328210
Implementation of an electronic data collection and management system for a family-centered preventive intervention
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Maegan Sinclair, MPH,
Division of Population Behavioral Health at the Semel Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Hilary Aralis, MS,
Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Li-Jung Liang, PhD,
Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Alan Semaan,
Nathanson Family Resilience Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Rachel Linonis, MS,
Nathanson Family Resilience Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Catherine Mogil, Psy.D.,
Nathanson Family Resilience Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Norweeta Milburn, PhD,
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA Nathanson Family Resilience Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
Patricia Lester, MD,
Division of Population Behavioral Health, UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
With the nationwide push for the implementation of electronic data collection and management systems for capturing consumer health information, the need for finding the best practices for building and managing these electronic systems is a high priority. Our team developed an integrated web based survey and electronic data management system which facilities delivery and implementation of large scale behavioral health interventions. As an example, this system has been used to implement the Families OverComing Under Stress (FOCUS) program, a family-centered preventive intervention implemented to enhance resilience and improve behavioral health risk in military families. Between 2008-2013, data on 3,431 families were captured, including individual data on 5,136 adults (service member and civilian parents) and 6,339 children. The challenges of collecting and managing mental health data from behavioral health interventions at the family and individual levels included: 1) balancing services versus research needs when monitoring intervention impact over time and time burdens on the intervention staff and family members, 2) developing an electronic system that could provide instant participant data and feedback to the trainers (e.g. providing questionnaire score results as well as interpretations), and 3) being able to track participant data over time for the evaluation of the program and for trainer supervision. Our group generated recommendations for best practices in tracking, managing and collecting data electronically. These recommendations include: designing a battery of measures that can be easily scored, summarized, and used by the trainer in tailoring the intervention session goals, while also answering specific evaluation outcome questions (e.g. Did psychological distress decrease after the intervention?); developing the database such that the data can be extracted at the individual level while also maintaining the link to the family unit. Addressing the challenges has enhanced our group’s ability to conduct continuous process and outcome evaluation for an on-going service program.
Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Learning Objectives:
Identify the challenges to and recommendations for an electronic data collection system for clinical practice and on-going program evaluation.
Keyword(s): Evaluation, Information Technology
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the project and data manager of my center and have a master's degree in public health. I have collected, managed and evaluated numerous datasets as well as worked on numerous projects where I needed to build electronic data collection and management systems. I have enough experience to be able to speak to challenges and recommendations surrounding data collection and management.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
