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333860
A Mixed Methodology Training Evaluation from the National Children's Study (NCS) Quality Assurance Assessment (QAA)


Sunday, November 1, 2015

Sara Bausch, MS, Social and Economic Research and Evaluation, ICF International, Durham, NC
Bhuvana Sukumar, Ph.D, ICF International, Atlanta, GA
Tala Fakhouri, PhD MPH, Survey Research, ICF International, Rockville, MD
Davyd Chung, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child and Human Development, Bethesda, MD
Tonja Kyle, MS, ICF International, Rockville, MD
Lew Berman, PhD, MS, Health, Education, and Social Programs, ICF International, Rockville, MD
Background: The NCS was envisioned as a longitudinal cohort study of 100,000 children from preconception to age 21. An extensive pilot study, the Vanguard Study (VS), was conducted from 2009 to 2014. Large scale in-person, multi-day field trainings were part of VS implementation. A training evaluation was conducted on the 36 month data collection protocol (biospecimen collection, anthropometry, and neurocognitive assessment). We describe the development of instrumentation, results, and recommendations for future training evaluations, particularly in longitudinal studies.

Methods:   In-person data collection trainings conducted at each of four Regional Operations Centers (ROCs) were selected for evaluation.  The mixed methods approach used training adherence assessments through observation, post-training debriefing sessions gathering information on protocol fidelity and deviations or adaptations, and evaluation surveys assessing trainee understanding, confidence, and satisfaction.  

Findings: Adherence was greatest on anthropometric and lowest on biospecimen trainings. Anthropometry training had the highest data collector confidence and satisfaction ratings, although this varied by ROC. Data collector biospecimen ratings had the widest variation between ROCs and also some of the lowest satisfaction ratings. This was also the most intensive protocol. Data collectors in all ROCs were most confident about the neurocognitive assessments.

Conclusions:  Intensive protocols required intensive trainings and resulted in information overload, leading to issues with data collector comprehension and satisfaction.

Learning Areas:

Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Epidemiology
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Discuss lessons learned from training evaluation conducted as part of the National Children's Study (NCS) Vanguard Study (VS). Describe development of training evaluation system, and findings from training evaluation system.

Keyword(s): Training, Methodology

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I developed the training evaluation, did almost all of the data collection, analyzed all of the data and wrote the annual report.
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.

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