Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Recorded presentation

Karen A. Monsen, MS RN, Public Health and Environment, Washington County Minnesota, PO Box 6, 14949 62nd Street N, Stillwater, MN 55082, 651-430-6697, karen.monsen@co.washington.mn.us and Karen S. Martin, RN, MSN, FAAN, Martin Associates, 2115 S. 130th Street, Omaha, NE 68144.

Data sets generated by electronic documentation provide new opportunities for program evaluation. The process of transforming data to information to knowledge and insight that will inform practice is within reach for local health departments. Steps include formulating the evaluation question and data elements that relate to that question, mining and cleaning the data, conducting the analysis, validating findings with practitioners and administrators, and preparing a final report. These steps were followed by a local health department to answer the evaluation question: “What model of service delivery should be provided for MCH clients involved in child protective services?” The program evaluation compared clients involved in child protective services to clients not involved in child protective services. Data elements utilized included PHN activity measures and Omaha System data on client assessments and PHN services. Results showed that children and adults involved in child protective services were served longer and had more problems identified and addressed. Overall improvement in client knowledge, behavior and status was significant for clients in child protection and clients not in child protection, although ratings for clients not in child protection were consistently higher. No improvement in parenting ratings was observed for families in child protection. This program evaluation validated PHN perceptions that many health and resource needs could be addressed effectively by PHNs, and that families in child protection may need therapeutic parenting interventions above and beyond PHN home visiting services. Program managers used the data to further refine program delivery for families in child protective services.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, participants will be able to

• Describe program evaluation using data sets generated by electronic documentation.
• Identify necessary steps to utilize information technology for purposes of program evaluation.
• Give an example of a program question and how it could be evaluated using local health department data.

Keywords: Evaluation, Information Databases

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Recorded presentation