Protocol Assignment Forum: Program Evaluation

Hi Joseph, You will ultimately need a long list of impact, outcome and process measures given the breadth of your intervention. But i would try to be clear about the difference between the three (impact measures reflects program goals, outcome measures reflect program objectives, and process measures reflect program activities). 

I would consider reducing ER use and improving mental health scores to be impact measures that reflect the broad goals of the program.

Outcome measures reflect the specific objectives that will help reach those goals, which might include:

1. Proportion of patients who complete a primary care appointment

2. Proportion of patients screened for mental health problems

3. Proportion of patients treated for mental health problems if screen-positive

4. Proportion of patients who receive treatment for substance abuse

And so on.

And process measures would reflect the implementation and success of the specific activities you put in place to achieve these objectives. Based on your previous assignments, these might include:

1. Proportion of patients for whom a home visit is completed when scheduled

2. Proportion of patients for whom the various components of the in-home visit could be completed if the patient is located

And so on. The process measures reflect whether or not the activities you intended to put in place are happening and if they are not qualitative work can help flush out why.

Adithya

Joe, I'm enjoying watching your progress on this.  The main thing I would think about this week, as we said in class, is to make sure your outcome measures focus on the proportion of patients screened for mental health conditions and the proportion of patients treated for mental health problems.  Great job on your protocol thus far!