the program is to motivate and equip K- 12 teachers to use proven student-attracting space and technology concepts to support standard curriculum. These programs support the America 2000 National Educational Goals, encouraging more students to stay in school, increase in competence, and have a better opportunity to be attracted to math and science. The 1998 research program continues the comprehensive evaluation begun in 1992, this year studying five summer five-day sessions and five Inservice programs offered during the Fall of 1998 in California, Colorado, New York, and Virginia. A comprehensive research design by Dr. Robert Ewell of Creative Solutions and Dr. Darwyn Linder of Arizona State University evaluated the effectiveness of various areas of the program and its applicability on diverse groups. Preliminary research methodology was a set of survey instruments administered after the courses, and another to be sent in April-4-5 months following the last inservice involved in this study. This year, we have departed from this evaluation design in two ways. First, the five-day programs used NASA's new EDCATS on-line system and associated survey rather than the Linder/Ewell instruments. The Inservice programs were evaluated using the previously developed survey adapted for Inservice programs. Second, we did not do a follow-on survey of the teachers after they had been in the field as we have done in the past. Therefore, this evaluation captures only the reactions of the teachers to the programs

The development of a brief jail-based cervical health promotion intervention.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramaswamy, Megha; Simmons, Rebekah; Kelly, Patricia J

2015-05-01

The primary objective of this article was to describe the development and pilot implementation of a brief jail-based cervical health promotion intervention. The intervention was guided by a preliminary study of incarcerated women's cervical health knowledge, awareness, and health literacy, as well as a social and feminist approach to intervention development. We developed and conducted a pilot implementation of the Sexual Health Empowerment Project to increase cervical health knowledge, reduce barriers related to beliefs about cervical cancer, and improve self-efficacy and confidence in navigating health systems. This article offers a framework for how empirically and theory-based interventions are developed and tailored for a jail setting. Future work should include the evaluation of the long-term effects of such a disease-specific program on health behaviors and outcomes among high-risk and vulnerable groups of women as they leave jails and enter communities. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

Evaluating a food bank recipe-tasting program.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller-Olaman, Susan J; Edwards, Vicki; Elliott, Susan J

2005-01-01

Food banks mitigate immediate food insecurity, but their ability to promote healthy nutrition is constrained by how often recipients may visit and the range of foods available. In a descriptive study, a formative evaluation was completed of a combined heart-healthy recipe-tasting and education program that aims to promote healthy eating knowledge and skills in a group of food bank recipients in Hamilton, Ontario. Fifty-five adults were surveyed about food bank attendance, program awareness, perceived enhancement of knowledge and skills, and suggestions for program improvement. Most participants (73%) were positive about the program, and 91% wanted the program to continue. In addition, 78% would prepare the recipes sampled. In contrast, program awareness and planning food bank visits to coincide with the program were generally low. Food banks are potential sites for effective nutrition promotion programs. To reach more recipients, more frequent implementation and seeking the use of a designated room are suggested for the current program. The findings also suggest that the sampling approach to promoting healthy eating to food bank recipients deserves further study. For example, monitoring the selection of featured recipe ingredients would be a useful indicator of behaviour.

Evaluation Methodologies for Estimating the Likelihood of Program Implementation Failure

Science.gov (United States)

Durand, Roger; Decker, Phillip J.; Kirkman, Dorothy M.

2014-01-01

Despite our best efforts as evaluators, program implementation failures abound. A wide variety of valuable methodologies have been adopted to explain and evaluate the "why" of these failures. Yet, typically these methodologies have been employed concurrently (e.g., project monitoring) or to the post-hoc assessment of program activities.…

Educational Program Evaluation Model, From the Perspective of the New Theories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soleiman Ahmady

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Introduction: This study is focused on common theories that influenced the history of program evaluation and introduce the educational program evaluation proposal format based on the updated theory. Methods: Literature searches were carried out in March-December 2010 with a combination of key words, MeSH terms and other free text terms as suitable for the purpose. A comprehensive search strategy was developed to search Medline by the PubMed interface, ERIC (Education Resources Information Center and the main journal of medical education regarding current evaluation models and theories. We included all study designs in our study. We found 810 articles related to our topic, and finally 63 with the full text article included. We compared documents and used expert consensus for selection the best model. Results: We found that the complexity theory using logic model suggests compatible evaluation proposal formats, especially with new medical education programs. Common components of a logic model are: situation, inputs, outputs, and outcomes that our proposal format is based on. Its contents are: title page, cover letter, situation and background, introduction and rationale, project description, evaluation design, evaluation methodology, reporting, program evaluation management, timeline, evaluation budget based on the best evidences, and supporting documents. Conclusion: We found that the logic model is used for evaluation program planning in many places, but more research is needed to see if it is suitable for our context.

Secondary Education Programs in Kuwait: An Evaluation Study

Science.gov (United States)

Eid, Ghada K.; Koushki, Parviz A.

2005-01-01

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the semester and the credit programs of high school education in Kuwait in terms of their graduating students' preparedness for continued and successful academic performance in programs of higher education. Students' percentile graduation rank from high school and their performances in the English, math…

Using Program Theory-Driven Evaluation Science to Crack the Da Vinci Code

Science.gov (United States)

Donaldson, Stewart I.

2005-01-01

Program theory-driven evaluation science uses substantive knowledge, as opposed to method proclivities, to guide program evaluations. It aspires to update, clarify, simplify, and make more accessible the evolving theory of evaluation practice commonly referred to as theory-driven or theory-based evaluation. The evaluator in this chapter provides a…

Systematic evaluation program, status summary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

Status reports are presented on the systematic evaluation program for the Big Rock Point reactor, Dresden-1 reactor, Dresden-2 reactor, Ginna-1 reactor, Connecticut Yankee reactor, LACBWR reactor, Millstone-1 reactor, Oyster Creek-1 reactor, Palisades-1 reactor, San Onofre-1 reactor, and Rowe Yankee reactor

The evaluation of a digital information literacy program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anne Sieberhagen

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The article reports on the evaluation of a digital information literacy program (DILP to determine the program’s effectiveness in enhancing students’ digital information literacy skills. The DILP was originally designed and developed for the South African student, as member of Generation Y, but was adapted after identifying the demographics and characteristics of Generation Z.  This information was incorporated in the existing DILP, therefore making the DILP applicable to and useful for both Generations Y and Z. New learning technologies were identified and incorporated in the DILP to enhance students’ learning experience. An analysis of reported research indicated that there is a lack in the evaluation of programs to determine their effectiveness in enhancing the digital information literacy skills of students by using an outcomes assessment instrument. The development of an outcomes assessment instrument, which is based on internationally benchmarked information literacy competency standards and their outcomes, are presented. Evidence is provided of the effectiveness of the program in order to prove its worth as an instructional program.  Recommendations are made on how digital information literacy programs may be improved to be more effective in enhancing students’ digital information literacy skills

Iterative Evaluation in a Mobile Counseling and Testing Program to Reach People of Color at Risk for HIV--New Strategies Improve Program Acceptability, Effectiveness, and Evaluation Capabilities

Science.gov (United States)

Spielberg, Freya; Kurth, Ann; Reidy, William; McKnight, Teka; Dikobe, Wame; Wilson, Charles

2011-01-01

This article highlights findings from an evaluation that explored the impact of mobile versus clinic-based testing, rapid versus central-lab based testing, incentives for testing, and the use of a computer counseling program to guide counseling and automate evaluation in a mobile program reaching people of color at risk for HIV. The program's…

Defence Health Service Mentoring Program Evaluation 2001

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Highfield, Jane

2002-01-01

...). DHS commissioned the Directorate of Strategic Personnel Planning and Research (DSPPR) to evaluate a recent Mentoring Program trial in order to assess the effectiveness and organizational value of Mentoring within DHS...

National Uranium Resource Evaluation Program: the Hydrogeochemical Stream Sediment Reconnaissance Program at LLNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higgins, G.H.

1980-08-01

From early 1975 to mid 1979, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) participated in the Hydrogeochemical Stream Sediment Reconnaissance (HSSR), part of the National Uranium Resource Evaluation (NURE) program sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE). The Laboratory was initially responsible for collecting, analyzing, and evaluating sediment and water samples from approximately 200,000 sites in seven western states. Eventually, however, the NURE program redefined its sampling priorities, objectives, schedules, and budgets, with the increasingly obvious result that LLNL objectives and methodologies were not compatible with those of the NURE program office, and the LLNL geochemical studies were not relevant to the program goal. The LLNL portion of the HSSR program was consequently terminated, and all work was suspended by June 1979. Of the 38,000 sites sampled, 30,000 were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analyses (INAA), delayed neutron counting (DNC), optical emission spectroscopy (OES), and automated chloride-sulfate analyses (SC). Data from about 13,000 sites have been formally reported. From each site, analyses were published of about 30 of the 60 elements observed. Uranium mineralization has been identified at several places which were previously not recognized as potential uranium source areas, and a number of other geochemical anomalies were discovered

Teste de Morisky-Green e Brief Medication Questionnaire para avaliar adesão a medicamentos Prueba Morisky-Green y Brief Medication Questionnaire para evaluar adherencia a los medicamentos The Brief Medication Questionnaire and Morisky-Green Test to evaluate medication adherence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angela Jornada Ben

2012-04-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Analisar a confiabilidade e o desempenho da versão em português de instrumentos de avaliação da adesão ao tratamento anti-hipertensivo. MÉTODOS: Pacientes hipertensos atendidos de janeiro a setembro de 2010 em uma unidade de atenção primária em Porto Alegre, RS, foram selecionados aleatoriamente (n = 206. Na avaliação da adesão foram utilizadas versões em português do Teste de Morisky-Green (TMG e do Brief Medication Questionnaire (BMQ. Foram analisados consistência interna, estabilidade temporal e desempenho com relação a três padrões-ouro: controle inadequado da pressão arterial (> 140/90 mmHg; taxa insuficiente de retirada de medicação na farmácia da Unidade Básica de Saúde ( 0,001. A baixa adesão ao BMQ está associada a maiores níveis tensionais quando comparada com pacientes aderentes (148,4 [dp 20,1] vs 128,8 [dp 17,8], p OBJETIVO: Analizar la confiabilidad y el desempeño de la versión en portugués de instrumentos de evaluación de la adherencia al tratamiento antihipertensivo. MÉTODOS: Pacientes hipertensos atendidos de enero a septiembre de 2010 en una unidad de atención primaria en Porto Alegre, Sur de Brasil, fueron seleccionados aleatoriamente (n=206. En la evaluación de la adherencia fueron utilizadas versiones en portugués de la Prueba de Morisky-Green (TMG y del Brief Medication Questionnarie (BMQ. Se analizaron consistencia interna, estabilidad temporal y desempeño con relación a tres patrones-oro: control inadecuado de la presión arterial (> 140/90 mmHg; tasa insuficiente de retirada de medicación en la farmacia de la Unidad Básica de Salud (0,001. La baja adherencia al BMQ está asociada a mayores niveles tensionales al compararlo con pacientes adherentes 148,4 [de 0,1] vs 128,8 [de 17,8], pOBJECTIVE: To analyze the reliability and performance of the Portuguese version of questionnaires used to evaluate adherence to hypertensive treatment. METHODS: Hypertensive patients attending

Development of a University Campus Healthy Sleep Promotion Program.

Science.gov (United States)

McCabe, Brian E; Troy, Adam S; Patel, Hersila H; Halstead, Valerie; Arana, Mayra

2018-03-01

This article provides a preliminary evaluation of a campus sleep health program for undergraduate university students. In this study, 5 focus groups with 38 undergraduates assessed perceptions about sleep in relationship to college experiences. Additionally, 35 undergraduate students participated in campus sleep improvement workshops, and completed a brief self-report survey before and after the workshop. Results showed five themes emerged from focus groups: (a) Sleep and its impact on academics, (b) Understanding of the importance of sleep, (c) Procrastination and its impact on sleep, (d) Stress, and (e) Sleep and extracurricular/social activities. Based on self-report surveys, there was no improvement in perceived sleep importance, but perceived sleep confidence of undergraduate student-participants increased significantly after the workshop. The sleep health program for undergraduates showed promising results, and should be evaluated using a larger, more rigorous design in future studies.

Evaluating disease management program effectiveness: an introduction to time-series analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Linden, Ariel; Adams, John L; Roberts, Nancy

2003-01-01

Currently, the most widely used method in the disease management (DM) industry for evaluating program effectiveness is referred to as the "total population approach." This model is a pretest-posttest design, with the most basic limitation being that without a control group, there may be sources of bias and/or competing extraneous confounding factors that offer a plausible rationale explaining the change from baseline. Furthermore, with the current inclination of DM programs to use financial indicators rather than program-specific utilization indicators as the principal measure of program success, additional biases are introduced that may cloud evaluation results. This paper presents a non-technical introduction to time-series analysis (using disease-specific utilization measures) as an alternative, and more appropriate, approach to evaluating DM program effectiveness than the current total population approach.

Increasing the use of evaluation data collection in an EPO program

Science.gov (United States)

Taber, J. J.; Bohon, W.; Bravo, T. K.; Dordevic, M.; Dorr, P. M.; Hubenthal, M.; Johnson, J. A.; Sumy, D.; Welti, R.; Davis, H. B.

2017-12-01

Over the past two years, the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program has sought to increase the evaluation rigor of its programs and products. Specifically we sought to make evaluation an integral part of our work; enabling staff to demonstrate why we do the activities we do, enhancing the impact or our products/programs, and empowering staff to make evidence-based claims. The Collaborative Impact Analysis Method (Davis and Scalice, 2015) was selected as it allowed us to combine staff's knowledge of programs, audiences and content with the expertise of an outside evaluation expert, through consultations and a qualitative rubric assessing the initial state of each product/program's evaluation. Staff then developed action plans to make improvements to the programs over time. A key part of the initial action plans has been the collection and analysis of new evaluation data. The most frequently used tools were surveys as they were relatively straightforward to implement and analyze, and could be adapted for different situations. Examples include: brand awareness, value of booth interactions, assessing community interest in a data app, and user surveys of social media and specific web pages. Other evaluation activities included beta testing of new software, and interviews with students and faculty involved in summer field experiences. The surveys have allowed us to document increased impact in some areas, to improve the usability of products and activities, and to provide baseline impact data. The direct involvement of staff in the process has helped staff appreciate the value of evaluation, but there are also challenges to this approach. Since many of the surveys are developed and conducted by EPO staff, rather than being primarily handled by the evaluator, the process takes considerably more staff time to implement. We are still determining how to best manage and present the data and analysis; our current approach

Process evaluation of the Regional Biomass Energy Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wilson, C.R.; Brown, M.A.; Perlack, R.D.

1994-03-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) established the Regional Biomass Energy Program (RBEP) in 1983 to increase the production and use of biomass energy resources. Through the creation of five regional program (the Great Lakes, Northeast, Pacific Northwest, Southeast, and West), the RBEP focuses on regionally specific needs and opportunities. In 1992, Oak Ridge National (ORNL) conducted a process evaluation of the RBEP Program designed to document and explain the development of the goals and strategies of the five regional programs; describe the economic and market context surrounding commercialization of bioenergy systems; assess the criteria used to select projects; describe experiences with cost sharing; identify program accomplishments in the transfer of information and technology; and offer recommendations for program improvement.

29 CFR 1960.80 - Secretary's evaluations of agency occupational safety and health programs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... EMPLOYEE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAMS AND RELATED MATTERS Evaluation of Federal Occupational Safety and Health Programs § 1960.80 Secretary's evaluations of agency occupational safety and health... evaluating an agency's occupational safety and health program. To accomplish this, the Secretary shall...

A cost-benefit analysis of Wisconsin's screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment program: adding the employer's perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Quanbeck, Andrew; Lang, Katharine; Enami, Kohei; Brown, Richard L

2010-02-01

A previous cost-benefit analysis found Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) to be cost-beneficial from a societal perspective. This paper develops a cost-benefit model that includes the employer's perspective by considering the costs of absenteeism and impaired presenteeism due to problem drinking. We developed a Monte Carlo simulation model to estimate the costs and benefits of SBIRT implementation to an employer. We first presented the likely costs of problem drinking to a theoretical Wisconsin firm that does not currently provide SBIRT services. We then constructed a cost-benefit model in which the firm funds SBIRT for its employees. The net present value of SBIRT adoption was computed by comparing costs due to problem drinking both with and without the program. When absenteeism and impaired presenteeism costs were considered from the employer's perspective, the net present value of SBIRT adoption was $771 per employee. We concluded that implementing SBIRT is cost-beneficial from the employer's perspective and recommend that Wisconsin employers consider covering SBIRT services for their employees.

Handbook of evaluation of utility DSM programs. [Demand-Side Management (DSM)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirst, E.; Reed, J. (eds.); Bronfman, B.; Fitzpatrick, G.; Hicks, E.; Hirst, E.; Hoffman, M.; Keating, K.; Michaels, H.; Nadel, S.; Peters, J.; Reed, J.; Saxonis, W.; Schoen, A.; Violette, D.

1991-12-01

Program evaluation has become a central issue in the world of utility integrated resource planning. The DSM programs that utilities were operating to meet federal requirements or to improve customer relations are now becoming big business. DSM is being considered an important resource in a utility's portfolio of options. In the last five years, the amount of money that utilities have invested in DSM has grown exponentially in most regulatory jurisdictions. Market analysts are now talking about DSM being a $30 billion industry by the end of the decade. If the large volume of DSM-program investments was not enough to highlight the importance of evaluation, then the introduction of regulatory incentives has really focused the spotlight. This handbook was developed through a process that involved many of those people who represent the diverse constituencies of DSM-program evaluation. We have come to recognize the many technical disciplines that must be employed to evaluate DSM programs. An analysis might start out based on the principles of utility load research to find out what happened, but a combination of engineering and statistical methods must be used to triangulate'' an estimate of what would have happened without the program. The difference, of course, is that elusive but prized result of evaluation: what happened as the direct result of the DSM program. Technical performance of DSM measures is not the sole determinant of the answer, either. We also recognize the importance of such behavioral attributes of DSM as persistence and free ridership. Finally, DSM evaluation is meaningless without attention to planning an approach, communicating results to relevant decision-makers, and focusing as much on the process as the impacts of the program. These topics are all covered in this handbook.

Process Evaluation of a Workers' Health Surveillance Program for Meat Processing Workers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Holland, Berry J; Brouwer, Sandra; de Boer, Michiel R; Reneman, Michiel F; Soer, Remko

2017-01-01

Objective To evaluate the implementation process of a workers' health surveillance (WHS) program in a Dutch meat processing company. Methods Workers from five plants were eligible to participate in the WHS program. The program consisted of four evaluative components and an intervention component.

Process Evaluation of a Workers' Health Surveillance Program for Meat Processing Workers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Holland, Berry; Brouwer, Sandra; de Boer, Michiel R; Reneman, Michiel F; Soer, Remko

Objective To evaluate the implementation process of a workers' health surveillance (WHS) program in a Dutch meat processing company. Methods Workers from five plants were eligible to participate in the WHS program. The program consisted of four evaluative components and an intervention component.

Objective Evaluation in an Online Geographic Information System Certificate Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott L. WALKER

2005-01-01

Full Text Available Objective Evaluation in an Online Geographic Information System Certificate Program Asst. Professor. Dr. Scott L. WALKER Texas State University-San Marcos San Marcos, Texas, USA ABSTRACT Departmental decisions regarding distance education programs can be subject to subjective decision-making processes influenced by external factors such as strong faculty opinions or pressure to increase student enrolment. This paper outlines an evaluation of a departmental distance-education program. The evaluation utilized several methods that strived to inject objectivity in evaluation and subsequent decision-making. A rapid multi-modal approach included evaluation methods of (1 considering the online psychosocial learning environment, (2 content analyses comparing the online version of classes to face-to-face versions, (3 cost comparisons in online vs. face-to-face classes, (4 student outcomes, (5 student retention, and (6 benchmarking. These approaches offer opportunities for departmental administrators and decision-making committees to make judgments informed by facts rather than being influenced by the emotions, beliefs, or opinions of organizational dynamics.

TAP 1, Training Program Manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

Training programs at DOE nuclear facilities should provide well-trained, qualified personnel to safely and efficiently operate the facilities in accordance with DOE requirements. A need has been identified for guidance regarding analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of consistent and reliable performance-based training programs. Accreditation of training programs at Category A reactors and high-hazard and selected moderate-hazard nonreactor nuclear facilities will assure consistent, appropriate, and cost-effective training of personnel responsible for the operation, maintenance, and technical support of these facilities. Training programs that are designed and based on systematically determined job requirements, instead of subjective estimation of trainee needs, yield training activities that are consistent and develop or improve knowledge, skills, and abilities that can be directly related to the work setting. Because the training is job-related, the content of these programs more efficiently meets the needs of the employee. Besides a better trained work force, a greater level of operational reactor safety can be realized. This manual is intended to provide an overview of the accreditation process and a brief description of the elements necessary to construct and maintain training programs that are based on the requirements of the job. Two companion manuals provide additional information to assist contractors in their efforts to accredit training programs

EVALUATION OF OXYGEN-ENRICHED MSW/SEWAGE SLUDGE CO-INCINERATION DEMONSTRATION PROGRAM

Science.gov (United States)

This report provides an evaluation of a two-phased demonstration program conducted for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Municipal Solid Waste Innovative Technology Evaluation Program, and the results thereof, of a recently developed method of sewage sludge managemen...

Syracuse/NASA program: A historical critique: Multidisciplinary studies in management and development programs in the public sector

Science.gov (United States)

Barzelay, M. E.

1974-01-01

A historical critique is presented of the Syracuse/NASA program on management and development programs. Brief summaries are included of each of the major projects undertaken, including identification of the principal investigators and the university departments and disciplines involved.

Program Evaluation in Cost Benefit Terms.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanner, C. Kenneth

This paper advances a model, called the expected opportunity loss model, for curriculum evaluation. This decision-making technique utilizes subjective data by ranking courses according to their expected contributions to the primary objective of the total program. The model also utilizes objective data in the form of component costs, and differs…

National briefing summaries: Nuclear fuel cycle and waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, K.J.; Lakey, L.T.; Silviera, D.J.

1988-12-01

The National Briefing Summaries is a compilation of publicly available information concerning the nuclear fuel cycle and radioactive waste management strategies and programs of 21 nations, including the United States and three international agencies that have publicized their activities in this field. It presents available highlight information with references that may be used by the reader for additional information. The information in this document is compiled primarily for use by the US Department of Energy and other US federal agencies and their contractors to provide summary information on radioactive waste management activities in other countries. This document provides an awareness to managers and technical staff of what is occurring in other countries with regard to strategies, activities, and facilities. The information may be useful in program planning to improve and benefit United States' programs through foreign information exchange. Benefits to foreign exchange may be derived through a number of exchange activities

Enrichment in Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time (ELT) Schools. Issue Brief

Science.gov (United States)

Caven, Meghan; Checkoway, Amy; Gamse, Beth; Luck, Rachel; Wu, Sally

2012-01-01

This brief highlights key information about enrichment activities, which represent one of the main components of the Massachusetts Expanded Learning Time (ELT) initiative. Over time, the ELT initiative has supported over two dozen schools across the Commonwealth. A comprehensive evaluation of the ELT initiative found that implementation of the…

Recent developments: Industry briefs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1990-01-01

Recent nuclear industry briefs are presented. These briefs include: Swiss voters reject phaseout; EdF confirms order for Civaux 1; NDP surprise victor in Ontario; Czechoslovakia joins Foratom; Poland abandons Zarnowiec; Cogema's UP3 facility operationa; Wismut to clsoe mining operations; court rules in favor of US government in Yucca Mountain waste site; Italian government ratifies ENEL reactor shutdowns; and Seabrook enters commercial operation

Status of beta measurement evaluation and upgrade program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swinth, K.L.

1986-01-01

In 1983, the US Department of Energy (DOE) initiated a program to evaluate and upgrade beta dosimetry capabilities at DOE and DOE-contractor facilities. The program has several elements which structure the development of improvements in beta measurement practices. In addition to Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL), universities, private corporations, and other DOE facilities are involved in the research efforts

Evaluation of a quality control program in radiodiagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yacovenco, Alejandro; Infantosi, A.F.C.; Tauhata, L.

1996-01-01

A quality assurance program, implemented at the Radiologic Service of the Hospital of the Military Police in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is evaluated. The results show a reduction around of 70% in the number of rejected films and 75% in the costs. A return to the former conditions is reported as after the discontinuation of the program

Using program logic model analysis to evaluate and better deliver what works

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Megdal, Lori; Engle, Victoria; Pakenas, Larry; Albert, Scott; Peters, Jane; Jordan, Gretchen

2005-01-01

There is a rich history in using program theories and logic models (PT/LM) for evaluation, monitoring, and program refinement in a variety of fields, such as health care, social and education programs. The use of these tools to evaluate and improve energy efficiency programs has been growing over the last 5-7 years. This paper provides an overview of the state-of-the-art methods of logic model development, with analysis that significantly contributed to: Assessing the logic behind how the program expects to be able to meets its ultimate goals, including the 'who', the 'how', and through what mechanism. In doing so, gaps and questions that still need to be addressed can be identified. Identifying and prioritize the indicators that should be measured to evaluate the program and program theory. Determining key researchable questions that need to be answered by evaluation/research, to assess whether the mechanism assumed to cause the changes in actions, attitudes, behaviours, and business practices is workable and efficient. Also will assess the validity in the program logic and the likelihood that the program can accomplish its ultimate goals. Incorporating analysis of prior like programs and social science theories in a framework to identify opportunities for potential program refinements. The paper provides an overview of the tools, techniques and references, and uses as example the energy efficiency program analysis conducted for the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority's (NYSERDA) New York ENERGY $MART SM programs

Psychological health of military children: longitudinal evaluation of a family-centered prevention program to enhance family resilience.

Science.gov (United States)

Lester, Patricia; Stein, Judith A; Saltzman, William; Woodward, Kirsten; MacDermid, Shelley W; Milburn, Norweeta; Mogil, Catherine; Beardslee, William

2013-08-01

Family-centered preventive interventions have been proposed as relevant to mitigating psychological health risk and promoting resilience in military families facing wartime deployment and reintegration. This study evaluates the impact of a family-centered prevention program, Families OverComing Under Stress Family Resilience Training (FOCUS), on the psychological adjustment of military children. Two primary goals include (1) understanding the relationships of distress among family members using a longitudinal path model to assess relations at the child and family level and (2) determining pathways of program impact on child adjustment. Multilevel data analysis using structural equation modeling was conducted with deidentified service delivery data from 280 families (505 children aged 3-17) in two follow-up assessments. Standardized measures included service member and civilian parental distress (Brief Symptom Inventory, PTSD Checklist-Military), child adjustment (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), and family functioning (McMaster Family Assessment Device). Distress was significantly related among the service member parent, civilian parent, and children. FOCUS improved family functioning, which in turn significantly reduced child distress at follow-up. Salient components of improved family functioning in reducing child distress mirrored resilience processes targeted by FOCUS. These findings underscore the public health potential of family-centered prevention for military families and suggest areas for future research. Reprint & Copyright © 2013 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Evaluating public involvement in the National Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-09-01

The Department of Energy contracted with the Keystone Center to evaluate the effectiveness of the National Low-Level Radioactive Waste Management Program's public-involvement efforts. The Center chose six evaluators with diverse training and experience related to low-level waste management and public-participation programs. Keystone's evaluation was based on (a) observations by the evaluators who attended the National Program-sponsored strategy review meetings and fairs; (b) interviews with low-level waste generators, local government officials, state legislators, public-interest groups, and members of the general public; and (c) observations of the final National Program strategy task force meeting. The evaluators concluded that, overall, the public-participation processes yielded some very positive results - for policy development and for DOE and the EG and G staff. They judged the strategy document to be complete, concise, and helpful to public dialogue on low-level waste issues. They also made specific recommendations for improvements to the public-participation program

Commercial Crew Development Program Overview

Science.gov (United States)

Russell, Richard W.

2011-01-01

NASA's Commercial Crew Development Program is designed to stimulate efforts within the private sector that will aid in the development and demonstration of safe, reliable, and cost-effective space transportation capabilities. With the goal of delivery cargo and eventually crew to Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the International Space Station (ISS) the program is designed to foster the development of new spacecraft and launch vehicles in the commercial sector. Through Space Act Agreements (SAAs) in 2011 NASA provided $50M of funding to four partners; Blue Origin, The Boeing Company, Sierra Nevada Corporation, and SpaceX. Additional, NASA has signed two unfunded SAAs with ATK and United Space Alliance. This paper will give a brief summary of these SAAs. Additionally, a brief overview will be provided of the released version of the Commercial Crew Development Program plans and requirements documents.

29 CFR 1960.79 - Self-evaluations of occupational safety and health programs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Self-evaluations of occupational safety and health programs. 1960.79 Section 1960.79 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH... AND HEALTH PROGRAMS AND RELATED MATTERS Evaluation of Federal Occupational Safety and Health Programs...

Brief screening for co-occurring disorders among women entering substance abuse treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chernoff Miriam

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite the importance of identifying co-occurring psychiatric disorders in substance abuse treatment programs, there are few appropriate and validated instruments available to substance abuse treatment staff to conduct brief screen for these conditions. This paper describes the development, implementation and validation of a brief screening instrument for mental health diagnoses and trauma among a diverse sample of Black, Hispanic and White women in substance abuse treatment. With input from clinicians and consumers, we adapted longer existing validated instruments into a 14 question screen covering demographics, mental health symptoms and physical and sexual violence exposure. All women entering treatment (methadone, residential and out-patient at five treatment sites were screened at intake (N = 374. Results Eighty nine percent reported a history of interpersonal violence, and 70% reported a history of sexual assault. Eighty-eight percent reported mental health symptoms in the last 30 days. The screening questions administered to 88 female clients were validated against in-depth psychiatric diagnostic assessments by trained mental health clinicians. We estimated measures of predictive validity, including sensitivity, specificity and predictive values positive and negative. Screening items were examined multiple ways to assess utility. The screen is a useful and valid proxy for PTSD but not for other mental illness. Conclusion Substance abuse treatment programs should incorporate violence exposure questions into clinical use as a matter of policy. More work is needed to develop brief screening tools measures for front-line treatment staff to accurately assess other mental health needs of women entering substance abuse treatment

Successful Attendance Policies and Programs. Research Brief

Science.gov (United States)

Education Partnerships, Inc., 2012

2012-01-01

What steps can be taken to assure that High School students have the best attendance possible? It is commonly believed and well supported by research that students who attend school regularly are more successful than those who do not. The challenge for high schools is to design and implement attendance policies and programs that monitor,…

Effect of additional brief counselling after periodic health examination on motivation for health behavior change [corrected].

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Ki Young; Lee, Cheol Min; Cho, BeLong; Lym, Youl Lee; Oh, Seung Won; Chung, Wonjoo; Lee, Jin-Seok; Park, DuShin; Kim, Han Suk

2012-11-01

This study was to evaluate the effect of additional brief counseling by a primary care physician on lifestyle modification of examinees after a periodic health examination. 1,000 participants of the 2007 Korean national health screening program were asked to note any variation in their health behavior after participating in the screening program. The degree of comprehensive motivation for lifestyle modification was assessed in terms of stages of health behavior change. We calculated odds ratio of positive change (enhanced stage of change) with multiple logistic regression analysis and age-adjusted proportion of positive changers. Of 989 respondents, 486 and 503 received the basic and additional programs, respectively. Additional group were more likely to be positive changer than basic group (adjusted OR 1.78; 95% CI 1.19-2.65), and this was more prominent in older age group (adjusted OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.23-4.58). The age-adjusted proportions of positive changers were 22.7% (95% CI, 17.9-28.3) and 36.2% (95% CI, 30.4-42.4) in the basic and additional groups, respectively (P behavior change after the health examination. Thus, such a consultation should be considered when designing a health-screening program.

The Evaluation Market in Germany: Estimating Market Size for Evaluation of Political Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Lowenbein, Oded

2008-01-01

The United States has a long tradition in evaluation of political programs. In the 1930s and 1940s, programs were initiated to reduce unemployment and improve social security as part of the "New Deal." In the late 1960s, somewhat comparable to the U. S. at that time, Germany's new government started its own "New Deal."…

AAAS Communicating Science Program: Reflections on Evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Braha, J.

2015-12-01

The AAAS Center for Public Engagement (Center) with science builds capacity for scientists to engage public audiences by fostering collaboration among natural or physical scientists, communication researchers, and public engagement practitioners. The recently launched Leshner Leadership Institute empowers cohorts of mid-career scientists to lead public engagement by supporting their networks of scientists, researchers, and practitioners. The Center works closely with social scientists whose research addresses science communication and public engagement with science to ensure that the Communicating Science training program builds on empirical evidence to inform best practices. Researchers ( Besley, Dudo, & Storkdieck 2015) have helped Center staff and an external evaluator develop pan instrument that measures progress towards goals that are suggested by the researcher, including internal efficacy (increasing scientists' communication skills and confidence in their ability to engage with the public) and external efficacy (scientists' confidence in engagement methods). Evaluation results from one year of the Communicating Science program suggest that the model of training yields positive results that support scientists in the area that should lead to greater engagement. This talk will explore the model for training, which provides a context for strategic communication, as well as the practical factors, such as time, access to public engagement practitioners, and technical skill, that seems to contribute to increased willingness to engage with public audiences. The evaluation program results suggest willingness by training participants to engage directly or to take preliminary steps towards engagement. In the evaluation results, 38% of trained scientists reported time as a barrier to engagement; 35% reported concern that engagement would distract from their work as a barrier. AAAS works to improve practitioner-researcher-scientist networks to overcome such barriers.

Implementing and evaluating a program to facilitate chronic disease prevention and screening in primary care: a mixed methods program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Manca, Donna Patricia; Aubrey-Bassler, Kris; Kandola, Kami; Aguilar, Carolina; Campbell-Scherer, Denise; Sopcak, Nicolette; O'Brien, Mary Ann; Meaney, Christopher; Faria, Vee; Baxter, Julia; Moineddin, Rahim; Salvalaggio, Ginetta; Green, Lee; Cave, Andrew; Grunfeld, Eva

2014-10-08

The objectives of this paper are to describe the planned implementation and evaluation of the Building on Existing Tools to Improve Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening in Primary Care (BETTER 2) program which originated from the BETTER trial. The pragmatic trial, informed by the Chronic Care Model, demonstrated the effectiveness of an approach to Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening (CDPS) involving the use of a new role, the prevention practitioner. The desired goals of the program are improved clinical outcomes, reduction in the burden of chronic disease, and improved sustainability of the health-care system through improved CDPS in primary care. The BETTER 2 program aims to expand the implementation of the intervention used in the original BETTER trial into communities across Canada (Alberta, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories and Nova Scotia). This proactive approach provides at-risk patients with an intervention from the prevention practitioner, a health-care professional. Using the BETTER toolkit, the prevention practitioner determines which CDPS actions the patient is eligible to receive, and through shared decision-making and motivational interviewing, develops a unique and individualized 'prevention prescription' with the patient. This intervention is 1) personalized; 2) addressing multiple conditions; 3) integrated through linkages to local, regional, or national resources; and 4) longitudinal by assessing patients over time. The BETTER 2 program brings together primary care providers, policy/decision makers and researchers to work towards improving CDPS in primary care. The target patient population is adults aged 40-65. The reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintain (RE-AIM) framework will inform the evaluation of the program through qualitative and quantitative methods. A composite index will be used to quantitatively assess the effectiveness of the prevention practitioner intervention. The CDPS actions

Alternative Aviation Jet Fuel Sustainability Evaluation Report Task 1 : Report Evaluating Existing Sustainability Evaluation Programs

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-25

This report describes how existing biofuel sustainability evaluation programs meet requirements that are under consideration or are in early phases of adoption and implementation in various US and international contexts. Biofuel sustainability evalua...

Hanford performance evaluation program for Hanford site analytical services

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Markel, L.P.

1995-09-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5700.6C, Quality Assurance, and Title 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 830.120, Quality Assurance Requirements, states that it is the responsibility of DOE contractors to ensure that ''quality is achieved and maintained by those who have been assigned the responsibility for performing the work.'' Hanford Analytical Services Quality Assurance Plan (HASQAP) is designed to meet the needs of the Richland Operations Office (RL) for maintaining a consistent level of quality for the analytical chemistry services provided by contractor and commmercial analytical laboratory operations. Therefore, services supporting Hanford environmental monitoring, environmental restoration, and waste management analytical services shall meet appropriate quality standards. This performance evaluation program will monitor the quality standards of all analytical laboratories supporting the Hanforad Site including on-site and off-site laboratories. The monitoring and evaluation of laboratory performance can be completed by the use of several tools. This program will discuss the tools that will be utilized for laboratory performance evaluations. Revision 0 will primarily focus on presently available programs using readily available performance evaluation materials provided by DOE, EPA or commercial sources. Discussion of project specific PE materials and evaluations will be described in section 9.0 and Appendix A

Evaluation of Medical Education virtual Program: P3 model.

Science.gov (United States)

Rezaee, Rita; Shokrpour, Nasrin; Boroumand, Maryam

2016-10-01

In e-learning, people get involved in a process and create the content (product) and make it available for virtual learners. The present study was carried out in order to evaluate the first virtual master program in medical education at Shiraz University of Medical Sciences according to P3 Model. This is an evaluation research study with post single group design used to determine how effective this program was. All students 60 who participated more than one year in this virtual program and 21 experts including teachers and directors participated in this evaluation project. Based on the P3 e-learning model, an evaluation tool with 5-point Likert rating scale was designed and applied to collect the descriptive data. Students reported storyboard and course design as the most desirable element of learning environment (2.30±0.76), but they declared technical support as the less desirable part (1.17±1.23). Presence of such framework in this regard and using it within the format of appropriate tools for evaluation of e-learning in universities and higher education institutes, which present e-learning curricula in the country, may contribute to implementation of the present and future e-learning curricula efficiently and guarantee its implementation in an appropriate way.

Examining the sustainability potential of a multisite pilot to integrate alcohol screening and brief intervention within three primary care systems.

Science.gov (United States)

King, D K; Gonzalez, S J; Hartje, J A; Hanson, B L; Edney, C; Snell, H; Zoorob, R J; Roget, N A

2018-01-23

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that clinicians adopt universal alcohol screening and brief intervention as a routine preventive service for adults, and efforts are underway to support its widespread dissemination. The likelihood that healthcare systems will sustain this change, once implemented, is under-reported in the literature. This article identifies factors that were important to postimplementation sustainability of an evidence-based practice change to address alcohol misuse that was piloted within three diverse primary care organizations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded three academic teams to pilot and evaluate implementation of alcohol screening and brief intervention within multiclinic healthcare systems in their respective regions. Following the completion of the pilots, teams used the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool to retrospectively describe and compare differences across eight sustainability domains, identify strengths and potential threats to sustainability, and make recommendations for improvement. Health systems varied across all domains, with greatest differences noted for Program Evaluation, Strategic Planning, and Funding Stability. Lack of funding to sustain practice change, or data monitoring to promote fit and fidelity, was an indication of diminished Organizational Capacity in systems that discontinued the service after the pilot. Early assessment of sustainability factors may identify potential threats that could be addressed prior to, or during implementation to enhance Organizational Capacity. Although this study provides a retrospective assessment conducted by external academic teams, it identifies factors that may be relevant for translating evidence-based behavioral interventions in a way that assures that they are sustained within healthcare systems. © The Society of Behavioral Medicine 2018. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Tank Focus Area Pretreatment Program. FY 1995 Program Management Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morrison, M.I.; McGinnis, C.P.; Wilkenson, W.T.; Hunt, R.D.

1995-02-01

This program management plan (PMP) describes the FY 1995 project plans for the Pretreatment Program of the Tank Focus Area. The Tank Focus Area is one of five areas of environmental concerns originally identified by the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Technology Development (EM-50). Projects in the Tank Focus Area relate to the remediation of liquid waste stored in underground storage tanks at various US Department of Energy sites. The Pretreatment Program is an organizational unit performing work within the Tank Focus Area. The function of the Pretreatment Program is to develop, test, evaluate, and demonstrate new technologies, with emphasis on separations. The 11 Pretreatment Program projects for FY 1995 are (1) Cesium Extraction Testing, (2) Comprehensive Supernate Treatment, (3) Hot Cell Studies, (4) Cesium Removal Demonstration, (5) Out-of-Tank Evaporator Demonstration, (6) Crossflow Filtration, (7) Technical Interchange with CEA, (8) TRUEX Applications, (9) NAC/NAG Process Studies (conducted at Oak Ridge National Laboratory), (10) NAC/NAG Process and Waste Form Studies (conducted at Florida International University), and (11) Program Management. Section 2 of this PMP contains a separate subsection for each FY 1995 project. A brief description of the project, a schedule of major milestones, and a breakdown of costs are provided for each project. The PMP also contains sections that describe the project controls that are in place. Quality assurance, document control, the project management system, and the management organization are described in these sections

Traffic Control Device Evaluation Program : FY 2017

Science.gov (United States)

2018-03-01

This report presents findings on the activities conducted in the Traffic Control Device Evaluation Program during the 2017 fiscal year. The research on sponsored changeable message signs (continued from the previous year) was terminated by the Federa...

Evaluating Extension Based Leadership Development Programs in the Southern United States

Science.gov (United States)

Lamm, Kevan W.; Carter, Hannah S.; Lamm, Alexa J.

2016-01-01

The ability to evaluate and accurately articulate the outcomes associated with leadership development programs is critical to their continued financial and administrative support. With calls for outcome-based accountability, the need for rigorous evaluation is particularly relevant for those programs administered through the Cooperative Extension…

Teaching Program Evaluation on Interactive Television.

Science.gov (United States)

McNeil, Keith; Steinhauser, Jim; Newman, Isadore

This paper describes a five-session course entitled "Program Evaluation," which was taught via interactive television in the summer of 2002 to 68 doctoral and master's students in 5 of 6 locations throughout New Mexico. Students received a 4-hour lecture and then participated in off-line activities directed by the instructor. Problems in distance…

What does "brief" mean? A theoretical critique of the concept of brief therapy from a psychoanalytic viewpoint.

Science.gov (United States)

Migone, Paolo

2014-08-01

The concept of "brief therapy" contains internal contradictions. The techniques suggested by brief therapists are the same techniques that have been discussed historically in debates on theory of technique, both within and without psychoanalysis (e.g., the experiential factor at the center of the Freud-Ferenczi confrontation is also an important aspect of Gestalt therapy). A time limit is the only operational criterion that allows a rigorous definition of brief therapy; without this criterion it is impossible to discriminate between "brief" and simply "good" therapies (i.e., those in which patients are successfully treated in a short time). An important question is why, with a given patient, a therapist should decide, a priori, to terminate a treatment within a set time. Two clinical examples are presented, illustrating the usefulness of Eissler's concept of parameters as a heuristic framework to identify the potentially defensive nature of both "brief" and "long-term" therapy. © 2014 by the American Psychoanalytic Association.

Towards Bridging the Gap Programming Language and Partial Evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)