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Program Effectiveness (program + effectiveness)
Selected AbstractsCost utility analysis of physical activity counselling in general practiceAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 1 2006Kim Dalziel Objective:To evaluate the economic performance of the ,Green Prescription' physical activity counselling program in general practice. Methods:Cost utility analysis using a Markov model was used to estimate the cost utility of the Green Prescription program over full life expectancy. Program effectiveness was based on published trial data (878 inactive patients presenting to NZ general practice). Costs were based on detailed costing information and were discounted at 5% per anum. The main outcome measure is cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Extensive one-way sensitivity analyses were performed along with probabilistic (stochastic) analysis. Results:Incremental, modelled cost utility of the Green Prescription program compared with ,usual care' was NZ2,053 per QALY gained over full life expectancy (range NZ827 to NZ37,516 per QALY). Based on the probabilistic sensitivity analysis, 90% of ICERs fell below NZ7,500 per QALY. Conclusions:Based on a plausible and conservative set of assumptions, if decision makers are willing to pay at least NZ2,000 per QALY gained the Green Prescription program is likely to represent better value for money than ,usual care'. Implications:The Green Prescription program performs well, representing a good buy relative to other published cost effectiveness estimates. Policy makers should consider encouraging general practitioners to prescribe physical activity advice in the primary care setting, in association with support from exercise specialists. [source] DOES CORRECTIONAL PROGRAM QUALITY REALLY MATTER?CRIMINOLOGY AND PUBLIC POLICY, Issue 3 2006THE IMPACT OF ADHERING TO THE PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE INTERVENTION Research Summary: This study analyzed data on 3,237 offenders placed in 1 of 38 community-based residential programs as part of their parole or other post-release control. Offenders terminated from these programs were matched to, and compared with, a group of offenders (N = 3,237) under parole or other post-release control who were not placed in residential programming. Data on program characteristics and treatment integrity were obtained through staff surveys and interviews with program directors. This information on program characteristics was then related to the treatment effects associated with each program. Policy Implications: Significant and substantial relationships between program characteristics and program effectiveness were noted. This research provides information that is relevant to the development of correctional programs, and it can be used by funding agencies when awarding contracts for services. [source] Assessment of the Joint Food Science Curriculum of Washington State University and the University of Idaho by Graduates and Their EmployersJOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE EDUCATION, Issue 1 2006Stephanie Clark ABSTRACT: Thirty-two recent graduates from the joint food science program of Washington State Univ. (WSU) and The Univ. of Idaho (UI) and 12 of their employers participated in a survey study to assess food science program outcomes. The objective of this study was to assess the joint curriculum in its ability to prepare undergraduate students for critical thinking, problem solving, and technical competence in the food industry. Two survey tools, 1 for graduates and 1 for their employers, were designed to assess job preparedness and the skill set attained by food science program graduates. Graduates of the joint food science program generally indicated satisfaction with their food science education and suggested that they were adequately prepared for their jobs. Both students and employers indicated that most of the identified Success Skills are used daily on the job, and that graduates were well prepared with Success Skills. Graduates and employers reported adequate preparation in Food Processing and Engineering competence. Some significant differences (P < 0.05) were found in perceived and assessed competence. Specifically, while student indicated that they were well prepared with Food Chemistry and Analysis, Food Safety and Microbiology, and Applied Food Science competence, employers indicated only adequate preparation in Food Chemistry and Analysis, and Applied Food Science competence, but poor preparation in Food Safety and Microbiology competence. The findings suggest that students should be given opportunities for self-evaluation in undergraduate courses. Because the survey models are based on Institute of Food Technologists requirements, it is expected that the surveys can be readily adopted by other institutions to assess student learning and program effectiveness. [source] Evaluation of the North Carolina "Baby Think It Over" ProjectJOURNAL OF SCHOOL HEALTH, Issue 5 2002Lynne R. Tingle ABSTRACT: The North Carolina "Baby Think It Over" (BTIO) evaluation was conducted during spring semester 2000. Data were collected from participating teachers, students, and parents. Twenty-five teachers were selected randomly from different counties in North Carolina. Each randomly selected teacher coordinated the evaluation in conjunction with the intervention. Student surveys determined whether using the BTIO doll changed perceptions and attitudes toward teen parenting. Information also was collected on the veracity of each student's participation based on data provided from the computer in the baby. Surveys were sent home to the parents of participating students so information on communication, disruption of the household, and parenting perceptions could be obtained. Each teacher completed a survey that sought information on topics discussed throughout the intervention, hours of the program, and perceptions of program effectiveness. Parents and teachers were offered participation incentives. Overall, support existed for the BTIO intervention by parents and teachers. Most teachers and parents felt the program was effective at increasing communication about parenting and changing teen's attitudes in a desired direction. Most teachers reported that the intervention was not disruptive to their classes. However, results from student surveys did not reveal the same support. Student changes in attitudes and beliefs about parenting after the intervention were minimal. (J Sch Health. 2002;72(5): 178,183) [source] The Role of Pre-collegiate Partnership Programs in Environments Ambivalent about Affirmative Action: Reflections and Outcomes from an Early ImplementationJOURNAL OF SOCIAL ISSUES, Issue 3 2005Geoffrey Maruyama Preparing underrepresented students for college success though pre-collegiate partnership programs is one alternative to affirmative action programs. This article describes the Multicultural Excellence Program (MEP), a partnership program between an urban school district and 22 four-year higher education institutions. MEP, begun in 1987, targets 7th,12th-grade students from groups historically underrepresented in higher education. It helps them plan how to prepare themselves for continuing on to a four-year college. Analyses evaluating program effectiveness examined outcomes of over 4,000 secondary students and 243 college students. Despite substantial turnover, particularly at transition points, MEP has been very successful in enrolling its high school graduates immediately in four-year colleges. Although many MEP students have thrived in college, a smaller proportion has struggled. [source] Using student tracking data from an institutional perspectiveNEW DIRECTIONS FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES, Issue 143 2008Joanne Bashford This chapter describes several examples of institutional use of state- and college-level tracking data to benchmark performance, improve student success, and enhance program effectiveness. [source] Collective Action through Voluntary Environmental Programs: A Club Theory PerspectivePOLICY STUDIES JOURNAL, Issue 4 2007Aseem Prakash Voluntary environmental programs are institutions that seek to induce firms to produce positive environmental externalities beyond what government regulations require. Drawing on club theory, this paper outlines a theoretical perspective to study the relationship between program design and program effectiveness. Effective programs have rule structures that mitigate two central collective action problems inherent in producing positive environmental externalities: attracting firms to participate in the program and ensuring that participating firms adhere to program obligations. Because program efficacy can be undermined by collective action problems associated with free riding and shirking, effective voluntary clubs should be designed to mitigate these challenges. [source] Reinventing Reforms: How to Improve Program Management Using Performance Measures.PUBLIC BUDGETING AND FINANCE, Issue 3 2010Really This paper looks at the design and use of incentivized performance measures to motivate managerial efficiency and promote greater program effectiveness. It starts off by looking at recent reforms like the Government Performance and Results Act to understand why they were largely unsuccessful in altering the decision-making process of government agencies. One problem was that performance measures have been both numerous and complicated, thereby making their role in management and oversight difficult. Equally important, no external incentives were attached to program accomplishments. The paper then examines what elements would be needed to build a management system that encourages both more efficient and more effective agency behavior. The goal of performance budgeting is to develop performance measures that display the progress of a program toward its stated objectives. Assessments based on these measures may then call for rewards or punishments. As such, it also may encourage program managers toward improved performance. The paper examines the pitfalls and complexities dealt with by Congress and Office of Management and Budget in the process. For example, a performance system must distinguish between funding program needs, as warranted by sectoral indicators, and management concerns. It must also unambiguously tie incentives to performance measures to motivate agencies, while building in commitment devices for the principals. Incentivized performance measures may not be appropriate in all conditions, but may be helpful for motivating managers and improving program performance in particular circumstances. [source] ACGME Outcome Project: Phase 3 in Emergency Medicine EducationACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 7 2009Sandra M. Schneider MD Abstract In this article we present a summary of two interactive panel discussions held at the 2008 Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) annual meeting. Attendees attempted to identify measurable outcomes for resident performance that could be used to evaluate program effectiveness. [source] Mammography screening participation: effects of a media campaign targeting Italian-speaking womenAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 4 2005Andrew Page Objectives: To evaluate the effect of a radio and newspaper campaign encouraging Italian-speaking women aged 50,69 years to attend a population-based mammography screening program. Methods: A series of radio scripts and newspaper advertisements ran weekly in the Italian-language media over two, four-week periods. Monthly mammography screens were analysed to determine if numbers of Italian-speaking women in the program increased during the two campaign periods, using interrupted time series regression analysis. A survey of Italian-speaking women attending BreastScreen NSW during the campaign period (n=240) investigated whether individuals had heard or seen the advertisements. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in the number of initial or subsequent mammograms in Italian-speaking women between the campaign periods and the period prior to (or after) the campaign. Twenty per cent of respondents cited the Italian media campaign as a prompt to attend. Fifty per cent had heard the radio ad and 30% had seen the newspaper ad encouraging Italian-speaking women to attend BSNSW. The most common prompt to attend was the BSNSW invitation letter, followed by information or recommendation from a GP. Conclusion: Radio and newspaper advertisements developed for the Italian community did not significantly increase attendance to BSNSW. Implications: Measures of program effectiveness based on self-report may not correspond to aggregate screening behaviour. The development of the media campaign in conjunction with the Italian community, and the provision of appropriate levels of resourcing, did not ensure the media campaign's success. [source] Electronic Mail in Foreign Language Writing: A Study of Grammatical and Lexical Accuracy, and Quantity of LanguageFOREIGN LANGUAGE ANNALS, Issue 2 2000Manuela Gonzälez-Bueno The authors statistically analyzed the quality and quantity of discourse generated via the electronic and the traditional (i.e., paper-and-pencil) medium. The primary objective was to determine whether the use of electronic mail had any effect on grammatical accuracy, appropriate use of vocabulary, and language productivity. In addition, the participants completed a written survey at the end of the semester that elicited their opinions of the program's effectiveness. It was found that the electronic version of dialogue journals had a significantly positive effect on the amount of language generated by the students, and that it improved students' attitude towards learning and practicing the target language. However, the electronic version of dialogue journals did not seem to pose any significant advantage over the paper-and-pencil version with regard to lexical and grammatical accuracy. [source] Bullying in School: Evaluation and Dissemination of the Olweus Bullying Prevention ProgramAMERICAN JOURNAL OF ORTHOPSYCHIATRY, Issue 1 2010Dan Olweus The nature and extent of bullying among school children is discussed, and recent attention to the phenomenon by researchers, the media, and policy makers is noted. The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP) is a comprehensive, school-wide program that was designed to reduce bullying and achieve better peer relations among students in elementary, middle, and junior high school grades. Several large-scale studies from Norway are reviewed, which provide compelling evidence of the program's effectiveness in Norwegian schools. Studies that have evaluated the OBPP in diverse settings in the United States have not been uniformly consistent, but they have shown that the OBPP has had a positive impact on students' self-reported involvement in bullying and antisocial behavior. Efforts to disseminate the OBPP in Norway and the United States are discussed. [source] | |||||||||||||