Improved functions and reduced length of stay after inpatient rehabilitation programs in older adults with stroke: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Bindawas, Saad M; Vennu, Vishal; Moftah, Emad

2017-01-01

to examine the effects of inpatient rehabilitation programs on function and length of stay in older adults with strokeMETHODS: A total of five electronic databases were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials that examined the effects of inpatient rehabilitation programs on functional recovery, as measured by the functional independence measure and length of stay, which was measured in days. We included full-text articles written in English, and no time limit. The methodological quality and risk of bias were assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database Scale and the Cochrane collaboration tools respectively. The effect sizes and confidence intervals were estimated using fixed-effect modelsRESULTS: Eight randomized controlled trials involving 1,910 patients with stroke were included in the meta-analysis showed that patients who participated in the inpatient rehabilitation programs had significantly (p less than 0.05) higher functional independence measure scores (effect size = 0.10; 95 percent confidence interval = 0.01, 0.22) and shorter length of stay (effect size = 0.14; 95 percent confidence interval = 0.03, 0.22). This systematic review provided evidence that inpatient rehabilitation programs have beneficial effects, improving functionality and reducing length of stay for older adults with stroke.

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : Roadside Intervention Effectiveness Model, fiscal year 2010 : [analysis brief].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-11-01

Two of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations (FMCSAs) key safety programs are the Roadside Inspection and Traffic Enforcement programs. The Roadside Inspection program consists of roadside inspections performed by qualified safety in...

Assessing the effects of employee assistance programs: a review of employee assistance program evaluations.

PubMed

Colantonio, A

1989-01-01

Employee assistance programs have grown at a dramatic rate, yet the effectiveness of these programs has been called into question. The purpose of this paper was to assess the effectiveness of employee assistance programs (EAPs) by reviewing recently published EAP evaluations. All studies evaluating EAPs published since 1975 from peer-reviewed journals in the English language were included in this analysis. Each of the articles was assessed in the following areas: (a) program description (subjects, setting, type of intervention, format), (b) evaluation design (research design, variables measured, operational methods), and (c) program outcomes. Results indicate numerous methodological and conceptual weaknesses and issues. These weaknesses included lack of controlled research designs and short time lags between pre- and post-test measures. Other problems identified are missing information regarding subjects, type of intervention, how variables are measured (operational methods), and reliability and validity of evaluation instruments. Due to the aforementioned weaknesses, positive outcomes could not be supported. Recommendations are made for future EAP evaluations.

Assessing the effects of employee assistance programs: a review of employee assistance program evaluations.

PubMed Central

Colantonio, A.

1989-01-01

Employee assistance programs have grown at a dramatic rate, yet the effectiveness of these programs has been called into question. The purpose of this paper was to assess the effectiveness of employee assistance programs (EAPs) by reviewing recently published EAP evaluations. All studies evaluating EAPs published since 1975 from peer-reviewed journals in the English language were included in this analysis. Each of the articles was assessed in the following areas: (a) program description (subjects, setting, type of intervention, format), (b) evaluation design (research design, variables measured, operational methods), and (c) program outcomes. Results indicate numerous methodological and conceptual weaknesses and issues. These weaknesses included lack of controlled research designs and short time lags between pre- and post-test measures. Other problems identified are missing information regarding subjects, type of intervention, how variables are measured (operational methods), and reliability and validity of evaluation instruments. Due to the aforementioned weaknesses, positive outcomes could not be supported. Recommendations are made for future EAP evaluations. PMID:2728498

The effects of a prelicensure extern program and nurse residency program on new graduate outcomes and retention.

PubMed

Friday, Laura; Zoller, James S; Hollerbach, Ann D; Jones, Katherine; Knofczynski, Greg

2015-01-01

Organizations are looking to new graduate nurses to fill expected staffing shortages over the next decade. Creative and effective onboarding programs will determine the success or failure of these graduates as they transition from student to professional nurse. This longitudinal quantitative study with repeated measures used the Casey-Fink Graduate Nurse Experience Survey to investigate the effects of offering a prelicensure extern program and postlicensure residency program on new graduate nurses and organizational outcomes versus a residency program alone. Compared with the nurse residency program alone, the combination of extern program and nurse residency program improved neither the transition factors most important to new nurse graduates during their first year of practice nor a measure important to organizations, retention rates. The additional cost of providing an extern program should be closely evaluated when making financially responsible decisions.

The Efficacy of Stuttering Measurement Training: Evaluating Two Training Programs

PubMed Central

Bainbridge, Lauren A.; Stavros, Candace; Ebrahimian, Mineh; Wang, Yuedong

2015-01-01

Purpose Two stuttering measurement training programs currently used for training clinicians were evaluated for their efficacy in improving the accuracy of total stuttering event counting. Method Four groups, each with 12 randomly allocated participants, completed a pretest–posttest design training study. They were evaluated by their counts of stuttering events on eight 3-min audiovisual speech samples from adults and children who stutter. Stuttering judgment training involved use of either the Stuttering Measurement System (SMS), Stuttering Measurement Assessment and Training (SMAAT) programs, or no training. To test for the reliability of any training effect, SMS training was repeated with the 4th group. Results Both SMS-trained groups produced approximately 34% improvement, significantly better than no training or the SMAAT program. The SMAAT program produced a mixed result. Conclusions The SMS program was shown to produce a “medium” effect size improvement in the accuracy of stuttering event counts, and this improvement was almost perfectly replicated in a 2nd group. Half of the SMAAT judges produced a 36% improvement in accuracy, but the other half showed no improvement. Additional studies are needed to demonstrate the durability of the reported improvements, but these positive effects justify the importance of stuttering measurement training. PMID:25629956

The efficacy of stuttering measurement training: evaluating two training programs.

PubMed

Bainbridge, Lauren A; Stavros, Candace; Ebrahimian, Mineh; Wang, Yuedong; Ingham, Roger J

2015-04-01

Two stuttering measurement training programs currently used for training clinicians were evaluated for their efficacy in improving the accuracy of total stuttering event counting. Four groups, each with 12 randomly allocated participants, completed a pretest-posttest design training study. They were evaluated by their counts of stuttering events on eight 3-min audiovisual speech samples from adults and children who stutter. Stuttering judgment training involved use of either the Stuttering Measurement System (SMS), Stuttering Measurement Assessment and Training (SMAAT) programs, or no training. To test for the reliability of any training effect, SMS training was repeated with the 4th group. Both SMS-trained groups produced approximately 34% improvement, significantly better than no training or the SMAAT program. The SMAAT program produced a mixed result. The SMS program was shown to produce a "medium" effect size improvement in the accuracy of stuttering event counts, and this improvement was almost perfectly replicated in a 2nd group. Half of the SMAAT judges produced a 36% improvement in accuracy, but the other half showed no improvement. Additional studies are needed to demonstrate the durability of the reported improvements, but these positive effects justify the importance of stuttering measurement training.

Measurement control workshop instructional materials

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gibbs, Philip; Harvel, Charles; Clark, John

2012-09-01

An essential element in an effective nuclear materials control and accountability (MC&A) program is the measurement of the nuclear material as it is received, moved, processed and shipped. Quality measurement systems and methodologies determine the accuracy of the accountability values. Implementation of a measurement control program is essential to ensure that the measurement systems and methodologies perform as expected. A measurement control program also allows for a determination of the level of confidence in the accounting values.

MOE vs. M&E: considering the difference between measuring strategic effectiveness and monitoring tactical evaluation.

PubMed

Diehl, Glen; Major, Solomon

2015-01-01

Measuring the effectiveness of military Global Health Engagements (GHEs) has become an area of increasing interest to the military medical field. As a result, there have been efforts to more logically and rigorously evaluate GHE projects and programs; many of these have been based on the Logic and Results Frameworks. However, while these Frameworks are apt and appropriate planning tools, they are not ideally suited to measuring programs' effectiveness. This article introduces military medicine professionals to the Measures of Effectiveness for Defense Engagement and Learning (MODEL) program, which implements a new method of assessment, one that seeks to rigorously use Measures of Effectiveness (vs. Measures of Performance) to gauge programs' and projects' success and fidelity to Theater Campaign goals. While the MODEL method draws on the Logic and Results Frameworks where appropriate, it goes beyond their planning focus by using the latest social scientific and econometric evaluation methodologies to link on-the-ground GHE "lines of effort" to the realization of national and strategic goals and end-states. It is hoped these methods will find use beyond the MODEL project itself, and will catalyze a new body of rigorous, empirically based work, which measures the effectiveness of a broad spectrum of GHE and security cooperation activities. We based our strategies on the principle that it is much more cost-effective to prevent conflicts than it is to stop one once it's started. I cannot overstate the importance of our theater security cooperation programs as the centerpiece to securing our Homeland from the irregular and catastrophic threats of the 21st Century.-GEN James L. Jones, USMC (Ret.). Reprint & Copyright © 2015 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

U.S. Marine Corps Enlistment Bonus Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

Bonus Groups to Alternative Question ...... -1 B-2 Responses to Attitude Questions For Bonus Groups ....... -2 C-1 Calculation of Enlistment Supply ...can be used to measure the effect of changes in bonus levels on enlistment supply . Alternatively , we can measure the effect of the bonus program...EBP (Enlistment Bonus Program) EniisteJ Personnel, EnltsteA Supply , marine corps Personnel, Questionnaires, Recruiting, Regression Aalysis, Response

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : roadside intervention effectiveness model FY 2013 : analysis brief.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-08-01

The Roadside Inspection and Traffic Enforcement programs are two of FMCSAs most powerful safety tools. By continually examining the results of these programs, FMCSA can ensure that they are being executed effectively and are producing the desired ...

Influence of Smartphones and Software on Acoustic Voice Measures

PubMed Central

GRILLO, ELIZABETH U.; BROSIOUS, JENNA N.; SORRELL, STACI L.; ANAND, SUPRAJA

2016-01-01

This study assessed the within-subject variability of voice measures captured using different recording devices (i.e., smartphones and head mounted microphone) and software programs (i.e., Analysis of Dysphonia in Speech and Voice (ADSV), Multi-dimensional Voice Program (MDVP), and Praat). Correlations between the software programs that calculated the voice measures were also analyzed. Results demonstrated no significant within-subject variability across devices and software and that some of the measures were highly correlated across software programs. The study suggests that certain smartphones may be appropriate to record daily voice measures representing the effects of vocal loading within individuals. In addition, even though different algorithms are used to compute voice measures across software programs, some of the programs and measures share a similar relationship. PMID:28775797

Internet-Based Programs Incorporating Behavior Change Techniques Are Associated With Increased Smoking Cessation in the General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

PubMed

McCrabb, Sam; Baker, Amanda L; Attia, John; Skelton, Eliza; Twyman, Laura; Palazzi, Kerrin; McCarter, Kristen; Ku, Dominic; Bonevski, Billie

2018-05-10

This study aims to (i) examine the effectiveness of internet-based smoking cessation programs; (ii) describe the number and type of behavior change techniques (BCTs) employed; and (iii) explore whether BCTs included in internet-based smoking cessation programs are related to program effectiveness. MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CENTRAL databases were searched. Randomized controlled trials were included if they described the study of a smoking cessation program delivered via the internet; included current adult tobacco smokers from the general population; and were written in English. Random effects meta-analyses and meta-regressions were used to examine program effectiveness (pooled odds ratios, by outcome measure, i.e., 7 day point prevalence abstinence [PPA], 30 day PPA, other abstinence measure) in short- and long-term outcomes, and examine the associations between BCT number and type (individual BCTs and BCT domain) and program effectiveness. Results from 45 studies were included (n = 65,736). Intervention effectiveness was found in the short term for all outcome measures (OR = 1.29, 95% CI 1.12, 1.50, p = .001), for "prolonged abstinence" (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.09, 1.87, p = .009), and "30 day PPA" (OR = 1.75, 95% CI 1.13, 2.72, p = .013). Internet-based programs were effective in the long term for all outcome measures (OR = 1.19, 95% CI = 1.06, 1.35, p = .004) and for "prolonged abstinence" (OR = 1.40, 95% CI 1.19, 1.63, p < .001). On average, interventions used more BCTs than comparison groups (6.6 vs. 3.1, p = .0002). The impact of specific individual BCTs and BCT domains on effectiveness was examined and is reported. Internet-based smoking cessation interventions increased the odds of cessation by 29 per cent in the short term and by 19 per cent in the long term. Internet-based smoking cessation intervention development should incorporate BCTs to increase effectiveness. CRD42015014676.

Emerging Evidence on the Effectiveness of Tropical Forest Conservation.

PubMed

Börner, Jan; Baylis, Kathy; Corbera, Esteve; Ezzine-de-Blas, Driss; Ferraro, Paul J; Honey-Rosés, Jordi; Lapeyre, Renaud; Persson, U Martin; Wunder, Sven

2016-01-01

The PLOS ONE Collection "Measuring forest conservation effectiveness" brings together a series of studies that evaluate the effectiveness of tropical forest conservation policies and programs with the goal of measuring conservation success and associated co-benefits. This overview piece describes the geographic and methodological scope of these studies, as well as the policy instruments covered in the Collection as of June 2016. Focusing on forest cover change, we systematically compare the conservation effects estimated by the studies and discuss them in the light of previous findings in the literature. Nine studies estimated that annual conservation impacts on forest cover were below one percent, with two exceptions in Mexico and Indonesia. Differences in effect sizes are not only driven by the choice of conservation measures. One key lesson from the studies is the need to move beyond the current scientific focus of estimating average effects of undifferentiated conservation programs. The specific elements of the program design and the implementation context are equally important factors for understanding the effectiveness of conservation programs. Particularly critical will be a better understanding of the causal mechanisms through which conservation programs have impacts. To achieve this understanding we need advances in both theory and methods.

Some Measures of Evaluation and Effectiveness in Social Work Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapoor, J. M.

Measures of accountability and evaluation of social work program efforts are examined. Evaluation of program effort refers to an assessment of the amount and kinds of program activities considered necessary for the accomplishment of program goals within a particular stage of development. It refers not only to staff time, activity, and commitment,…

The US Air Force suicide prevention program: implications for public health policy.

PubMed

Knox, Kerry L; Pflanz, Steven; Talcott, Gerald W; Campise, Rick L; Lavigne, Jill E; Bajorska, Alina; Tu, Xin; Caine, Eric D

2010-12-01

We evaluated the effectiveness of the US Air Force Suicide Prevention Program (AFSPP) in reducing suicide, and we measured the extent to which air force installations implemented the program. We determined the AFSPP's impact on suicide rates in the air force by applying an intervention regression model to data from 1981 through 2008, providing 16 years of data before the program's 1997 launch and 11 years of data after launch. Also, we measured implementation of program components at 2 points in time: during a 2004 increase in suicide rates, and 2 years afterward. Suicide rates in the air force were significantly lower after the AFSPP was launched than before, except during 2004. We also determined that the program was being implemented less rigorously in 2004. The AFSPP effectively prevented suicides in the US Air Force. The long-term effectiveness of this program depends upon extensive implementation and effective monitoring of implementation. Suicides can be reduced through a multilayered, overlapping approach that encompasses key prevention domains and tracks implementation of program activities.

Measuring the costs and benefits of conservation programs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Einhorn, M.A.

1985-07-25

A step-by-step analysis of the effects of utility-sponsored conservation promoting programs begins by identifying several factors which will reduce a program's effectiveness. The framework for measuring cost savings and designing a conservation program needs to consider the size of appliance subsidies, what form incentives should take, and how will customer behavior change as a result of incentives. Continual reevaluation is necessary to determine whether to change the size of rebates or whether to continue the program. Analytical tools for making these determinations are improving as conceptual breakthroughs in econometrics permit more rigorous analysis. 5 figures.

Evaluating disease management program effectiveness: an introduction to time-series analysis.

PubMed

Linden, Ariel; Adams, John L; Roberts, Nancy

2003-01-01

Currently, the most widely used method in the disease management (DM) industry for evaluating program effectiveness is referred to as the "total population approach." This model is a pretest-posttest design, with the most basic limitation being that without a control group, there may be sources of bias and/or competing extraneous confounding factors that offer a plausible rationale explaining the change from baseline. Furthermore, with the current inclination of DM programs to use financial indicators rather than program-specific utilization indicators as the principal measure of program success, additional biases are introduced that may cloud evaluation results. This paper presents a non-technical introduction to time-series analysis (using disease-specific utilization measures) as an alternative, and more appropriate, approach to evaluating DM program effectiveness than the current total population approach.

Measuring the effectiveness of conservation programs for shrubland birds

Treesearch

Scott Schlossberg; David I. King

2015-01-01

Disturbance-dependent habitats such as grasslands and shrublands are declining in many regions. To mitigate these declines, government agencies are using anthropogenic disturbances like logging and mowing to mimic natural ones. Because these programs can be costly or controversial, measuring their effectiveness is important. Here, we evaluate the conservation...

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : Roadside Intervention Effectiveness Model FY 2012, [analysis brief].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-02-01

Roadside Inspection and Traffic Enforcement are two of : the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations : (FMCSAs) key safety programs. The Roadside : Inspection Program consists of roadside inspections : performed by qualified safety inspect...

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : roadside intervention effectiveness model FY 2011 : [analysis brief].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-06-01

Roadside Inspection and Traffic Enforcement are two of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations (FMCSAs) key safety programs. The Roadside Inspection program consists of roadside inspections performed by qualified safety inspectors. The...

Return on Investment: A Cost-Effectiveness Measure for the Texas' Workforce System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Norris, Davy N.; King, Christopher T.

Texas is developing a return-on-investment (ROI) measure to assess the cost-effectiveness of work force programs. Emphasis is on issues related to conducting cross-program ROI analysis at the level of the Local Workforce Development Board (LWDB) in career or one-stop centers. To make the most appropriate and effective use of ROI, the following…

A randomized, single-blind cross-over design evaluating the effectiveness of an individually defined, targeted physical therapy approach in treatment of children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Franki, Inge; Van den Broeck, Christine; De Cat, Josse; Tijhuis, Wieke; Molenaers, Guy; Vanderstraeten, Guy; Desloovere, Kaat

2014-10-01

A pilot study to compare the effectiveness of an individual therapy program with the effects of a general physical therapy program. A randomized, single-blind cross-over design. Ten ambulant children with bilateral spastic cerebral palsy, age four to nine years. Participants were randomly assigned into a ten-week individually defined, targeted or a general program, followed by a cross-over. Evaluation was performed using the Gross Motor Function Measure-88 and three-dimensional gait analysis. General outcome parameters were Gross Motor Function Measure-88 scores, time and distance parameters, gait profile score and movement analysis profiles. Individual goal achievement was evaluated using z-scores for gait parameters and Goal Attainment Scale for gross motor function. No significant changes were observed regarding gross motor function. Only after individualized therapy, step- and stride-length increased significantly (p = 0.022; p = 0.017). Change in step-length was higher after the individualized program (p = 0.045). Within-group effects were found for the pelvis in transversal plane after the individualized program (p = 0.047) and in coronal plane after the general program (p = 0.047). Between-program differences were found for changes in the knee in sagittal plane, in the advantage of the individual program (p = 0.047). A median difference in z-score of 0.279 and 0.419 was measured after the general and individualized program, respectively. Functional goal attainment was higher after the individual therapy program compared with the general program (48 to 43.5). The results indicate slightly favorable effects towards the individualized program. To detect clinically significant changes, future studies require a minimal sample size of 72 to 90 participants. © The Author(s) 2014.

77 FR 35747 - Highway Safety Programs; Conforming Products List of Evidential Breath Alcohol Measurement Devices

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-14

...-0061] Highway Safety Programs; Conforming Products List of Evidential Breath Alcohol Measurement... Evidential Breath Alcohol Measurement Devices dated, September 17, 1993 (58 FR 48705). DATES: Effective Date... Safety Administration (NHTSA) published the Standards for Devices to Measure Breath Alcohol (38 FR 30459...

Questioning the Use of Outcome Measures to Evaluate Principal Preparation Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, Ed; Hollingworth, Liz

2018-01-01

Policymakers are proposing the use of outcome measures as indicators of effective principal preparation programs. The three most common metrics recommended are: (1) graduates' effectiveness in improving student achievement test scores, (2) graduate job placement rates, and (3) principal job retention once employed. This article explores the use of…

Measuring the Quality of Early Childhood Programs--Guidelines for Effective Evaluation Tools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epstein, Ann S.

2000-01-01

Summarizes what High/Scope discovered to be the critical characteristics of a comprehensive and valid measure of early childhood program quality. Provides suggestions for how the tool can be used, and highlights with examples. Asserts that the guidelines effectively assess efforts of child development, staff development, and soundness of…

The effect of chair yoga in older adults with moderate and severe Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

McCaffrey, Ruth; Park, Juyoung; Newman, David; Hagen, Dyana

2014-01-01

Using a quasi-experimental single-group design, this study examined the feasibility of older adults with Alzheimer's disease (AD)-type dementia to complete the Sit 'N' Fit Chair Yoga Program. Physical function of participants who completed the program was measured. The nine older adults with AD (mean age = 83) participated in the 8-week Sit 'N' Fit Chair Yoga Program. To measure physical function, the Six-Minute Walk Test, the Gait Speed Test, and the Berg Balance Scale were administered at pre-intervention, 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 1 month after program completion. All participants completed the program. Positive changes were seen across all physical measures. Further study, using a larger sample and including a control group, is needed to fully determine the effect of the Sit 'N' Fit Chair Yoga Program on older adults with moderate to severe AD. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

Analysis of the effectiveness of a training program for parents of children with ADHD in a hospital environment.

PubMed

Garreta, Esther; Jimeno, Teresa; Servera, Mateu

2018-01-01

Regarding the Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), treatments combined with pharmacological, psychoeducational and parents training programs interventions are recommended. Parenting programs have been proven efficacy in the experimental area, but there is few data about their effectiveness and feasibility in the professional area. The objective of the study is to analyze the effectiveness of a parenting program implemented in a hospital setting to improve internalized and externalized behaviors as well as parenting styles in a sample of ADHD children. A training program for behavior management was applied to parents of 21 children with ADHD in a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design, using measures from Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Parenting Scale. Post-treatment data showed significant improvements specially on emotional, anxiety and oppositional defiant disorder measures. A significant but moderate improvement was found on ADHD, and non-significant on conduct problem measure. Additionally, there were moderate but significant improvements in parenting styles. Data support the effectiveness and feasibility of parent training programs for children with ADHD applied in hospital settings as they improve a large part of associated symptoms and parenting styles.

24 CFR 570.405 - The insular areas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...) Threshold requirements. HUD shall review each grantee's progress on outstanding grants made under this..., HUD will consider program achievements and the applicant's effectiveness in using program funds. Effectiveness in using program funds shall be measured by reviewing audit, monitoring and performance reports...

45 CFR 2522.700 - How does evaluation differ from performance measurement?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... progress, evaluation uses scientifically-based research methods to assess the effectiveness of programs by... services from your program who increase their reading ability from “below grade level” to “at or above grade level”. This measure indicates something good is happening to your program's service beneficiaries...

45 CFR 2522.700 - How does evaluation differ from performance measurement?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... progress, evaluation uses scientifically-based research methods to assess the effectiveness of programs by... services from your program who increase their reading ability from “below grade level” to “at or above grade level”. This measure indicates something good is happening to your program's service beneficiaries...

45 CFR 2522.700 - How does evaluation differ from performance measurement?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... progress, evaluation uses scientifically-based research methods to assess the effectiveness of programs by... services from your program who increase their reading ability from “below grade level” to “at or above grade level”. This measure indicates something good is happening to your program's service beneficiaries...

45 CFR 2522.700 - How does evaluation differ from performance measurement?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... progress, evaluation uses scientifically-based research methods to assess the effectiveness of programs by... services from your program who increase their reading ability from “below grade level” to “at or above grade level”. This measure indicates something good is happening to your program's service beneficiaries...

Television Program Complexity and Ratings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krull, Robert; Watt, James H., Jr.

This paper applied findings from studies using the kind of viewing measures used by social scientists, to the relationship between programing and viewership when viewership is measured by means used by producers. Total aggregate viewership and the relationship of viewers' ages to viewership was concentrated on. Effects of competing programs on…

45 CFR 2522.700 - How does evaluation differ from performance measurement?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... progress, evaluation uses scientifically-based research methods to assess the effectiveness of programs by... the reading ability of students in a program over time to a similar group of students not... example, a performance measure for a literacy program may include the percentage of students receiving...

Review of Evaluation, Measurement and Verification Approaches Used to Estimate the Load Impacts and Effectiveness of Energy Efficiency Programs

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Messenger, Mike; Bharvirkar, Ranjit; Golemboski, Bill

Public and private funding for end-use energy efficiency actions is expected to increase significantly in the United States over the next decade. For example, Barbose et al (2009) estimate that spending on ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs in the U.S. could increase frommore » $3.1 billion in 2008 to $$7.5 and 12.4 billion by 2020 under their medium and high scenarios. This increase in spending could yield annual electric energy savings ranging from 0.58% - 0.93% of total U.S. retail sales in 2020, up from 0.34% of retail sales in 2008. Interest in and support for energy efficiency has broadened among national and state policymakers. Prominent examples include {approx}$$18 billion in new funding for energy efficiency programs (e.g., State Energy Program, Weatherization, and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants) in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Increased funding for energy efficiency should result in more benefits as well as more scrutiny of these results. As energy efficiency becomes a more prominent component of the U.S. national energy strategy and policies, assessing the effectiveness and energy saving impacts of energy efficiency programs is likely to become increasingly important for policymakers and private and public funders of efficiency actions. Thus, it is critical that evaluation, measurement, and verification (EM&V) is carried out effectively and efficiently, which implies that: (1) Effective program evaluation, measurement, and verification (EM&V) methodologies and tools are available to key stakeholders (e.g., regulatory agencies, program administrators, consumers, and evaluation consultants); and (2) Capacity (people and infrastructure resources) is available to conduct EM&V activities and report results in ways that support program improvement and provide data that reliably compares achieved results against goals and similar programs in other jurisdictions (benchmarking). The National Action Plan for Energy Efficiency (2007) presented commonly used definitions for EM&V in the context of energy efficiency programs: (1) Evaluation (E) - The performance of studies and activities aimed at determining the effects and effectiveness of EE programs; (2) Measurement and Verification (M&V) - Data collection, monitoring, and analysis associated with the calculation of gross energy and demand savings from individual measures, sites or projects. M&V can be a subset of program evaluation; and (3) Evaluation, Measurement, and Verification (EM&V) - This term is frequently seen in evaluation literature. EM&V is a catchall acronym for determining both the effectiveness of program designs and estimates of load impacts at the portfolio, program and project level. This report is a scoping study that assesses current practices and methods in the evaluation, measurement and verification (EM&V) of ratepayer-funded energy efficiency programs, with a focus on methods and practices currently used for determining whether projected (ex-ante) energy and demand savings have been achieved (ex-post). M&V practices for privately-funded energy efficiency projects (e.g., ESCO projects) or programs where the primary focus is greenhouse gas reductions were not part of the scope of this study. We identify and discuss key purposes and uses of current evaluations of end-use energy efficiency programs, methods used to evaluate these programs, processes used to determine those methods; and key issues that need to be addressed now and in the future, based on discussions with regulatory agencies, policymakers, program administrators, and evaluation practitioners in 14 states and national experts in the evaluation field. We also explore how EM&V may evolve in a future in which efficiency funding increases significantly, innovative mechanisms for rewarding program performance are adopted, the role of efficiency in greenhouse gas mitigation is more closely linked, and programs are increasingly funded from multiple sources often with multiple program administrators and intended to meet multiple purposes.« less

Measuring the Effects of Virtual Pair Programming in an Introductory Programming Java Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zacharis, N. Z.

2011-01-01

This study investigated the effectiveness of virtual pair programming (VPP) on student performance and satisfaction in an introductory Java course. Students used online tools that integrated desktop sharing and real-time communication, and the metrics examined showed that VPP is an acceptable alternative to individual programming experience.…

An evaluation of Teaching-Family (Achievement Place) group homes for juvenile offenders.

PubMed

Kirigin, K A; Braukmann, C J; Atwater, J D; Wolf, M M

1982-01-01

Juvenile crime is a serious problem for which treatment approach has been found to be reliably effective. This outcome evaluation assessed during and posttreatment effectiveness of Teaching-Family group home treatment programs for juvenile offenders. The evaluation included the original Achievement Place program, which was the prototype for the development of the Teaching-Family treatment approach, 12 replications of Achievement Place, and 9 comparison group home programs. Primary dependent measures were retrieved from court and police files and included number of alleged offenses, percentage of youths involved in those alleged offenses, and percentage of youths institutionalized. Other dependent measures were subjective ratings of effectiveness obtained from the program consumers, including the group home residents. The results showed difference during treatment favoring the Teaching-Family programs on rate of alleged criminal offenses, percentage of youths involved in those offenses, and consumer ratings of the programs. The consumer ratings provided by the youths and their school teachers were found to be inversely and significantly correlated with the reduction of criminal offenses during treatment. There were no significant differences during treatment on measures of noncriminal offenses (e.g., truancy, runaway, and curfew violations). In the posttreatment year, none of the differences between the groups was significant on any of the outcome measures. The results are discussed in terms of measurement and design issues in the evaluation of delinquency treatment programs and in relation to the evaluation; of Teaching-Family group homes by Richard Jones and his colleagues.

An evaluation of Teaching-Family (Achievement Place) group homes for juvenile offenders.

PubMed Central

Kirigin, K A; Braukmann, C J; Atwater, J D; Wolf, M M

1982-01-01

Juvenile crime is a serious problem for which treatment approach has been found to be reliably effective. This outcome evaluation assessed during and posttreatment effectiveness of Teaching-Family group home treatment programs for juvenile offenders. The evaluation included the original Achievement Place program, which was the prototype for the development of the Teaching-Family treatment approach, 12 replications of Achievement Place, and 9 comparison group home programs. Primary dependent measures were retrieved from court and police files and included number of alleged offenses, percentage of youths involved in those alleged offenses, and percentage of youths institutionalized. Other dependent measures were subjective ratings of effectiveness obtained from the program consumers, including the group home residents. The results showed difference during treatment favoring the Teaching-Family programs on rate of alleged criminal offenses, percentage of youths involved in those offenses, and consumer ratings of the programs. The consumer ratings provided by the youths and their school teachers were found to be inversely and significantly correlated with the reduction of criminal offenses during treatment. There were no significant differences during treatment on measures of noncriminal offenses (e.g., truancy, runaway, and curfew violations). In the posttreatment year, none of the differences between the groups was significant on any of the outcome measures. The results are discussed in terms of measurement and design issues in the evaluation of delinquency treatment programs and in relation to the evaluation; of Teaching-Family group homes by Richard Jones and his colleagues. PMID:7096223

Effectiveness of the Civil Aviation Security Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-05

The airline and airport security measures currently in effect continue to provide increased safety for airline passengers and crews as well as...107 governing airport security . other ongoing programs which contributed significantly to airport security included the training of law enforce- ment...officers supporting airport security programs and the explosives detection K(9 team program. Highlights of these actions and programs are summarized

The US Air Force Suicide Prevention Program: Implications for Public Health Policy

PubMed Central

Pflanz, Steven; Talcott, Gerald W.; Campise, Rick L.; Lavigne, Jill E.; Bajorska, Alina; Tu, Xin; Caine, Eric D.

2010-01-01

Objectives. We evaluated the effectiveness of the US Air Force Suicide Prevention Program (AFSPP) in reducing suicide, and we measured the extent to which air force installations implemented the program. Methods. We determined the AFSPP's impact on suicide rates in the air force by applying an intervention regression model to data from 1981 through 2008, providing 16 years of data before the program's 1997 launch and 11 years of data after launch. Also, we measured implementation of program components at 2 points in time: during a 2004 increase in suicide rates, and 2 years afterward. Results. Suicide rates in the air force were significantly lower after the AFSPP was launched than before, except during 2004. We also determined that the program was being implemented less rigorously in 2004. Conclusions. The AFSPP effectively prevented suicides in the US Air Force. The long-term effectiveness of this program depends upon extensive implementation and effective monitoring of implementation. Suicides can be reduced through a multilayered, overlapping approach that encompasses key prevention domains and tracks implementation of program activities. PMID:20466973

A Conceptual Three-Dimensional Model for Evaluating Community-Based Substance Abuse Prevention Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albers, Eric C.; Santangelo, Linda K.; McKinlay, George; Cavote, Steve; Rock, Stephen L.; Evans, William

2002-01-01

Presents a three-dimensional model for conceptualizing existing prevention programs, defining and measuring effects of prevention programs, and making a connection between those programmatic effects, and the interests of the funder. This paper describes the methodology and its use for promoting the efficiency and effectiveness of substance abuse…

Measurement Error in Multilevel Models of School and Classroom Environments: Implications for Reliability, Precision, and Prediction. CRESST Report 828

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweig, Jonathan

2013-01-01

Measuring school and classroom environments has become central in a nation-wide effort to develop comprehensive programs that measure teacher quality and teacher effectiveness. Formulating successful programs necessitates accurate and reliable methods for measuring these environmental variables. This paper uses a generalizability theory framework…

Can Early Intervention Improve Maternal Well-Being? Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Doyle, Orla; Delaney, Liam; O’Farrelly, Christine; Fitzpatrick, Nick; Daly, Michael

2017-01-01

Objective This study estimates the effect of a targeted early childhood intervention program on global and experienced measures of maternal well-being utilizing a randomized controlled trial design. The primary aim of the intervention is to improve children’s school readiness skills by working directly with parents to improve their knowledge of child development and parenting behavior. One potential externality of the program is well-being benefits for parents given its direct focus on improving parental coping, self-efficacy, and problem solving skills, as well as generating an indirect effect on parental well-being by targeting child developmental problems. Methods Participants from a socio-economically disadvantaged community are randomly assigned during pregnancy to an intensive 5-year home visiting parenting program or a control group. We estimate and compare treatment effects on multiple measures of global and experienced well-being using permutation testing to account for small sample size and a stepdown procedure to account for multiple testing. Results The intervention has no impact on global well-being as measured by life satisfaction and parenting stress or experienced negative affect using episodic reports derived from the Day Reconstruction Method (DRM). Treatment effects are observed on measures of experienced positive affect derived from the DRM and a measure of mood yesterday. Conclusion The limited treatment effects suggest that early intervention programs may produce some improvements in experienced positive well-being, but no effects on negative aspects of well-being. Different findings across measures may result as experienced measures of well-being avoid the cognitive biases that impinge upon global assessments. PMID:28095505

Spacecraft contamination programs within the Air Force Systems Command Laboratories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murad, Edmond

1990-01-01

Spacecraft contamination programs exist in five independent AFSC organizations: Geophysics Laboratory (GL), Arnold Engineering and Development Center (AEDC), Rome Air Development Center (RADC/OSCE), Wright Research and Development Center (MLBT), Armament Laboratory (ATL/SAI), and Space Systems Division (SSD/OL-AW). In addition, a sizable program exists at Aerospace Corp. These programs are complementary, each effort addressing a specific area of expertise: GL's effort is aimed at addressing the effects of on-orbit contamination; AEDC's effort is aimed at ground simulation and measurement of optical contamination; RADC's effort addresses the accumulation, measurement, and removal of contamination on large optics; MLBT's effort is aimed at understanding the effect of contamination on materials; ATL's effort is aimed at understanding the effect of plume contamination on systems; SSD's effort is confined to the integration of some contamination experiments sponsored by SSD/CLT; and Aerospace Corp.'s effort is aimed at supporting the needs of the using System Program Offices (SPO) in specific areas, such as contamination during ground handling, ascent phase, laboratory measurements aimed at understanding on-orbit contamination, and mass loss and mass gain in on-orbit operations. These programs are described in some detail, with emphasis on GL's program.

Promoting Interculturality in Spain: Assessing the Use of the Jigsaw Classroom Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santos Rego, Miguel A.; Moledo, M. Del Mar Lorenzo

2005-01-01

This note examines the effectiveness of a program in Spain that uses the Jigsaw learning technique as an educational intervention. We used a quasi-experimental research design with two groups, two measures and an independent variable (the program). Use of the Jigsaw technique is shown to have been fairly effective on a series of measures.

Effectiveness of the surviving the Teens® suicide prevention and depression awareness program: an impact evaluation utilizing a comparison group.

PubMed

Strunk, Catherine M; King, Keith A; Vidourek, Rebecca A; Sorter, Michael T

2014-12-01

Youth suicide is a serious public health issue in the United States. It is currently the third leading cause of death for youth aged 10 to 19. School-based prevention programs may be an effective method of educating youth and enhancing their help-seeking. Most school-based suicide prevention programs have not been rigorously evaluated for their effectiveness. This evaluation employs a comparison group to measure whether program group participants differed significantly from comparison group participants on pretest-posttest measures while assessing the immediate impact of the Surviving the Teens® Suicide Prevention and Depression Awareness Program. Findings indicate several positive outcomes in program group students' suicide and depression knowledge, attitudes, confidence, and behavioral intentions compared with the comparison group. Suicide prevention specialists and prevention planners may benefit from study findings. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

A Cost-Effectiveness/Benefit Analysis Model for Postsecondary Vocational Programs. Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Jin Eun

A cost-effectiveness/benefit analysis is defined as a technique for measuring the outputs of existing and new programs in relation to their specified program objectives, against the costs of those programs. In terms of its specific use, the technique is conceptualized as a systems analysis method, an evaluation method, and a planning tool for…

Data and Learning That Affords Program Improvement: A Response to the U.S. Accountability Movement in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sloan, Tine Falk

2015-01-01

The current U.S. education agenda places unprecedented attention on improving the quality of its roughly fifteen hundred teacher preparation programs. The effort places considerable weight on measuring program effectiveness and includes a push to hold programs accountable for their graduates' effects on student performance. Concerns regarding the…

Countering the New Media: The Resurgence of Inheritance Effects in Primetime Network Television.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Donald M.; Walker, James R.

A study examined the impact of remote control devices, videocassette recorders, and cable television on inheritance effects (the tendency for viewers to continue watching a channel at the conclusion of a program). Inheritance effects were measured by calculating the correlation between program share and lead-in program share for all primetime…

Measurement of cognitive performance in computer programming concept acquisition: interactive effects of visual metaphors and the cognitive style construct.

PubMed

McKay, E

2000-01-01

An innovative research program was devised to investigate the interactive effect of instructional strategies enhanced with text-plus-textual metaphors or text-plus-graphical metaphors, and cognitive style on the acquisition of programming concepts. The Cognitive Styles Analysis (CSA) program (Riding,1991) was used to establish the participants' cognitive style. The QUEST Interactive Test Analysis System (Adams and Khoo,1996) provided the cognitive performance measuring tool, which ensured an absence of error measurement in the programming knowledge testing instruments. Therefore, reliability of the instrumentation was assured through the calibration techniques utilized by the QUEST estimate; providing predictability of the research design. A means analysis of the QUEST data, using the Cohen (1977) approach to size effect and statistical power further quantified the significance of the findings. The experimental methodology adopted for this research links the disciplines of instructional science, cognitive psychology, and objective measurement to provide reliable mechanisms for beneficial use in the evaluation of cognitive performance by the education, training and development sectors. Furthermore, the research outcomes will be of interest to educators, cognitive psychologists, communications engineers, and computer scientists specializing in computer-human interactions.

Toward quantifying the effectiveness of water trading under uncertainty.

PubMed

Luo, B; Huang, G H; Zou, Y; Yin, Y Y

2007-04-01

This paper presents a methodology for quantifying the effectiveness of water-trading under uncertainty, by developing an optimization model based on the interval-parameter two-stage stochastic program (TSP) technique. In the study, the effectiveness of a water-trading program is measured by the water volume that can be released through trading from a statistical point of view. The methodology can also deal with recourse water allocation problems generated by randomness in water availability and, at the same time, tackle uncertainties expressed as intervals in the trading system. The developed methodology was tested with a hypothetical water-trading program in an agricultural system in the Swift Current Creek watershed, Canada. Study results indicate that the methodology can effectively measure the effectiveness of a trading program through estimating the water volume being released through trading in a long-term view. A sensitivity analysis was also conducted to analyze the effects of different trading costs on the trading program. It shows that the trading efforts would become ineffective when the trading costs are too high. The case study also demonstrates that the trading program is more effective in a dry season when total water availability is in shortage.

Balanced program plan: analysis for biomedical and environmental research. Volume 5. Oil shale technology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1976-06-01

Oil shale technology has been divided into two sub-technologies: surfaceprocessing and in-situ processing. Definition of the research programs is essentially an amplification of the five King-Muir categories: (A) pollutants: characterization, measurement, and monitoring; (B) physical and chemical processes and effects; (C) health effects; (D) ecological processes and effects; and (E) integrated assessment. Twenty-three biomedical and environmental research projects are described as to program title, scope, milestones, technology time frame, program unit priority, and estimated program unit cost.

Increasing adolescent mothers' knowledge of child development: an intervention program.

PubMed

Fulton, A M; Murphy, K R; Anderson, S L

1991-01-01

This study focused upon an intervention program that allowed adolescent mothers to have major input in identifying knowledge they needed concerning their children's growth and their own parenting skills. Seventy-six females participated in the 4-month program. A pretest-posttest design was used to measure changes in self-esteem, knowledge of child development, and tendencies toward inappropriate interactions with children. Analysis of effectiveness of this program indicated that it had been effective. Results revealed significant differences between pre- and posttest measures of child development knowledge in the areas of infant and toddler development. Further analysis indicated a significant change in the subjects' child abuse potential at the end of the program. No significant difference could be found in measures of self-esteem between the beginning and end of the program. A 10-month follow-up study coordinated between two public agencies found that none of the adolescent parents who had completed the program had been reported for child abuse or neglect. The results support the importance of short-term intervention programs for adolescent parents.

Effective Multicultural Teacher Education Programs: Methodological and Conceptual Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rao, Shaila

2005-01-01

To meet challenges of diversity in classrooms various multicultural teacher education programs to prepare pre-service teachers are introduced with the objective of changing beliefs, attitudes, knowledge base, and pedagogical skills. Studies reporting effectiveness of these programs used measure such as portfolio assessment, interviews, survey and…

Effectiveness of a lifestyle exercise program for older people receiving a restorative home care service: a pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Burton, Elissa; Lewin, Gill; Clemson, Lindy; Boldy, Duncan

2013-01-01

Restorative home care services are short-term and aimed at maximizing a person's ability to live independently. They are multidimensional and often include an exercise program to improve strength, mobility, and balance. The aim of this study was to determine whether a lifestyle exercise program would be undertaken more often and result in greater functional gains than the current structured exercise program delivered as part of a restorative home care service for older adults. A pragmatic randomized controlled trial was conducted in an organization with an established restorative home care service. Individuals who were to have an exercise program as part of their service were randomized to receive either a lifestyle and functional exercise program called LiFE (as this was a new program, the intervention) or the structured exercise program currently being used in the service (control). Exercise data collected by the individuals throughout and pre and post intervention testing was used to measure balance, strength, mobility, falls efficacy, vitality, function, and disability. There was no difference between the groups in the amounts of exercise undertaken during the 8-week intervention period. Outcome measurement indicated that the LiFE program was as effective, and on 40% of the measures, more effective, than the structured exercise program. Organizations delivering restorative home care services that include an exercise component should consider whether LiFE rather than the exercise program they are currently using could help their clients achieve better outcomes.

Can We Reasonably Assess "Productivity of Market-Based Educational Reforms"?: Comment on Anna Egalite's "Measuring Competitive Effects from School Voucher Programs: A Systematic Review"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merrifield, John

2013-01-01

"Measuring Competitive Effects from School Voucher Programs: A Systematic Review" by Ann G. Egalite (p443-464, this issue) concludes that, "overwhelming [U.S.] evidence supports the development of market-based schooling policies as a means to increase student achievement in traditional public schools." Here, John Merrifield…

Flight survey of the 757 wing noise field and its effects on laminar boundary layer transition. Volume 3: Extended data analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

A flight program was completed in June of 1985 using the Boeing 757 flight research aircraft with an NLF glove installed on the right wing just outboard of the engine. The objectives of this program were to measure noise levels on the wing and to investigate the effect of engine noise on the extent of laminar flow on the glove. Details of the flight test program and results are contained in Volume 1 of this document. Tabulations and plots of the measured data are contained in Volume 2. The present volume contains the results of additional engineering analysis of the data. The latter includes analysis of the measured noise data, a comparison of predicted and measured noise data, a boundary layer stability analysis of 21 flight data cases, and an analysis of the effect of noise on boundary layer transition.

Expert opinions on good practice in evaluation of health promotion and primary prevention measures related to children and adolescents in Germany.

PubMed

Korber, Katharina; Becker, Christian

2017-10-02

Determining what constitutes "good practice" in the measurement of the costs and effects of health promotion and disease prevention measures is of particular importance. The aim of this paper was to gather expert knowledge on (economic) evaluations of health promotion and prevention measures for children and adolescents, especially on the practical importance, the determinants of project success, meaningful parameters for evaluations, and supporting factors, but also on problems in their implementation. This information is targeted at people responsible for the development of primary prevention or health promotion programs. Partially structured open interviews were conducted by two interviewers and transcribed, paraphrased, and summarized for further use. Eight experts took part in the interviews. The interviewed experts saw evaluation as a useful tool to establish the effects of prevention programs, to inform program improvement and further development, and to provide arguments to decision making. The respondents' thought that determinants of a program's success were effectiveness with evidence of causality, cost benefit relation, target-group reach and sustainability. It was considered important that hard and soft factors were included in an evaluation; costs were mentioned only by one expert. According to the experts, obstacles to evaluation were lacking resources, additional labor requirements, and the evaluators' unfamiliarity with a program's contents. It was recommended to consider evaluation design before a program is launched, to co-operate with people involved in a program and to make use of existing structures. While in in this study only a partial view of expert knowledge is represented, it could show important points to consider when developing evaluations of prevention programs. By considering these points, researchers could further advance towards a more comprehensive approach of evaluation targeting measures in children and adolescents.

Chapter 8: Whole-Building Retrofit with Consumption Data Analysis Evaluation Protocol. The Uniform Methods Project: Methods for Determining Energy Efficiency Savings for Specific Measures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kurnik, Charles W.; Agnew, Ken; Goldberg, Mimi

Whole-building retrofits involve the installation of multiple measures. Whole-building retrofit programs take many forms. With a focus on overall building performance, these programs usually begin with an energy audit to identify cost-effective energy efficiency measures for the home. Measures are then installed, either at no cost to the homeowner or partially paid for by rebates and/or financing. The methods described here may also be applied to evaluation of single-measure retrofit programs. Related methods exist for replace-on-failure programs and for new construction, but are not the subject of this chapter.

75 FR 17940 - Draft Programmatic Environmental Assessment for the Evaluation of the Grant Programs Directorate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-08

... and emergency preparedness grant programs that it administers. These programs provide grant funding to... effects of communication facilities construction or modification subject to review by the Federal... have or are likely to have a measurable negative effect on migratory bird populations. Avian mortality...

A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the Swedish Universal Parenting Program All Children in Focus.

PubMed

Ulfsdotter, Malin; Lindberg, Lene; Månsdotter, Anna

2015-01-01

There are few health economic evaluations of parenting programs with quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) as the outcome measure. The objective of this study was, therefore, to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of the universal parenting program All Children in Focus (ABC). The goals were to estimate the costs of program implementation, investigate the health effects of the program, and examine its cost-effectiveness. A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted. Costs included setup costs and operating costs. A parent proxy Visual Analog Scale was used to measure QALYs in children, whereas the General Health Questionnaire-12 was used for parents. A societal perspective was adopted, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated. To account for uncertainty in the estimate, the probability of cost-effectiveness was investigated, and sensitivity analyses were used to account for the uncertainty in cost data. The cost was € 326.3 per parent, of which € 53.7 represented setup costs under the assumption that group leaders on average run 10 groups, and € 272.6 was the operating costs. For health effects, the QALY gain was 0.0042 per child and 0.0027 per parent. These gains resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the base case of € 47 290 per gained QALY. The sensitivity analyses resulted in ratios from € 41 739 to € 55 072. With the common Swedish threshold value of € 55 000 per QALY, the probability of the ABC program being cost-effective was 50.8 percent. Our analysis of the ABC program demonstrates cost-effectiveness ratios below or just above the QALY threshold in Sweden. However, due to great uncertainty about the data, the health economic rationale for implementation should be further studied considering a longer time perspective, effects on siblings, and validated measuring techniques, before full scale implementation.

A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of the Swedish Universal Parenting Program All Children in Focus

PubMed Central

Ulfsdotter, Malin

2015-01-01

Objective There are few health economic evaluations of parenting programs with quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) as the outcome measure. The objective of this study was, therefore, to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis of the universal parenting program All Children in Focus (ABC). The goals were to estimate the costs of program implementation, investigate the health effects of the program, and examine its cost-effectiveness. Methods A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted. Costs included setup costs and operating costs. A parent proxy Visual Analog Scale was used to measure QALYs in children, whereas the General Health Questionnaire-12 was used for parents. A societal perspective was adopted, and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated. To account for uncertainty in the estimate, the probability of cost-effectiveness was investigated, and sensitivity analyses were used to account for the uncertainty in cost data. Results The cost was €326.3 per parent, of which €53.7 represented setup costs under the assumption that group leaders on average run 10 groups, and €272.6 was the operating costs. For health effects, the QALY gain was 0.0042 per child and 0.0027 per parent. These gains resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio for the base case of €47 290 per gained QALY. The sensitivity analyses resulted in ratios from €41 739 to €55 072. With the common Swedish threshold value of €55 000 per QALY, the probability of the ABC program being cost-effective was 50.8 percent. Conclusion Our analysis of the ABC program demonstrates cost-effectiveness ratios below or just above the QALY threshold in Sweden. However, due to great uncertainty about the data, the health economic rationale for implementation should be further studied considering a longer time perspective, effects on siblings, and validated measuring techniques, before full scale implementation. PMID:26681349

Enhancing the Possibility of Success by Measuring the Probability of Failure in an Educational Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brookhart, Susan M.; And Others

1997-01-01

Process Analysis is described as a method for identifying and measuring the probability of events that could cause the failure of a program, resulting in a cause-and-effect tree structure of events. The method is illustrated through the evaluation of a pilot instructional program at an elementary school. (SLD)

Roadside barrier effectiveness : noise measurement program

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-04-01

A field noise measurement program was conducted to assess the performance of a variable height highway noise barrier with and without an acoustic lining material. The barrier site on Interstate I-93 in Andover MA was located adjacent to an acoustical...

Behavioral Outcomes of an Alternative Program for Junior High School Students at Risk of Dropping Out.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, Edward; And Others

The study examines the relationship between success upon leaving an alternative school program and immediate measures of program effect. The strength of the relationship was used to determine the degree to which the program effected its long term goals of preparing students for future academic or vocational success. Student success was defined as…

[Effects of a breast feeding promotion program for working women].

PubMed

Yoon, Ji-Won; Park, Young-Joo

2008-12-01

The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of a breast feeding promotion program for working women on breast feeding continuation, mother-infant attachment, and maternal sensitivity. The design of this study is nonequivalent control group design with repeated measures. There were significant differences in breast feeding continuation between two groups at each time point except 2 days and 1 week after delivery. The scores of mother-infant attachment and maternal sensitivity of experimental group were higher than those of the control group, but there were no significant differences between two groups. Although some modifications in contents and administration will be required to increase the effectiveness of the program, breast feeding promotion program for working women can be an effective nursing intervention which can facilitate breast feeding continuation and mother-infant relationships.

A Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Interactive Middle School Cannabis Prevention Programs

PubMed Central

Lize, Steven E.; Iachini, Aidyn L.; Tang, Weizhou; Tucker, Joshua; Seay, Kristen D.; Clone, Stephanie; DeHart, Dana; Browne, Teri

2017-01-01

This meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of interactive middle school-based drug prevention programs on adolescent cannabis use in North America, as well as program characteristics that could moderate these effects. Interactive programs, compared to more didactic, lecture style programs, involve participants in skill-building activities and focus on interaction among participants. A systematic literature search was conducted for English-language studies from January 1998 to March 2014. Studies included evaluations using random assignment or a quasi-experimental design of interactive school-based substance use prevention programs delivered to adolescents (aged 12–14) in North American middle schools (grades 6–8). Data were extracted using a coding protocol. The outcomes of interest were post-treatment cannabis use, intent to use, and refusal skills compared across intervention and control groups. Effect sizes (Cohen’s d) were calculated from continuous measures, and dichotomous measures were converted to the d index. A total of 30 studies yielding 23 independent samples were included. The random effects pooled effect size for cannabis use (k=21) was small (d̄=−0.07, p<0.01) and favorable for the prevention programs. The pooled effect sizes for intention to use (k=3) and refusal skills (k=3) were not significant. Moderator analyses indicated significant differences in program effectiveness between instructor types, with teachers found to be most effective (d̄ =−0.08, p=0.02). The findings provide further support for the use of interactive school-based programs to prevent cannabis use among middle school students in North America. PMID:27785662

A Meta-analysis of the Effectiveness of Interactive Middle School Cannabis Prevention Programs.

PubMed

Lize, Steven E; Iachini, Aidyn L; Tang, Weizhou; Tucker, Joshua; Seay, Kristen D; Clone, Stephanie; DeHart, Dana; Browne, Teri

2017-01-01

This meta-analysis examines the effectiveness of interactive middle school-based drug prevention programs on adolescent cannabis use in North America, as well as program characteristics that could moderate these effects. Interactive programs, compared to more didactic, lecture style programs, involve participants in skill-building activities and focus on interaction among participants. A systematic literature search was conducted for English-language studies from January 1998 to March 2014. Studies included evaluations using random assignment or a quasi-experimental design of interactive school-based substance use prevention programs delivered to adolescents (aged 12-14) in North American middle schools (grades 6-8). Data were extracted using a coding protocol. The outcomes of interest were post-treatment cannabis use, intent to use, and refusal skills compared across intervention and control groups. Effect sizes (Cohen's d) were calculated from continuous measures, and dichotomous measures were converted to the d index. A total of 30 studies yielding 23 independent samples were included. The random effects pooled effect size for cannabis use (k = 21) was small ([Formula: see text]= -0.07, p < 0.01) and favorable for the prevention programs. The pooled effect sizes for intention to use (k = 3) and refusal skills (k = 3) were not significant. Moderator analyses indicated significant differences in program effectiveness between instructor types, with teachers found to be most effective ([Formula: see text]= -0.08, p = 0.02). The findings provide further support for the use of interactive school-based programs to prevent cannabis use among middle school students in North America.

Measuring the Effects of Reading Assistance Dogs on Reading Ability and Attitudes in Elementary Schoolchildren

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenihan, Dawn; McCobb, Emily; Diurba, Amanda; Linder, Deborah; Freeman, Lisa

2016-01-01

Reading assistance dogs can be incorporated into reading programs to increase a child's desire and ability to read. However, more data is needed to demonstrate the effectiveness of such programs. A 5-week reading assistance dog program was implemented to assess feasibility and effectiveness. Participants included 18 children entering the 2nd grade…

Effects of 8-week Pilates exercise program on menopausal symptoms and lumbar strength and flexibility in postmenopausal women

PubMed Central

Lee, Haelim; Caguicla, Joy Matthew Cuasay; Park, Sangseo; Kwak, Dong Jick; Won, Deuk-Yeon; Park, Yunjin; Kim, Jeeyoun; Kim, Myungki

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an 8-week Pilates exercise program on menopausal symptoms and lumbar strength and flexibility in postmenopausal women. In total, 74 postmenopausal women were recruited and randomly allocated to a Pilates exercise group (n=45) and a control group (n=29). Menopausal symptoms were measured through a questionnaire, while lumbar strength was measured through a lumbar extension machine, and lumbar flexibility was measured through sit-and-reach and trunk lift tests performed before and after the Pilates exercise program, respectively. The Pilates exercises consisted of 7–10 min for warm-up, 35–40 min for the main program modified from Pilates Academy International, and 5–7 min for the cool-down, and were performed 3 times a week for 8 weeks. The results showed a significant decrease in menopausal symptoms except urogenital symptoms. Also, the results presented a significant increase in lumbar strength and flexibility after 8 weeks of the Pilates exercise program. We concluded that an 8-week Pilates exercise program is effective in decreasing menopausal symptoms and increasing lumbar strength and flexibility. PMID:27419122

Effects of 8-week Pilates exercise program on menopausal symptoms and lumbar strength and flexibility in postmenopausal women.

PubMed

Lee, Haelim; Caguicla, Joy Matthew Cuasay; Park, Sangseo; Kwak, Dong Jick; Won, Deuk-Yeon; Park, Yunjin; Kim, Jeeyoun; Kim, Myungki

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of an 8-week Pilates exercise program on menopausal symptoms and lumbar strength and flexibility in postmenopausal women. In total, 74 postmenopausal women were recruited and randomly allocated to a Pilates exercise group (n=45) and a control group (n=29). Menopausal symptoms were measured through a questionnaire, while lumbar strength was measured through a lumbar extension machine, and lumbar flexibility was measured through sit-and-reach and trunk lift tests performed before and after the Pilates exercise program, respectively. The Pilates exercises consisted of 7-10 min for warm-up, 35-40 min for the main program modified from Pilates Academy International, and 5-7 min for the cool-down, and were performed 3 times a week for 8 weeks. The results showed a significant decrease in menopausal symptoms except urogenital symptoms. Also, the results presented a significant increase in lumbar strength and flexibility after 8 weeks of the Pilates exercise program. We concluded that an 8-week Pilates exercise program is effective in decreasing menopausal symptoms and increasing lumbar strength and flexibility.

Effects of summer internship and follow-up distance mentoring programs on middle and high school student perceptions and interest in health careers.

PubMed

Fernandez-Repollet, Emma; Locatis, Craig; De Jesus-Monge, Wilfredo E; Maisiak, Richard; Liu, Wei-Li

2018-05-02

Minorities are underrepresented in health professions and efforts to recruit minority students into health careers are considered a way to reduce health disparities. There is little research about the effectiveness of these programs, other than satisfaction. This study aimed to measure program effects on student understanding of and interest in health careers. Students took a career interest inventory, completed a scale measuring their self-reported understanding and interest in health careers, and wrote essays about health careers before and after completing a 1 week on campus internship on health careers and after a 9 month follow up distance mentoring program where they continued to interact with university faculty by videoconference about career options. Changes in inventory, scale, and essay scores were analyzed for changes over time using Wilcoxon and Mann-Whitney tests. Inventory scores were unchanged over time, but scale and essay scores trended upward significantly post internship and mentoring. Health career education and mentoring programs can positively affect student knowledge of health careers and their attitudes about them. The study's methods extend measures of program impact beyond satisfaction.

The Effect of the MassHealth Hospital Pay-for-Performance Program on Quality

PubMed Central

Ryan, Andrew M; Blustein, Jan

2011-01-01

Objective To test the effect of Massachusetts Medicaid's (MassHealth) hospital-based pay-for-performance (P4P) program, implemented in 2008, on quality of care for pneumonia and surgical infection prevention (SIP). Data Hospital Compare process of care quality data from 2004 to 2009 for acute care hospitals in Massachusetts (N = 62) and other states (N = 3,676) and American Hospital Association data on hospital characteristics from 2005. Study Design Panel data models with hospital fixed effects and hospital-specific trends are estimated to test the effect of P4P on composite quality for pneumonia and SIP. This base model is extended to control for the completeness of measure reporting. Further sensitivity checks include estimation with propensity-score matched control hospitals, excluding hospitals in other P4P programs, varying the time period during which the program was assumed to have an effect, and testing the program effect across hospital characteristics. Principal Findings Estimates from our preferred specification, including hospital fixed effects, trends, and the control for measure completeness, indicate small and nonsignificant program effects for pneumonia (−0.67 percentage points, p>.10) and SIP (−0.12 percentage points, p>.10). Sensitivity checks indicate a similar pattern of findings across specifications. Conclusions Despite offering substantial financial incentives, the MassHealth P4P program did not improve quality in the first years of implementation. PMID:21210796

Short- and long-term effects of the modified swedish version of the Active Communication Education (ACE) program for adults with hearing loss.

PubMed

Oberg, Marie; Bohn, Therese; Larsson, Ulrika

2014-10-01

In Sweden, there is a lack of evidence-based rehabilitation programs for hearing loss. The Active Communication Education program (ACE) has successfully been used in Australia and was translated and evaluated in a Swedish pilot study. The pilot study included 23 participants (age 87 yr). No statistically significant effects were found, but the qualitative assessments indicated that this population found the program to be beneficial. The participants requested more focus on the psychosocial consequences of hearing loss, and the modules in the original ACE program were modified. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of a modified Swedish version of the ACE program in a population aged 39-82 yr old. Design was a between-group and within-group intervention study. The participants were recruited from the hearing health clinic in Linköping during 2010 and 2012. A total of 73 participants agreed to undergo the ACE, and 67 (92%) completed three or more sessions. The ACE program consists of five weekly 2 hr group sessions with 6 to 10 participants per group. The outcomes were measured before initiation of the program, 3 wk after program completion, and 6 mo after program completion and included communication strategy use, activity and participation, health-related quality of life, and anxiety and depression. In addition, outcomes were measured after program completion using the International Outcome Inventory-Alternative Interventions, a modified version of the Client Oriented Scale of Improvement, and qualitative feedback was obtained about the response to the program and actions taken as a result of participation. The treatment effects were examined using repeated-measures analyses of variance. Statistically significant effects were found for communication strategy use, activity and participation, and psychosocial well-being. Statistically significant effects were found for gender and degree of hearing loss, indicating that women and those with mild hearing loss significantly improved communication strategies. It is suggested that the program be implemented as part of regular audiological rehabilitation and offered in an early stage of rehabilitation. American Academy of Audiology.

77 FR 35745 - Highway Safety Programs; Conforming Products List of Screening Devices To Measure Alcohol in...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-14

..., battery powered device with a semiconductor sensor. (2) Alcohol Countermeasure Systems Corp., submitted...-0062] Highway Safety Programs; Conforming Products List of Screening Devices To Measure Alcohol in... Screening Devices to Measure Alcohol in Bodily Fluids dated, March 31, 2008 (73 FR 16956). DATES: Effective...

Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Program: Hospital-Based Stroke Outpatient Rehabilitation.

PubMed

Rice, Danielle; Janzen, Shannon; McIntyre, Amanda; Vermeer, Julianne; Britt, Eileen; Teasell, Robert

2016-05-01

Few studies have considered the effectiveness of outpatient rehabilitation programs for stroke patients. The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a hospital-based interdisciplinary outpatient stroke rehabilitation program with respect to physical functioning, mobility, and balance. The Comprehensive Outpatient Rehabilitation Program provides a hospital-based interdisciplinary approach to stroke rehabilitation in Southwestern Ontario. Outcome measures from physiotherapy and occupational therapy sessions were available at intake and discharge from the program. A series of paired sample t-tests were performed to assess patient changes between time points for each outcome measure. A total of 271 patients met the inclusion criteria for analysis (56.1% male; mean age = 62.9 ± 13.9 years). Significant improvements were found between admission and discharge for the Functional Independence Measure, grip strength, Chedoke-McMaster Stroke Assessment, two-minute walk test, maximum walk test, Timed Up and Go, Berg Balance Scale, and one-legged stance (P < .003 for all). The findings indicate that an interdisciplinary rehabilitation program was effective at improving the physical functioning, mobility, and balance of individuals after a stroke. A hospital-based, stroke-specific rehabilitation program should be considered when patients continue to experience deficits after inpatient rehabilitation. Copyright © 2016 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effective Practices for Evaluating Education and Public Outreach Programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilkerson, S.

2013-12-01

Stephanie Baird Wilkerson, PhD Carol Haden EdD Magnolia Consulting,LLC Education and public outreach (EPO) program developers and providers seeking insights regarding effective practices for evaluating EPO activities programs benefit from understanding why evaluation is critical to the success of EPO activities and programs, what data collection methods are appropriate, and how to effectively communicate and report findings. Based on our extensive experience evaluating EPO programs, we will share lessons learned and examples of how these practices play out in actual evaluation studies. EPO program developers, providers, and evaluators must consider several factors that influence which evaluation designs and data collection methods will be most appropriate, given the nature of EPO programs. Effective evaluation practices of EPO programs take into account a program's phase of development, duration, and budget as well as a program's intended outcomes. EPO programs that are just beginning development will have different evaluation needs and priorities than will well-established programs. Effective evaluation practices consider the 'life' of a program with an evaluation design that supports a program's growth through various phases including development, revision and refinement, and completion. It would be premature and inappropriate to expect the attainment of longer-term outcomes of activities during program development phases or early stages of implementation. During program development, EPO providers should clearly define program outcomes that are feasible and appropriate given a program's scope and expected reach. In many respects, this directly relates to the amount of time, or duration, intended audiences participate in EPO programs. As program duration increases so does the likelihood that the program can achieve longer-term outcomes. When choosing which outcomes are reasonable to impact and measure, program duration should be considered. Effective evaluation practices include selecting appropriate data collection methods given a program's duration and corresponding intended outcomes. Data collection methods for programs of short duration might involve simple evaluation activities, whereas programs of longer duration might involve ongoing data collection measures including longitudinal student surveys, implementation logs, student journals, and student achievement measures. During our presentation, we will share examples from our own experience to illustrate how effective evaluation practices can be applied to various EPO programs based on program duration. Irrespective of duration, we find that EPO program developers and providers want both formative feedback to guide improvements and summative feedback on outcomes. More often than not, evaluation budgets for EPO programs are meager at best, yet come with the same information needs and priorities as programs with larger evaluation budgets. So how do program providers get the information they need given their limited funds for evaluation? We will offer several recommendations for helping EPO program providers work with evaluators to become better-informed consumers of evaluation by maximizing evaluation offerings and minimizing costs. During our presentation we also will share examples of communicating and reporting results for EPO program developers, EPO facilitators and practitioners, and funders.

Evaluation Of A Residential Retrofit Program In Omaha Nebraska: A Comparison Of Actual Energy Savings With Audit Predictions Using Quantitative Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cory, Bradley S.

The reEnergize Program conducted 957 energy upgrades in Omaha Nebraska from July 2010 to September 30th 2013, through a government grant within the Better Buildings Neighborhood Program. Projected program savings were provided upon program completion but it was unknown how effective the program was at actually reducing energy consumption in the homes that were upgraded. The following research report uses a PRISM analysis to remove the effect of weather and compare the actual pre and post utility usage rates to determine the actual effectiveness of the program. The housing characteristics, and individual energy upgrades were analyzed to see if any patterns or trends could be identified between consumption savings and housing type and specific upgrade measure. The results of the study showed that the program did induce savings but by much less than the engineering estimates predicted. It is likely that housing characteristics and upgrade measures play a role in inducing consumption savings but homeowner behavior is a stronger factor that influences savings.

Engaging Overweight Adolescents in a Health and Fitness Program Using Wearable Activity Trackers.

PubMed

Wilson, Marian; Ramsay, Samantha; Young, Kimberly J

Our objectives were to (a) examine feasibility and receptivity of overweight adolescents joining a community-based group fitness program and (b) test preliminary efficacy of a 12-week pilot intervention designed to promote health, fitness, and self-efficacy for the identified teens. The 12-week fitness program for overweight adolescents was developed and included planned physical activities, nutrition classes, and goal-setting sessions. A one-group pre-/posttest study design evaluated 20 participants from grades 10 through 12 who enrolled in the program pilot study. Participants were given a wearable activity tracker that captured data using an Internet-based platform. Outcome measures included body mass index, screen time, fitness, and cardiovascular measures. A community fitness program for overweight adolescents was successfully implemented. High school students were receptive to the intervention and reported high program satisfaction. Positive effects included measurements of strength, systolic blood pressure, weight, and screen time behaviors. This study provides evidence to support the feasibility, acceptance, and preliminary effects of the pilot program with overweight adolescents. Copyright © 2017 National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pretesting Effects in the Evaluation of Social Skills Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mungas, Dan M.; Walters, Herman A.

1979-01-01

Evaluated effects of pretesting in conjunction with a group social skills training program. A Solomon four-groups design was used to evaluate the effects of pretesting, the skills training program, and their interaction. Strong evidence of pretesting effects was found for measures associated with a behavioral forced interaction task. (Author)

BER balanced program plan: oil shale technology. [23 suggested biomedical and environmental research projects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schulte, H.F.; Stoker, A.K.; Campbell, E.E.

1976-06-01

Oil shale technology has been divided into two sub-technologies: surface processing and in-situ processing. Definition of the research programs is essentially an amplification of the five King-Muir categories: (A) pollutants: characterization, measurement, and monitoring; (B) physical and chemical processes and effects; (C) health effects; (D) ecological processes and effects; and (E) integrated assessment. Twenty-three biomedical and environmental research projects are described as to program title, scope, milestones, technolgy time frame, program unit priority, and estimated program unit cost.

Organizational Change Efforts: Methodologies for Assessing Organizational Effectiveness and Program Costs versus Benefits.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macy, Barry A.; Mirvis, Philip H.

1982-01-01

A standardized methodology for identifying, defining, and measuring work behavior and performance rather than production, and a methodology that estimates the costs and benefits of work innovation are presented for assessing organizational effectiveness and program costs versus benefits in organizational change programs. Factors in a cost-benefit…

Outcomes of Parent Education Programs Based on Reevaluation Counseling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolfe, Randi B.; Hirsch, Barton J.

2003-01-01

We report two studies in which a parent education program based on Reevaluation Counseling was field-tested on mothers randomly assigned to treatment groups or equivalent, no-treatment comparison groups. The goal was to evaluate the program's viability, whether there were measurable effects, whether those effects were sustained over time, and…

The Effect of Four Intervention Programs on Standardized Test Scores by Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cryder, Rebecca E.

2012-01-01

This quantitative correlational study involved the analysis, by gender, of the effect of four intervention programs at an Arizona middle school as seen on Arizona's Instrument to Measure Standards (AIMS) test scores. These four intervention programs included: Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a planner stamping system, a World…

Perceptual-Motor Programs Do Not Facilitate Development: Why Not Play?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corrie, Loraine; Barratt-Pugh, Caroline

1997-01-01

Early childhood perceptual-motor programs as preventive and remedial measures present three concerns: (1) they have minimal positive effects; (2) funds could be used to investigate more effective educational strategies; and (3) the rationale for these programs does not fit with the Australian Early Childhood Association's Code of Ethics. Play is…

The Effect of a Physical Fitness Program on Low-Fit Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ignico, Arlene A.; Mahon, Anthony D.

1995-01-01

This study examined the effects of participation in an after school physical fitness program emphasizing aerobics on low-fit elementary students. Data were collected on four occasions. The program had a positive impact on field test measures but did not improve body fatness, cardiovascular responses to exercise, and blood lipid profiles. (SM)

The Effects of the Sustained Silent Reading Program on Cultivating Students' Habits and Attitudes in Reading Books for Leisure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chua, Siah Poh

2008-01-01

The author examines the effects of the sustained silent reading program on cultivating students' habits and attitudes in reading books for leisure. The author used a time-series design and measured students' reading habits and attitudes three times in twelve months. It was expected that if the program created positive effects on cultivating…

The Army Communications Objectives Measurement System (ACOMS): Annual Report, School Year 86/87

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-04-01

assessments of advertising program effectiveness, assessments of advertising strategy efficiencies, management of the advertising program, and planning...market. ACOMS is being used for Army assessments of advertising program effectiveness, assessments of advertising strategy efficiencies, management of... advertising strategy and effectiveness and to begin the construction of an integrated model of the role of the Army’s advertising in the enlistment decision

A Comprehensive Meta-Analysis of Triple P-Positive Parenting Program Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling: Effectiveness and Moderating Variables

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nowak, Christoph; Heinrichs, Nina

2008-01-01

A meta-analysis encompassing all studies evaluating the impact of the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program on parent and child outcome measures was conducted in an effort to identify variables that moderate the program's effectiveness. Hierarchical linear models (HLM) with three levels of data were employed to analyze effect sizes. The results (N =…

Unmanned tactical autonomous control and collaboration (utacc) human machine integration measures of performance and measures of effectiveness

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

AUTONOMOUS CONTROL AND COLLABORATION (UTACC) HUMAN-MACHINE INTEGRATION MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE AND MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS by Thomas A...TACTICAL AUTONOMOUS CONTROL AND COLLABORATION (UTACC) HUMAN-MACHINE INTEGRATION MEASURES OF PERFORMANCE AND MEASURES OF EFFECTIVENESS 5. FUNDING...Tactical Autonomous Control and Collaboration (UTACC) program seeks to integrate Marines and autonomous machines to address the challenges encountered in

The Avahan Transition: Effects of Transition Readiness on Program Institutionalization and Sustained Outcomes

PubMed Central

Singh, Suneeta; Singh, Kriti; Chhabra, Vibha; Bennett, Sara

2016-01-01

Background With declines in development assistance for health and growing interest in country ownership, donors are increasingly faced with the task of transitioning health programs to local actors towards a path to sustainability. Yet there is little available guidance on how to measure and evaluate the success of a transition and its subsequent effects. This study assesses the transition of the Avahan HIV/AIDS prevention program in India to investigate how preparations for transition affected continuation of program activities post-transition. Methods Two rounds of two surveys were conducted and supplemented by data from government and Avahan Computerized Management Information Systems (CMIS). Exploratory factor analysis was used to develop two measures: 1) transition readiness pre-transition, and 2) institutionalization (i.e. integration of initial program systems into organizational procedures and behaviors) post-transition. A fixed effects model was built to examine changes in key program delivery outcomes over time. An ordinary least square regression was used to assess the relationship between transition readiness and sustainability of service outcomes both directly, and indirectly through institutionalization. Results Transition readiness data revealed 3 factors (capacity, alignment and communication), on a 15-item scale with adequate internal consistency (alpha 0.73). Institutionalization was modeled as a unidimensional construct, and a 12-item scale demonstrated moderate internal consistency (alpha 0.60). Coverage of key populations and condom distribution were sustained compared to pre-transition levels (p<0.01). Transition readiness, but not institutionalization, predicted sustained outcomes post-transition. Transition readiness did not necessarily lead to institutionalization of key program elements one year after transition. Conclusion Greater preparedness prior to transition is important to achieve better service delivery outcomes post-transition. This paper illustrates a methodology to measure transition readiness pre-transition to identify less ready organizations or program components in advance, improving the likelihood of service sustainability. Further research is needed around the conceptualization and development of measures of institutionalization and its effects on long-term program sustainability. PMID:27434542

Economic effectiveness of disease management programs: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Krause, David S

2005-04-01

The economic effectiveness of disease management programs, which are designed to improve the clinical and economic outcomes for chronically ill individuals, has been evaluated extensively. A literature search was performed with MEDLINE and other published sources for the period covering January 1995 to September 2003. The search was limited to empirical articles that measured the direct economic outcomes for asthma, diabetes, and heart disease management programs. Of the 360 articles and presentations evaluated, only 67 met the selection criteria for meta-analysis, which included 32,041 subjects. Although some studies contained multiple measurements of direct economic outcomes, only one average effect size per study was included in the meta-analysis. Based on the studies included in the research, a meta-analysis provided a statistically significant answer to the question of whether disease management programs are economically effective. The magnitude of the observed average effect size for equally weighted studies was 0.311 (95% CI = 0.272-0.350). Statistically significant differences of effect sizes by study design, disease type and intensity of disease management program interventions were not found after a moderating variable, disease severity, was taken into consideration. The results suggest that disease management programs are more effective economically with severely ill enrollees and that chronic disease program interventions are most effective when coordinated with the overall level of disease severity. The findings can be generalized, which may assist health care policy makers and practitioners in addressing the issue of providing economically effective care for the growing number of individuals with chronic illness.

Challenges and strategies in applying performance measurement to federal public health programs.

PubMed

DeGroff, Amy; Schooley, Michael; Chapel, Thomas; Poister, Theodore H

2010-11-01

Performance measurement is widely accepted in public health as an important management tool supporting program improvement and accountability. However, several challenges impede developing and implementing performance measurement systems at the federal level, including the complexity of public health problems that reflect multiple determinants and involve outcomes that may take years to achieve, the decentralized and networked nature of public health program implementation, and the lack of reliable and consistent data sources and other issues related to measurement. All three of these challenges hinder the ability to attribute program results to specific public health program efforts. The purpose of this paper is to explore these issues in detail and offer potential solutions that support the development of robust and practical performance measures to meet the needs for program improvement and accountability. Adapting performance measurement to public health programs is both an evolving science and art. Through the strategies presented here, appropriate systems can be developed and monitored to support the production of meaningful data that will inform effective decision making at multiple levels. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Responding to the Crisis of Accountability: A Review of Program Assessment Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haley, Eric; Jackson, DeForrest

The advertising program at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) has at least 12 measures of program assessment, which serve as a basis for discussion rather than as a prescription for an effective assessment program. The program assessment methods are accrediting, internal program review, teaching evaluations, a university survey of…

Partnership, knowledge translation, and substance abuse prevention with a First Nations community.

PubMed

Baydala, Lola; Fletcher, Fay; Worrell, Stephanie; Kajner, Tania; Letendre, Sherry; Letendre, Liz; Rasmussen, Carmen

2014-01-01

Having identified substance abuse as an issue of concern in their community, the Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation invited University of Alberta researchers to partner on the cultural adaptation, delivery, and evaluation of a school-based drug and alcohol abuse prevention program. Researchers conducted a literature review of available drug and alcohol prevention programs for children and youth, identifying the Life Skills Training (LST) program as a viable model for cultural adaptation. Four program objectives were developed: (1) Review and cultural adaptation of the elementary and junior high LST programs, (2) delivery of the adapted programs, (3) measurement of changes in students' knowledge of the negative effects of drug and alcohol use, attitudes toward drugs and alcohol, drug and alcohol refusal and life skills, and changes in self-esteem/self-concept, and (4) documentation of the community's experience of the project. Using the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR), we employed both qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate the impact of the project. Qualitative evaluation of the program adaptation and implementation were both positive. Qualitative measures of program impact on students revealed a positive effect, whereas results of the quantitative measures were mixed. Culturally adapted, evidence-based programs can have a positive effect on Aboriginal youth and their communities. Strategies to expand knowledge translation (KT) when working with Aboriginal communities include working to create an "ethical space" that draws on the strengths of both Western and Indigenous worldviews.

Space Environmental Effects Knowledgebase

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wood, B. E.

2007-01-01

This report describes the results of an NRA funded program entitled Space Environmental Effects Knowledgebase that received funding through a NASA NRA (NRA8-31) and was monitored by personnel in the NASA Space Environmental Effects (SEE) Program. The NASA Project number was 02029. The Satellite Contamination and Materials Outgassing Knowledgebase (SCMOK) was created as a part of the earlier NRA8-20. One of the previous tasks and part of the previously developed Knowledgebase was to accumulate data from facilities using QCMs to measure the outgassing data for satellite materials. The main object of this current program was to increase the number of material outgassing datasets from 250 up to approximately 500. As a part of this effort, a round-robin series of materials outgassing measurements program was also executed that allowed comparison of the results for the same materials tested in 10 different test facilities. Other programs tasks included obtaining datasets or information packages for 1) optical effects of contaminants on optical surfaces, thermal radiators, and sensor systems and 2) space environmental effects data and incorporating these data into the already existing NASA/SEE Knowledgebase.

Comparing an Emotion- and a Behavior-Focused Parenting Program as Part of a Multsystemic Intervention for Child Conduct Problems.

PubMed

Duncombe, Melissa E; Havighurst, Sophie S; Kehoe, Christiane E; Holland, Kerry A; Frankling, Emma J; Stargatt, Robyn

2016-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a multisystemic early intervention that included a comparison of an emotion- and behavior-focused parenting program for children with emerging conduct problems. The processes that moderated positive child outcomes were also explored. A repeated measures cluster randomized group design methodology was employed with three conditions (Tuning in to Kids, Positive Parenting Program, and waitlist control) and two periods (preintervention and 6-month follow-up). The sample consisted of 320 predominantly Caucasian 4- to 9-year-old children who were screened for disruptive behavior problems. Three outcome measures of child conduct problems were evaluated using a parent (Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory) and teacher (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) rating scale and a structured child interview (Home Interview With Child). Six moderators were assessed using family demographic information and a parent-rated measure of psychological well-being (Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales short form). The results indicated that the multisystemic intervention was effective compared to a control group and that, despite different theoretical orientations, the emotion- and behavior-focused parenting programs were equally effective in reducing child conduct problems. Child age and parent psychological well-being moderated intervention response. This effectiveness trial supports the use of either emotion- or behavior-focused parenting programs in a multisystemic early intervention and provides greater choice for practitioners in the selection of specific programs.

Virtual Learning Effectiveness: An Examination of the Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stonebraker, Peter W.; Hazeltine, James E.

2004-01-01

This study defines, examines, and measures the effectiveness of a corporate virtual learning program. Initially, distinctions between traditional and virtual learning and university and corporate programs are defined. Then, based on the literature, an integrative model of the perceived effectiveness of a virtual learning environment is developed…

Early Intervention Preservice Preparation: Program Evaluation and Reflections. Master's Personnel Prep Program. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bricker, Diane; Squires, Jane

This final report discusses the activities and outcomes of the early intervention interdisciplinary preservice program at the University of Oregon. This master's degree program used both "measurement of" and "reflection about" preservice efforts to address important questions regarding program effectiveness and identify…

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : carrier intervention effectiveness model, version 1.0 : [analysis brief].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-01-01

The Carrier Intervention Effectiveness Model (CIEM) : provides the Federal Motor Carrier Safety : Administration (FMCSA) with a tool for measuring : the safety benefits of carrier interventions conducted : under the Compliance, Safety, Accountability...

Effect of a cognitive behavioral self-help intervention on depression, anxiety, and coping self-efficacy in people with rheumatic disease.

PubMed

Garnefski, N; Kraaij, V; Benoist, M; Bout, Z; Karels, E; Smit, A

2013-07-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether a new cognitive-behavioral self-help program with minimal coaching could improve psychological well-being (depression, anxiety, and coping self-efficacy) in people with rheumatic disease and depressive symptoms. In total, 82 persons with a rheumatic disease enrolled in a randomized controlled trial were allocated to either a group receiving the self-help program or a waiting list control condition group. For both groups, measurements were done at baseline, posttest, and followup. The outcome measures were the depression and anxiety scales of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and an adaptation of the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale. Repeated-measures analyses of covariance were performed to evaluate changes in outcome measures from pretest to posttest and from posttest to followup. The results showed that the self-help program was effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety and in strengthening coping self-efficacy. The positive effects remained after a followup period of 2 months. This cost-effective program could very well be used as a first step in a stepped care approach or as one of the treatment possibilities in a matched care approach. Copyright © 2013 by the American College of Rheumatology.

Predicting academic performance and clinical competency for international dental students: seeking the most efficient and effective measures.

PubMed

Stacey, D Graham; Whittaker, John M

2005-02-01

Measures used in the selection of international dental students to a U.S. D.D.S. program were examined to identify the grouping that most effectively and efficiently predicted academic performance and clinical competency. Archival records from the International Dental Program (IDP) at Loma Linda University provided data on 171 students who had trained in countries outside the United States. The students sought admission to the D.D.S. degree program, successful completion of which qualified them to sit for U.S. licensure. As with most dental schools, competition is high for admission to the D.D.S. program. The study's goal was to identify what measures contributed to a fair and accurate selection process for dental school applicants from other nations. Multiple regression analyses identified National Board Part II and dexterity measures as significant predictors of academic performance and clinical competency. National Board Part I, TOEFL, and faculty interviews added no significant additional help in predicting eventual academic performance and clinical competency.

The Effectiveness of a Bicycle Safety Program for Improving Safety-Related Knowledge and Behavior in Young Elementary Students

PubMed Central

Glang, Ann

2010-01-01

Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the “Bike Smart” program, an eHealth software program that teaches bicycle safety behaviors to young children. Methods Participants were 206 elementary students in grades kindergarten to 3. A random control design was employed to evaluate the program, with students assigned to either the treatment condition (Bike Smart) or the control condition (a video on childhood safety). Outcome measures included computer-based knowledge items (safety rules, helmet placement, hazard discrimination) and a behavioral measure of helmet placement. Results Results demonstrated that regardless of gender, cohort, and grade the participants in the treatment group showed greater gains than control participants in both the computer-presented knowledge items (p > .01) and the observational helmet measure (p > .05). Conclusions Findings suggest that the Bike Smart program can be a low cost, effective component of safety training packages that include both skills-based and experiential training. PMID:19755497

Assessing cost-effectiveness in obesity: active transport program for primary school children--TravelSMART Schools Curriculum program.

PubMed

Moodie, Marj; Haby, Michelle M; Swinburn, Boyd; Carter, Robert

2011-05-01

To assess from a societal perspective the cost-effectiveness of a school program to increase active transport in 10- to 11-year-old Australian children as an obesity prevention measure. The TravelSMART Schools Curriculum program was modeled nationally for 2001 in terms of its impact on Body Mass Index (BMI) and Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) measured against current practice. Cost offsets and DALY benefits were modeled until the eligible cohort reached age 100 or died. The intervention was qualitatively assessed against second stage filter criteria ('equity,' 'strength of evidence,' 'acceptability to stakeholders,' 'feasibility of implementation,' 'sustainability,' and 'side-effects') given their potential impact on funding decisions. The modeled intervention reached 267,700 children and cost $AUD13.3M (95% uncertainty interval [UI] $6.9M; $22.8M) per year. It resulted in an incremental saving of 890 (95%UI -540; 2,900) BMI units, which translated to 95 (95% UI -40; 230) DALYs and a net cost per DALY saved of $AUD117,000 (95% UI dominated; $1.06M). The intervention was not cost-effective as an obesity prevention measure under base-run modeling assumptions. The attribution of some costs to nonobesity objectives would be justified given the program's multiple benefits. Cost-effectiveness would be further improved by considering the wider school community impacts.

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Televised Locally Oriented Driver Re-Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutchinson, John W.; And Others

Television, with its ability to reach large audiences, has been used extensively in driver-education efforts but its effectiveness has never been measured. The purpose of this research was to measure the effectiveness of a televised, locally oriented, candid camera type of driver reeducation program. The measures of effectiveness included a study…

Social-Emotional Effects of Early Childhood Education Programs in Tulsa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gormley, William T., Jr.; Phillips, Deborah A.; Newmark, Katie; Welti, Kate; Adelstein, Shirley

2011-01-01

This article assesses the effects of Tulsa, Oklahoma's early childhood education programs on social-emotional outcomes, examining teacher ratings of children's behavior from the Adjustment Scales for Preschool Intervention and a measure of attentiveness using fixed effects regressions with propensity score matching. The sample includes 2,832…

Army Hearing Program Status Report Quarter 3 Fiscal Year 2017

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-14

chapter. This provides a vehicle for the collection of Measures of Performance and Measures of Effectiveness (MOE) in order to report the metrics as...Program representatives and managers to visit and inspect these areas regularly for noise exposure and proper protective measures . As evidenced by the...welcome measure to report. RECOMMENDATIONS • Increase participation in the survey as directed by Chief of Staff, U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM

Accounting for results: how conservation organizations report performance information.

PubMed

Rissman, Adena R; Smail, Robert

2015-04-01

Environmental program performance information is in high demand, but little research suggests why conservation organizations differ in reporting performance information. We compared performance measurement and reporting by four private-land conservation organizations: Partners for Fish and Wildlife in the US Fish and Wildlife Service (national government), Forest Stewardship Council-US (national nonprofit organization), Land and Water Conservation Departments (local government), and land trusts (local nonprofit organization). We asked: (1) How did the pattern of performance reporting relationships vary across organizations? (2) Was political conflict among organizations' principals associated with greater performance information? and (3) Did performance information provide evidence of program effectiveness? Based on our typology of performance information, we found that most organizations reported output measures such as land area or number of contracts, some reported outcome indicators such as adherence to performance standards, but few modeled or measured environmental effects. Local government Land and Water Conservation Departments reported the most types of performance information, while local land trusts reported the fewest. The case studies suggest that governance networks influence the pattern and type of performance reporting, that goal conflict among principles is associated with greater performance information, and that performance information provides unreliable causal evidence of program effectiveness. Challenging simple prescriptions to generate more data as evidence, this analysis suggests (1) complex institutional and political contexts for environmental program performance and (2) the need to supplement performance measures with in-depth evaluations that can provide causal inferences about program effectiveness.

Accounting for Results: How Conservation Organizations Report Performance Information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rissman, Adena R.; Smail, Robert

2015-04-01

Environmental program performance information is in high demand, but little research suggests why conservation organizations differ in reporting performance information. We compared performance measurement and reporting by four private-land conservation organizations: Partners for Fish and Wildlife in the US Fish and Wildlife Service (national government), Forest Stewardship Council—US (national nonprofit organization), Land and Water Conservation Departments (local government), and land trusts (local nonprofit organization). We asked: (1) How did the pattern of performance reporting relationships vary across organizations? (2) Was political conflict among organizations' principals associated with greater performance information? and (3) Did performance information provide evidence of program effectiveness? Based on our typology of performance information, we found that most organizations reported output measures such as land area or number of contracts, some reported outcome indicators such as adherence to performance standards, but few modeled or measured environmental effects. Local government Land and Water Conservation Departments reported the most types of performance information, while local land trusts reported the fewest. The case studies suggest that governance networks influence the pattern and type of performance reporting, that goal conflict among principles is associated with greater performance information, and that performance information provides unreliable causal evidence of program effectiveness. Challenging simple prescriptions to generate more data as evidence, this analysis suggests (1) complex institutional and political contexts for environmental program performance and (2) the need to supplement performance measures with in-depth evaluations that can provide causal inferences about program effectiveness.

Communication and quality of life outcomes from an interprofessional intensive, comprehensive, aphasia program (ICAP).

PubMed

Hoover, Elizabeth L; Caplan, David N; Waters, Gloria S; Carney, Anne

2017-03-01

Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Programs (ICAPs) have developed in response to a growing need for treatments which produce changes in language function in people with aphasia, especially in the chronic phase of recovery. ICAPs are growing in number and several papers have presented preliminary results of their use, but little data exist about their efficacy or effectiveness. This paper explores the communication effects of an ICAP program that incorporated evidenced-based individual and group treatment in an interprofessional program. Twenty-seven individuals with chronic aphasia were provided with 30 h of interprofessional treatment a week for a four-week period in both individual and group formats. A delayed treatment, within-participant research protocol was used. Language measures were taken at two intervals pre- and two intervals post treatment. Functional, narrative, and quality of life measures were taken once pre and once post treatment. Significant change was observed on targeted language functions post treatment. Significant treatment effects were also observed on functional and quality of life measures as well as on all impairment-based language measures for the group. The results provide evidence of linguistic and quality of life change in individuals with chronic aphasia who were treated in an interprofessional ICAP.

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : carrier intervention effectiveness Model, version 1.1, analysis brief.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-11-01

The Carrier Intervention Effectiveness Model (CIEM) provides the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) with a tool for measuring the safety benefits of carrier interventions conducted under the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) e...

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : Roadside Intervention Effectiveness Model, fiscal year 2010.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-11-01

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in cooperation with the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, has developed an analytic model to measure the effectiveness of roadside inspections and traffic enforcements in te...

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : Roadside Intervention Effectiveness Model, fiscal year 2012.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-02-01

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in cooperation with the John A. Volpe National : Transportation Systems Center, has developed an analytic model to measure the effectiveness of roadside : inspections and traffic enforcements i...

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : roadside intervention effectiveness model, fiscal year 2013.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-08-01

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in cooperation with the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, has developed an analytic model to measure the effectiveness of roadside inspections and traffic enforcements in te...

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : roadside intervention effectiveness model fiscal year 2011.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-06-01

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in cooperation with the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center, has developed an analytic model to measure the effectiveness of roadside inspections and traffic enforcements in te...

Barriers to Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charley, Lois

2007-01-01

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, "good program evaluations assess programs performance, measure impacts on families and communities, and document program successes." With this information, programs are able to direct limited resources to where they are most needed and most effective in their communities. This article is…

Usability evaluation of user interface of thesis title review system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tri, Y.; Erna, A.; Gellysa, U.

2018-03-01

Presentation of programs with user interface that can be accessed online through the website of course greatly provide user benefits. User can easily access the program they need. There are usability values that serve as a benchmark for the success of a user accessible program, ie efficiency, effectiveness, and convenience. These usability values also determine the development of the program for the better use. Therefore, on the review title thesis program that will be implemented in STT Dumai was measured usability evaluation. It aims to see which sides are not yet perfect and need to be improved to improve the performance and utilization of the program. Usability evaluation was measured by using smartPLS software. Database used was the result of respondent questionnaires that include questions about the experience when they used program. The result of a review of thesis title program implemented in STT Dumai has an efficiency value of 22.615, the effectiveness of 20.612, and satisfaction of 33.177.

Measuring infrastructure: A key step in program evaluation and planning

PubMed Central

Schmitt, Carol L.; Glasgow, LaShawn; Lavinghouze, S. Rene; Rieker, Patricia P.; Fulmer, Erika; McAleer, Kelly; Rogers, Todd

2016-01-01

State tobacco prevention and control programs (TCPs) require a fully functioning infrastructure to respond effectively to the Surgeon General’s call for accelerating the national reduction in tobacco use. The literature describes common elements of infrastructure; however, a lack of valid and reliable measures has made it difficult for program planners to monitor relevant infrastructure indicators and address observed deficiencies, or for evaluators to determine the association among infrastructure, program efforts, and program outcomes. The Component Model of Infrastructure (CMI) is a comprehensive, evidence-based framework that facilitates TCP program planning efforts to develop and maintain their infrastructure. Measures of CMI components were needed to evaluate the model’s utility and predictive capability for assessing infrastructure. This paper describes the development of CMI measures and results of a pilot test with nine state TCP managers. Pilot test findings indicate that the tool has good face validity and is clear and easy to follow. The CMI tool yields data that can enhance public health efforts in a funding-constrained environment and provides insight into program sustainability. Ultimately, the CMI measurement tool could facilitate better evaluation and program planning across public health programs. PMID:27037655

Measuring infrastructure: A key step in program evaluation and planning.

PubMed

Schmitt, Carol L; Glasgow, LaShawn; Lavinghouze, S Rene; Rieker, Patricia P; Fulmer, Erika; McAleer, Kelly; Rogers, Todd

2016-06-01

State tobacco prevention and control programs (TCPs) require a fully functioning infrastructure to respond effectively to the Surgeon General's call for accelerating the national reduction in tobacco use. The literature describes common elements of infrastructure; however, a lack of valid and reliable measures has made it difficult for program planners to monitor relevant infrastructure indicators and address observed deficiencies, or for evaluators to determine the association among infrastructure, program efforts, and program outcomes. The Component Model of Infrastructure (CMI) is a comprehensive, evidence-based framework that facilitates TCP program planning efforts to develop and maintain their infrastructure. Measures of CMI components were needed to evaluate the model's utility and predictive capability for assessing infrastructure. This paper describes the development of CMI measures and results of a pilot test with nine state TCP managers. Pilot test findings indicate that the tool has good face validity and is clear and easy to follow. The CMI tool yields data that can enhance public health efforts in a funding-constrained environment and provides insight into program sustainability. Ultimately, the CMI measurement tool could facilitate better evaluation and program planning across public health programs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The utility of the FIM+FAM for assessing traumatic brain injury day program outcomes.

PubMed

Seel, Ronald T; Wright, Greg; Wallace, Tracey; Newman, Sary; Dennis, Leanne

2007-01-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of the FIM+FAM as a primary outcome measure for traumatic brain injury (TBI) comprehensive day programs. Retrospective data analysis. Single center, TBI comprehensive day program facility. A demographically and regionally diverse sample of 105 persons with moderate or severe TBI admitted to the Shepherd Pathways comprehensive TBI day rehabilitation program. Functional Independence Measure + Functional Assessment Measure (FIM+FAM). Twenty-eight percent or fewer of participants reached ceiling effects on 25 of the 30 FIM+FAM items at day program admission with only 2% of clients rated above ceiling score levels on the FIM+FAM total score. The criteria of Guyatt et al showed that 20 of the 30 FIM+FAM items showed clinically meaningful improvements in 60% or more of clients. On average, clients with TBI improved over 27 points on the FIM+FAM total score. Fifteen of 30 items showed ceiling effects of 33% or less at discharge where only 25% of clients exceeded the FIM+FAM total score ceiling threshold. Discharge FIM+FAM motor scale was a very good predictor of the need for additional single service physical therapy. However, reaching ceiling rating on the FIM+FAM cognitive scale demonstrated poor specificity (0.28) and negative predictive power (0.42) for the need for additional speech/cognitive therapy services. The FIM+FAM demonstrated utility as an outcome measure for TBI comprehensive day program treatment in the current milieu. Future research is required to replicate and extend the current findings.

Effects of an emotional intelligence program in variables related to the prevention of violence

PubMed Central

Garaigordobil, Maite; Peña-Sarrionandia, Ainize

2015-01-01

In recent decades, numerous studies have shown a significant increase in violence during childhood and adolescence. These data suggest the importance of implementing programs to prevent and reduce violent behavior. The study aimed to design a program of emotional intelligence (EI) for adolescents and to assess its effects on variables related to violence prevention. The possible differential effect of the program on both genders was also examined. The sample comprised 148 adolescents aged from 13 to 16 years. The study used an experimental design with repeated pretest–posttest measures and control groups. To measure the variables, four assessment instruments were administered before and after the program, as well as in the follow-up phase (1 year after the conclusion of the intervention). The program consisted of 20 one-hour sessions. The pretest–posttest ANCOVAs showed that the program significantly increased: (1) EI (attention, clarity, emotional repair); (2) assertive cognitive social interaction strategies; (3) internal control of anger; and (4) the cognitive ability to analyze negative feelings. In the follow-up phase, the positive effects of the intervention were generally maintained and, moreover, the use of aggressive strategies as an interpersonal conflict-resolution technique was significantly reduced. Regarding the effect of the program on both genders, the change was very similar, but the boys increased assertive social interaction strategies, attention, and emotional clarity significantly more than the girls. The importance of implementing programs to promote socio-emotional development and prevent violence is discussed. PMID:26082743

Effects of an emotional intelligence program in variables related to the prevention of violence.

PubMed

Garaigordobil, Maite; Peña-Sarrionandia, Ainize

2015-01-01

In recent decades, numerous studies have shown a significant increase in violence during childhood and adolescence. These data suggest the importance of implementing programs to prevent and reduce violent behavior. The study aimed to design a program of emotional intelligence (EI) for adolescents and to assess its effects on variables related to violence prevention. The possible differential effect of the program on both genders was also examined. The sample comprised 148 adolescents aged from 13 to 16 years. The study used an experimental design with repeated pretest-posttest measures and control groups. To measure the variables, four assessment instruments were administered before and after the program, as well as in the follow-up phase (1 year after the conclusion of the intervention). The program consisted of 20 one-hour sessions. The pretest-posttest ANCOVAs showed that the program significantly increased: (1) EI (attention, clarity, emotional repair); (2) assertive cognitive social interaction strategies; (3) internal control of anger; and (4) the cognitive ability to analyze negative feelings. In the follow-up phase, the positive effects of the intervention were generally maintained and, moreover, the use of aggressive strategies as an interpersonal conflict-resolution technique was significantly reduced. Regarding the effect of the program on both genders, the change was very similar, but the boys increased assertive social interaction strategies, attention, and emotional clarity significantly more than the girls. The importance of implementing programs to promote socio-emotional development and prevent violence is discussed.

Recommendations From the International Colorectal Cancer Screening Network on the Evaluation of the Cost of Screening Programs.

PubMed

Subramanian, Sujha; Tangka, Florence K L; Hoover, Sonja; Nadel, Marion; Smith, Robert; Atkin, Wendy; Patnick, Julietta

2016-01-01

Worldwide, colorectal cancer is the fourth leading cause of death from cancer and the incidence is projected to increase. Many countries are exploring the introduction of organized screening programs, but there is limited information on the resources required and guidance for cost-effective implementation. To facilitate the generating of the economics evidence base for program implementation, we collected and analyzed detailed program cost data from 5 European members of the International Colorectal Cancer Screening Network. The cost per person screened estimates, often used to compare across programs as an overall measure, varied significantly across the programs. In addition, there were substantial differences in the programmatic and clinical cost incurred, even when the same type of screening test was used. Based on these findings, several recommendations are provided to enhance the underlying methodology and validity of the comparative economic assessments. The recommendations include the need for detailed activity-based cost information, the use of a comprehensive set of effectiveness measures to adequately capture differences between programs, and the incorporation of data from multiple programs in cost-effectiveness models to increase generalizability. Economic evaluation of real-world colorectal cancer-screening programs is essential to derive valuable insights to improve program operations and ensure optimal use of available resources.

A meta-analysis of the effects of dropout prevention programs on school absenteeism.

PubMed

Tanner-Smith, Emily E; Wilson, Sandra Jo

2013-10-01

This study reports findings from a systematic review and meta-analysis of literature examining the effects of school dropout prevention and intervention programs on students' school absenteeism outcomes. The meta-analysis synthesized 74 effect sizes measuring posttest differences in school absenteeism outcomes for youth enrolled in dropout prevention programs relative to a comparison group. Although results from randomized controlled trials indicated significant beneficial program effects, findings from quasi-experimental studies indicated no significant beneficial or detrimental effects. Examination of study characteristics suggested that dropout programs may have beneficial effects on school absenteeism among primarily male samples, and younger samples. Although no single type of intervention program was consistently more effective than others, vocational oriented and supplemental academic training programs showed some promise. However, the inconsistency in results and the possibility of small study bias mean the quality of evidence in this literature is low; at this time there is not enough evidence to conclude that dropout prevention programs have a universal impact on youth's school absenteeism outcomes.

Detecting selection effects in community implementations of family-based substance abuse prevention programs.

PubMed

Hill, Laura G; Goates, Scott G; Rosenman, Robert

2010-04-01

To calculate valid estimates of the costs and benefits of substance abuse prevention programs, selection effects must be identified and corrected. A supplemental comparison sample is typically used for this purpose, but in community-based program implementations, such a sample is often not available. We present an evaluation design and analytic approach that can be used in program evaluations of real-world implementations to identify selection effects, which in turn can help inform recruitment strategies, pinpoint possible selection influences on measured program outcomes, and refine estimates of program costs and benefits. We illustrate our approach with data from a multisite implementation of a popular substance abuse prevention program. Our results indicate that the program's participants differed significantly from the population at large.

Integrated injury prevention program improves balance and vertical jump height in children.

PubMed

DiStefano, Lindsay J; Padua, Darin A; Blackburn, J Troy; Garrett, William E; Guskiewicz, Kevin M; Marshall, Stephen W

2010-02-01

Implementing an injury prevention program to athletes under age 12 years may reduce injury rates. There is limited knowledge regarding whether these young athletes will be able to modify balance and performance measures after completing a traditional program that has been effective with older athletes or whether they require a specialized program for their age. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a pediatric program, which was designed specifically for young athletes, and a traditional program with no program in the ability to change balance and performance measures in youth athletes. We used a cluster-randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effects of the programs before and after a 9-week intervention period. Sixty-five youth soccer athletes (males: n = 37 mass = 34.16 +/- 5.36 kg, height = 143.07 +/- 6.27 cm, age = 10 +/- 1 yr; females: n = 28 mass = 33.82 +/- 5.37 kg, height = 141.02 +/- 6.59 cm) volunteered to participate and attended 2 testing sessions in a research laboratory. Teams were cluster-randomized to either a pediatric or traditional injury prevention program or a control group. Change scores for anterior-posterior and medial-lateral time-to-stabilization measures and maximum vertical jump height and power were calculated from pretest and post-test sessions. Contrary with our original hypotheses, the traditional program resulted in positive changes, whereas the pediatric program did not result in any improvements. Anterior-posterior time-to-stabilization decreased after the traditional program (mean change +/- SD = -0.92 +/- 0.49 s) compared with the control group (-0.49 +/- 0.59 s) (p = 0.003). The traditional program also increased vertical jump height (1.70 +/- 2.80 cm) compared with the control group (0.20 +/- 0.20 cm) (p = 0.04). There were no significant differences between control and pediatric programs. Youth athletes can improve balance ability and vertical jump height after completing an injury prevention program. Training specificity appears to affect improvements and should be considered with future program design.

An Evaluation of a Mixed-Gender Sexual Assault Prevention Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradley, April R.; Yeater, Elizabeth A.; O'Donohue, William

2009-01-01

This study evaluated the short-term effectiveness of a mixed-gender sexual assault prevention program developed for college students. Program participants (n = 177) were compared to non-program participants (n = 132) prior to the program and during a 2-week follow-up period on measures of rape myths, victim empathy, perceived negative consequences…

Cost-effectiveness of an exercise program during pregnancy to prevent gestational diabetes: results of an economic evaluation alongside a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Oostdam, Nicolette; Bosmans, Judith; Wouters, Maurice G A J; Eekhoff, Elisabeth M W; van Mechelen, Willem; van Poppel, Mireille N M

2012-07-04

The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is increasing worldwide. GDM and the risks associated with GDM lead to increased health care costs and losses in productivity. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether the FitFor2 exercise program during pregnancy is cost-effective from a societal perspective as compared to standard care. A randomised controlled trial (RCT) and simultaneous economic evaluation of the FitFor2 program were conducted. Pregnant women at risk for GDM were randomised to an exercise program to prevent high maternal blood glucose (n = 62) or to standard care (n = 59). The exercise program consisted of two sessions of aerobic and strengthening exercises per week. Clinical outcome measures were maternal fasting blood glucose levels, insulin sensitivity and infant birth weight. Quality of life was measured using the EuroQol 5-D and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) were calculated. Resource utilization and sick leave data were collected by questionnaires. Data were analysed according to the intention-to-treat principle. Missing data were imputed using multiple imputations. Bootstrapping techniques estimated the uncertainty surrounding the cost differences and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. There were no statistically significant differences in any outcome measure. During pregnancy, total health care costs and costs of productivity losses were statistically non-significant (mean difference €1308; 95%CI €-229 - €3204). The cost-effectiveness analyses showed that the exercise program was not cost-effective in comparison to the control group for blood glucose levels, insulin sensitivity, infant birth weight or QALYs. The twice-weekly exercise program for pregnant women at risk for GDM evaluated in the present study was not cost-effective compared to standard care. Based on these results, implementation of this exercise program for the prevention of GDM cannot be recommended. NTR1139.

Effects of self-esteem improvement program on self-esteem and peer attachment in elementary school children with observed problematic behaviors.

PubMed

Park, Kyung Min; Park, Heeok

2015-03-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a self-esteem improvement program on self-esteem and peer attachment in elementary school children with observed problematic behaviors. This study is a quasi-experimental study with a nonequivalent control group pretest-post-test design. A total of 47 fourth grade elementary school students participated in this study. The program was provided for 45 minutes once a week; a total of 12 sessions were completed with a group in the classroom for the experimental group. Child Problem-Behavior Screening Questionnaire was used to measure problematic behavior. Self-esteem was measured using the Rosenberg's Self-esteem Questionnaire, and peer attachment was measured using the Inventory of Parent and Attachment. Measuring was performed right after the program was done (post 1) and 1 month after the program was finished (post 2). To compare the differences in self-esteem and peer attachment between groups, repeated measures analysis of variance was used. Most participants in the experimental group were 10 years old (62.5%, range 10-11), male (52.0%) and with middle grade point average (64.0%). The self-esteem scores in the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (F = 26.64, p < .001). The peer attachment scores in the experimental group were significantly higher than those of the control group (F = 6.48, p = .014). The self-esteem improvement program in this study improved the self-esteem and peer attachment in elementary school children. The self-esteem program helped acknowledge the peer's name and increased their connections. The program needs to be considered as a formal and consistent program. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

A comparative analysis of locally based conservation education programs that promote issue awareness and community solutions within Honduras and the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Nicole R.

Public understanding and concern for environment issues is critical to conservation efforts. In this study, I investigated education programs focused on the local environmental issues and their impact on sense of place, environmental knowledge, empowerment and awareness (Honduras and Boston). I hypothesized that the curriculum will have an effect on multiple student measures and teachers who participate in workshops will have greater ownership of the curriculum, influencing curriculum's effectiveness. Then I looked at the relation of environmental knowledge to environmental connection, at the regional (Honduras) and international levels (Honduras vs. United States), comparing cultural differences in same measures mentioned. I hypothesized that a population connected to their natural surroundings will have an embedded biological understanding and appreciation of their surroundings. I surveyed a total of 887 students (727 Honduras, 160 Boston) and 293 teachers (Honduras), with participant and nonparticipant teachers included, in a pre/post/follow-up survey design. To evaluate these hypotheses, I used multiple measures to assess program success and regional differences: implicit measures (general sense of place); explicit measures (knowledge of problems and solutions; degree of specificity in thinking about these issues); and affective and attitudinal components (sense of empowerment). For the exploratory study, I gathered parallel data from teachers, so that the effects of the program on both teachers and students would be evident. Our results indicate that there were significant changes in number of problem and solution types proposed by students, that students' responses matched those of their teacher on some measures (but not all) by the end of the program. In Honduras, the main effect of being in the teacher workshop appears to be in their willingness to teach environmental education. Results for student's sense of place and environmental empowerment were inconsistent across programs. In addition, participants (teachers and students ) were not at the cap (as experts) for a number of measures, suggesting that the workshops and curriculum can be further improved. For the comparative study, there was strong support for a population's connection to their local natural surroundings having a strong relation to their sense of place, and partially related to a heightened environmental awareness.

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : Carrier Intervention Effectiveness Model, Version 1.1, technical report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-04-01

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in cooperation with the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe), has developed a quantitative model to measure the effectiveness of motor carrier interventions in terms of ...

How Bigelow Laboratory Measured Broader Impacts: The Case Study of the Evaluation of the Keller BLOOM Program (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fowler, R. A.; Repa, J.

2010-12-01

In this presentation we discuss the impetus for, the results of the short and long term effects, and the impacts of the Keller BLOOM Program, hosted by Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences of West Boothbay Harbor, Maine. Each May, for the last 21 years, 16 bright high school juniors, one from each county in Maine, have been invited to spend five days with the research scientists at the lab conducting and reporting research on the bottom layers of the ocean’s food chain: phytoplankton and zooplankton. Bigelow has chosen to evaluate BLOOM through a series of questionnaires delivered during the program, and long term tracking of participants after the program, in order to better understand the impact of the program on participants. The short term effect of the experience, measured at the end of the week, found that participants are able to: 1) develop testable research questions, 2) collect multiple water samples from a local estuary, 3) measure various characteristics of those samples with the sophisticated instruments in Bigelow’s labs assisted by their research scientists, 4) analyze and integrate the results from the various labs, and 5) present their findings to a non-scientific audience. To measure long term participation effects, a random sample of 40 of the 332 participants were interviewed resulting in the following findings: 100% attend college; 62% have STEM majors; 88% graduate from college; 57% pursue STEM careers; and 60% live and work in Maine. Bigelow scientists include a description of the BLOOM Program and the evaluation results in their NSF Broader Impacts statements to demonstrate that their research activities are being integrated into a successful STEM education program. Evaluation results are also used by Bigelow scientists and program administrators to refine program content and delivery, to promote the program to potential applicants, and to strengthen proposals to funding agencies when seeking financial support for BLOOM.

Simulation and measurement of nanometer-scale resistivity of copper films for interconnect applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yarimbiyik, Arif Emre

2007-12-01

A highly versatile simulation program is developed and used to examine how the resistivity of thin metal films and lines increases as their dimensions approach and become smaller than the mean fee path of electrons in metals such as copper (size effect). The simulation program: (1) provides a more accurate calculation of surface scattering effects than that obtained from the usual formulation of Fuchs' theory, (2) calculates grain-boundary effects that are consistent with the theory of Mayadas and Shatzkes, (3) includes the effects of surface and grain-boundary scattering either separately or together, and (4) simulates the effect on resistivity if a surface of a film or line has a different value for the scattering parameter. The increase in resistivity with decreasing thickness of thin, evaporated copper films (approximately 10 nm to 150 nm thick) was determined from sheet resistance and film thickness measurements. Good agreement between the experimental results with those of the simulation program was obtained when the measured mean grain sizes were used by the simulation program. The mean of the grain sizes tend to decrease with decreasing film thickness and thereby increase the impact of grain-boundary scattering on the effective resistivity of the film. Estimates of the mean grain size for each film were determined from using, in combination, the electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. With values for the measured change in sheet resistance with temperature of these films, it is shown that measurements of the electrical film thickness, using Matthiessen's rule, agreed to within 3 nm of the physical measurements (profilometer) of these films. Hence, Matthiessen's rule can continue to be used to measure the thickness of a copper film and, by inference, the cross-sectional area of a copper line for dimensions well below the mean free path of electrons in copper at room temperature (39 nm).

49 CFR 192.945 - What methods must an operator use to measure program effectiveness?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) PIPELINE SAFETY TRANSPORTATION OF NATURAL AND OTHER GAS BY PIPELINE: MINIMUM FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARDS Gas Transmission Pipeline Integrity Management § 192.945 What methods must an operator use to measure program...

Treatment effects model for assessing disease management: measuring outcomes and strengthening program management.

PubMed

Wendel, Jeanne; Dumitras, Diana

2005-06-01

This paper describes an analytical methodology for obtaining statistically unbiased outcomes estimates for programs in which participation decisions may be correlated with variables that impact outcomes. This methodology is particularly useful for intraorganizational program evaluations conducted for business purposes. In this situation, data is likely to be available for a population of managed care members who are eligible to participate in a disease management (DM) program, with some electing to participate while others eschew the opportunity. The most pragmatic analytical strategy for in-house evaluation of such programs is likely to be the pre-intervention/post-intervention design in which the control group consists of people who were invited to participate in the DM program, but declined the invitation. Regression estimates of program impacts may be statistically biased if factors that impact participation decisions are correlated with outcomes measures. This paper describes an econometric procedure, the Treatment Effects model, developed to produce statistically unbiased estimates of program impacts in this type of situation. Two equations are estimated to (a) estimate the impacts of patient characteristics on decisions to participate in the program, and then (b) use this information to produce a statistically unbiased estimate of the impact of program participation on outcomes. This methodology is well-established in economics and econometrics, but has not been widely applied in the DM outcomes measurement literature; hence, this paper focuses on one illustrative application.

Effects of exergaming based exercise on urban children's physical activity participation and body composition.

PubMed

Gao, Zan; Xiang, Ping

2014-07-01

Exergaming has been considered a fun solution to promoting a physically active lifestyle. This study examined the impact of an exergaming-based program on urban children's physical activity participation, body composition and perceptions of the program. A sample of 185 children's physical activity was measured in August 2009 (pretest), and percent body fat was used as index of body composition. Fourth graders were assigned to intervention group engaging in 30 minutes exergaming-based activities 3 times per week, while third and fifth graders were in comparison group. Measurements were repeated 9 months later (posttest). Interviews were conducted among 12 intervention children. ANCOVA with repeated measures revealed a significant main effect for intervention, F(1, 179) = 10.69, P < .01. Specifically, intervention children had significantly greater increased physical activity levels than comparison children. Logistic regression for body composition indicated intervention children did not differ significantly in percent body fat change from comparison children, Chi square = 5.42, P = .14. Children interviewed reported positive attitudes toward the intervention. The implementation of exergaming-based program could have a significantly positive effect on children's physical activity participation and attitudes. Meanwhile, long-term effect of the program on children's body composition deserves further investigation.

Cost-Effectiveness Model for Youth EFNEP Programs: What Do We Measure and How Do We Do It?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serrano, Elena; McFerren, Mary; Lambur, Michael; Ellerbock, Michael; Hosig, Kathy; Franz, Nancy; Townsend, Marilyn; Baker, Susan; Muennig, Peter; Davis, George

2011-01-01

The Youth Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is one of the United States Department of Agriculture's hallmark nutrition education programs for limited-resource youth. The objective of this study was to gather opinions from experts in EFNEP and related content areas to identify costs, effects (impacts), and related instruments to…

Effects of a Case-Based Reasoning System on Student Performance in a Java Programming Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Cecil

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if a case-based reasoning tool would improve a student's understanding of the complex concepts in a Java programming course. Subjects for the study were randomly assigned from two sections of an introductory Java programming course. Posttests were used to measure the effects of the case-based reasoning…

Effects of a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program on Teens' Attitudes toward Sexuality: A Latent Trait Modeling Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Charles L.; Dimitrov, Dimiter M.

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of program interventions in a school-based teen pregnancy program on hypothesized constructs underlying teens' attitudes toward sexuality. An important task related to this purpose was the validation of the constructs and their stability from pre- to postintervention measures. Data from 1,136…

The Army Communications Objectives Measurement System (ACOMS): Survey Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-07-01

advertising strategy efficiencies; (3) management of the advertising program; and (4) planning and development of new marketing strategies and...scientific methodology. ACOMS is being used for Army (1) assessments of advertising program effectiveness; (2) assessments of advertising strategy efficiencies...advertising program effectiveness in a timely fashion; (2) To support Army assessments of advertising strategy in an integrated framework; and (3) To support

The Effectiveness of a Training Program Based on Practice of Careers in Vocational Interests Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahasneh, Omar. M.; Farajat, Amani. M.

2015-01-01

The present research was conducted to identify the effectiveness of a training program based on practice of careers in vocational interests development, to answer questions about the study and test its hypothesis the training program had been prepared and the adoption of a measure of vocational interests, as validity and reliability of each of…

Communication skills training on how to break bad news for Japanese nurses in oncology: effects of training on nurses' confidence and perceived effectiveness.

PubMed

Fukui, Sakiko; Ogawa, Keiko; Fukui, Naoshi

2010-03-01

Delivering bad news is an important communication skill for oncology nurses. No Asian study has developed a communication skills training program. We investigated the effect of such a program on the confidence and practical competence of Japanese oncology nurses. Thirty-one nurses participated, based on Western work in a 6-h workshop; the effect was assessed for 3 months. We evaluated the program effect by measuring nurse-rated confidence regarding communication with patients three times (before, immediately after, and 3 months after the program), in addition to interviewing them on the perception of the program at T3. On nurse-rated confidence in communication, 16/21 items were significantly increased 3 months after the program, and almost all nurses were positive about the course effectiveness. Communication skills training increased Japanese nurses' confidence as well as being perceived as effective.

Distributional effects of Oportunidades on early child development.

PubMed

Figueroa, José Luis

2014-07-01

The Mexican Oportunidades program is designed to increase human capital through investments in education, health, and nutrition for children in extreme poverty. Although the program is not expressly designed to promote a child's cognitive and non-cognitive development, the set of actions carried out by the program could eventually facilitate improvements in these domains. Previous studies on the Oportunidades program have found little impact on children's cognition but have found positive effects on their non-cognitive development. However, the majority of these studies use the average outcome to measure the impact of the program and thus overlook other "non-average" effects. This paper uses stochastic dominance methods to investigate results beyond the mean by comparing cumulative distributions for both children who are and children who are not aided by the program. Four indicators of cognitive development and one indicator of non-cognitive development are analyzed using a sample of 2595 children aged two to six years. The sample was collected in rural communities in Mexico in 2003 as part of the program evaluation. Similar to previous studies, the program is found to positively influence children's non-cognitive abilities: children enrolled in the program manifest fewer behavioral problems compared with children who are not enrolled. In addition, different program effects are found for girls and boys and for indigenous and non-indigenous children. The ranges where the effect is measured cover a large part of the outcome's distribution, and these ranges include a large proportion of the children in the sample. With regard to cognitive development, only one indicator (short-term memory) shows positive effects. Nevertheless, the results for this indicator demonstrate that children with low values of cognitive development benefit from the program, whereas children with high values do not. Overall, the program has positive effects on child development, especially for the most vulnerable, who are at the bottom of the distribution. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Cost-Effectiveness of the Kiva Antibullying Program: Results from a Decision-Analytic Model.

PubMed

Persson, Mattias; Wennberg, Linn; Beckman, Linda; Salmivalli, Christina; Svensson, Mikael

2018-05-04

Bullying causes substantial suffering for children and adolescents. A number of bullying prevention programs have been advocated as effective methods for counteracting school bullying. However, there is a lack of economic evaluations of bullying prevention programs assessing the "value for money." The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of the Finnish bullying prevention program KiVa in comparison to "status quo" (treatment as usual) in a Swedish elementary school setting (grades 1 to 9). The cost-effectiveness analysis was carried out using a payer perspective based on a Markov cohort model. The costs of the program were measured in Swedish kronor and Euros, and the benefits were measured using two different metrics: (1) the number of victim-free years and (2) the number of quality adjusted life years (QALYs). Data on costs, probability transitions, and health-related quality of life measures were retrieved from published literature. Deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were carried out to establish the uncertainty of the cost-effectiveness results. The base-case analysis indicated that KiVa leads to an increased cost of €829 for a gain of 0.47 victim-free years per student. In terms of the cost per gained QALY, the results indicated a base-case estimate of €13,823, which may be seen as cost-effective given that it is lower than the typically accepted threshold value in Swedish health policy of around €50,000. Further research is needed to confirm the conclusions of this study, especially regarding the treatment effects of KiVa in different school contexts.

Measuring the effectiveness of the episodic control program Spare the Air in the San Francisco Bay Area

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lee, T.G.; Hinman, T.T.

1997-12-31

Episodic control programs that ask the public to voluntarily reduce activities that pollute on days when ozone excesses are predicted are now operating in many parts of the country. The activities include driving, using consumer products that contain reactive organic compounds and lawn and garden equipment with small gasoline engines like lawn mowers and leaf blowers. The effectiveness of these programs as public education tools, their impact in changing behavior and their potential as control tools needs to be assessed. In the nine-county San Francisco Bay Area the Spare the Air program has been operating for five years. The programmore » has a strong employer component as well as a program directed at the general public. During the 1996 ozone season, the Bay Area AQMD, in cooperation with the business community, used several methods to assess awareness and behavior change on Spare the Air days. This included telephone public opinion surveys, a pilot program that offered free transit for employees at 8 companies with measurement feedback from the companies, a telecommuting web page that measured participation, a special carpool matching program and a broad based Capture the Credit initiative by business. This paper describes these initiatives, their results and the next steps anticipated for the 1997 program.« less

Effects of 12-week combined exercise program on self-efficacy, physical activity level, and health related physical fitness of adults with intellectual disability.

PubMed

Jo, Garam; Rossow-Kimball, Brenda; Lee, Yongho

2018-04-01

The current study examined the effects of an exercise program on health related physical fitness, self-efficacy, and physical activity levels in adults with intellectual disability. The study used pre- and posttest experimental research design with a control group. Total of 23 adults with intellectual disability were recruited with 12 assigned for the exercise group and 11 for the control group, separately. The measures of health related physical fitness included cardio pulmonary endurance (step-test), body composition (bioelectrical impedance analysis), flexibility (sit and reach), muscle endurance (sit-up), and strength (hand grip strength). Self-efficacy was measured using the physical self-efficacy scale. Accelerometers were used to measure physical activity levels. All variables were measured and evaluated twice at baseline and at the end of the program. The exercise program consisted of band exercises and rhythmic activity for 90 min, twice per week for 12 weeks. After the intervention, significant improvements were found in the experimental group in muscle endurance, self-efficacy, and physical activity levels. An exercise program may be recommended as a nonpharmaceutical method to improve the health of adults with intellectual disabilities.

Sexual Assault Education Programs: A Meta-Analytic Examination of Their Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Linda A.; Whiston, Susan C.

2005-01-01

Meta-analyses of the effectiveness of college sexual assault education programs on seven outcome measure categories were conducted using 69 studies that involved 102 treatment interventions and 18,172 participants. Five of the outcome categories had significant average effect sizes (i.e., rape attitudes, rape-related attitudes, rape knowledge,…

Understanding the Effects of Cognitive Dissonance during Interpretation: Implications for "Hands-On" Programming.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Mark

1996-01-01

Describes a field experiment that was designed to test the effects of three different interpretive programs on students' attitudes toward live, nonpoisonous snakes. One of the treatments measured the effectiveness of using "hands-on" interpretive techniques. Direct contact with snakes improved students' attitudes but only slightly. Females'…

Food, Fun and Fitness Internet program for girls: influencing log-on rate

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Internet-based interventions hold promise as an effective channel for reaching large numbers of youth. However, log-on rates, a measure of program dose, have been highly variable. Methods to enhance log-on rate are needed. Incentives may be an effective method. This paper reports the effect of reinf...

A randomized clinical trial on the effectiveness of a reintegration training program versus booster sessions after short-term inpatient psychotherapy.

PubMed

Thunnissen, Moniek; Duivenvoorden, Hugo; Busschbach, Jan; Hakkaart-van Roijen, Leona; van Tilburg, Willem; Verheul, Roel; Trijsburg, Wim

2008-10-01

Although several studies show symptomatic improvements in patients with personality disorders after short-term inpatient psychotherapy, reintegration remains difficult. In this study the effectiveness of a specifically designed reintegration training program is investigated. One hundred twenty-eight patients were randomized to either a reintegration training program aimed at improving general functioning and work resumption, or booster sessions. Outcome measures used were symptom level, work status, absence from and impediments at work. The results showed that compliance in the booster session group was significantly better than in the reintegration training program. The percentage of persons with a paid job increased during the booster sessions from 64 to 87%, but not during the reintegration training (76%). There were no differences in the other outcome measures. We concluded that reintegration training was not more (cost)-effective than booster sessions. Our hypothesis is that continuity of care (same therapists and program) explains the favorable results of the booster sessions.

Primary prevention research: a preliminary review of program outcome studies.

PubMed

Schaps, E; Churgin, S; Palley, C S; Takata, B; Cohen, A Y

1980-07-01

This article reviews 35 drug abuse prevention program evaluations employing drug-specific outcome measures. Many of these evaluations assessed the effects of "new generation" prevention strategies: affective, peer-oriented, and multidimensional approaches. Only 14 studies evaluated purely informational programs. Evaluations were analyzed to ascertain (1) characteristics of the programs under study, (2) characteristics of the research designs, and (3) patterns among findings. This review provides some evidence that the newer prevention strategies may produce more positive and fewer negative outcomes than did older drug information approaches. Over 70% of the programs using the newer strategies produced some positive effects; only 29% showed negative effects. In contrast, 46% of informational programs showed positive effects; 46% showed negative effects. These findings must be approached with great caution, since the research was frequently scientifically inadequate, and since rigor of research was negatively correlated with intensity and duration of program services.

A field test of a web-based workplace health promotion program to improve dietary practices, reduce stress, and increase physical activity: randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Cook, Royer F; Billings, Douglas W; Hersch, Rebekah K; Back, Anita S; Hendrickson, April

2007-06-19

Most work sites engage in some form of health promotion programming designed to improve worker health and reduce health care costs. Although these programs have typically been delivered through combinations of seminars and print materials, workplace health promotion programs are increasingly being delivered through the Internet. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Web-based multimedia health promotion program for the workplace, designed to improve dietary practices, reduce stress, and increase physical activity. Using a randomized controlled trial design with pretest-posttest comparisons within each group, 419 employees of a human resources company were randomly assigned to the Web-based condition or to a condition that provided print materials on the same topics. All subjects were assessed at pretest and posttest through an online questionnaire containing multiple measures of health behavior and attitudes. The test period was 3 months. Questionnaire data were analyzed mainly by analysis of covariance and t tests. Retention rates were good for both groups-85% for the Web-based group and 87% for the print group. Subjects using the Web-based program performed significantly better than the print group on Attitudes Toward a Healthful Diet (F(1,415) = 7.104, P = .008) and Dietary Stage of Change (F(1,408) = 6.487, P = .01), but there were no significant group differences on the five other dietary measures. Both groups also showed improvement from pretest to posttest on most dietary measures, as indicated by significant t tests. Within the Web-based group, dosage analyses showed significant effects of the number of times the subject accessed the program on measures of Dietary Self-Efficacy (F(2,203) = 5.270, P = .003), Attitudes Toward a Healthful Diet (F(2,204) = 2.585, P = .045), and Dietary Stage of Change (F(2,200) = 4.627, P = .005). No significant differences were found between the two groups on measures of stress or physical activity, although t tests of pretest-posttest changes indicated that both groups improved on several of these measures. The Web-based group gave significantly higher ratings to the program materials than the print group on all health topics and in their overall evaluation (F(1,410) = 9.808, P = .002). The Web-based program was more effective than print materials in producing improvements in the areas of diet and nutrition but was not more effective in reducing stress or increasing physical activity. The higher ratings given to the Web-based program suggest that workers preferred it to the print materials. Both groups showed numerous pretest-posttest improvements in all health topics, although such improvements might be attributable in part to a Hawthorne effect. Results suggest that a multimedia Web-based program can be a promising means of delivering health promotion material to the workforce, particularly in the area of diet and nutrition.

A Field Test of a Web-Based Workplace Health Promotion Program to Improve Dietary Practices, Reduce Stress, and Increase Physical Activity: Randomized Controlled Trial

PubMed Central

Billings, Douglas W; Hersch, Rebekah K; Back, Anita S; Hendrickson, April

2007-01-01

Background Most work sites engage in some form of health promotion programming designed to improve worker health and reduce health care costs. Although these programs have typically been delivered through combinations of seminars and print materials, workplace health promotion programs are increasingly being delivered through the Internet. Objective The purpose of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of a Web-based multimedia health promotion program for the workplace, designed to improve dietary practices, reduce stress, and increase physical activity. Methods Using a randomized controlled trial design with pretest-posttest comparisons within each group, 419 employees of a human resources company were randomly assigned to the Web-based condition or to a condition that provided print materials on the same topics. All subjects were assessed at pretest and posttest through an online questionnaire containing multiple measures of health behavior and attitudes. The test period was 3 months. Questionnaire data were analyzed mainly by analysis of covariance and t tests. Results Retention rates were good for both groups—85% for the Web-based group and 87% for the print group. Subjects using the Web-based program performed significantly better than the print group on Attitudes Toward a Healthful Diet (F1,415 = 7.104, P = .008) and Dietary Stage of Change (F1,408 = 6.487, P = .01), but there were no significant group differences on the five other dietary measures. Both groups also showed improvement from pretest to posttest on most dietary measures, as indicated by significant t tests. Within the Web-based group, dosage analyses showed significant effects of the number of times the subject accessed the program on measures of Dietary Self-Efficacy (F2,203 = 5.270, P = .003), Attitudes Toward a Healthful Diet (F2,204 = 2.585, P = .045), and Dietary Stage of Change (F2,200 = 4.627, P = .005). No significant differences were found between the two groups on measures of stress or physical activity, although t tests of pretest-posttest changes indicated that both groups improved on several of these measures. The Web-based group gave significantly higher ratings to the program materials than the print group on all health topics and in their overall evaluation (F1,410 = 9.808, P = .002). Conclusions The Web-based program was more effective than print materials in producing improvements in the areas of diet and nutrition but was not more effective in reducing stress or increasing physical activity. The higher ratings given to the Web-based program suggest that workers preferred it to the print materials. Both groups showed numerous pretest-posttest improvements in all health topics, although such improvements might be attributable in part to a Hawthorne effect. Results suggest that a multimedia Web-based program can be a promising means of delivering health promotion material to the workforce, particularly in the area of diet and nutrition. PMID:17581811

Using student satisfaction data to evaluate a new online accelerated nursing education program.

PubMed

Gazza, Elizabeth A; Matthias, April

2016-10-01

As increasing numbers of students enroll in online education, institutions of higher education are responsible for delivering quality online courses and programs. Agencies that accredit institutions and programs require evidence of program quality, including student satisfaction. A large state university in the Southeastern United States transitioned an online nursing education degree completion, or Registered Nurse-to-Bachelor of Science in Nursing, program to an online accelerated format in order to meet the needs of working nurses and ultimately, increase the number of nurses prepared at the baccalaureate level. This article describes a descriptive, cross-sectional study that evaluated the effectiveness of the new online accelerated program using the quality indicator of student satisfaction. Ninety-one (32%) of the 284 students who were enrolled or had been enrolled in a course within the online accelerated degree completion program between fall 2013 session 1 and summer 2014 session participated in the study. The electronic Noel-Levitz Priorities Survey for Online Learners™ was used to measure student satisfaction with the program and associated services. Results provided insight into the students' satisfaction with the new program format and served as the basis for an interdepartmental program enhancement plan aimed at maintaining and enhancing student satisfaction and overall program quality. Findings indicated that measuring and evaluating student satisfaction can provide valuable information about the effectiveness of an online program. Recommendations for using the measurement tool in online program planning and studying student satisfaction in relation to retention and program completion were identified. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Crisis Reliability Indicators Supporting Emergency Services (CRISES): A Framework for Developing Performance Measures for Behavioral Health Crisis and Psychiatric Emergency Programs.

PubMed

Balfour, Margaret E; Tanner, Kathleen; Jurica, Paul J; Rhoads, Richard; Carson, Chris A

2016-01-01

Crisis and emergency psychiatric services are an integral part of the healthcare system, yet there are no standardized measures for programs providing these services. We developed the Crisis Reliability Indicators Supporting Emergency Services (CRISES) framework to create measures that inform internal performance improvement initiatives and allow comparison across programs. The framework consists of two components-the CRISES domains (timely, safe, accessible, least-restrictive, effective, consumer/family centered, and partnership) and the measures supporting each domain. The CRISES framework provides a foundation for development of standardized measures for the crisis field. This will become increasingly important as pay-for-performance initiatives expand with healthcare reform.

A method to improve the effectiveness of diode in vivo dosimetry.

PubMed

Alecu, R; Alecu, M; Ochran, T G

1998-05-01

A routine diode in vivo dosimetry program based on a combination of entrance and exit dose measurements was clinically implemented in the radiation oncology department of Grace Hospital, Detroit, in January 1995. The delivered dose has been monitored by taking weekly measurements. The calibration of the diodes and the in vivo dosimetry protocol for this new, more effective type of dose verification is presented. The problems encountered within the program are discussed along with our solutions.

Working Memory Training Does Not Improve Performance on Measures of Intelligence or Other Measures of “Far Transfer”

PubMed Central

Melby-Lervåg, Monica; Redick, Thomas S.; Hulme, Charles

2016-01-01

It has been claimed that working memory training programs produce diverse beneficial effects. This article presents a meta-analysis of working memory training studies (with a pretest-posttest design and a control group) that have examined transfer to other measures (nonverbal ability, verbal ability, word decoding, reading comprehension, or arithmetic; 87 publications with 145 experimental comparisons). Immediately following training there were reliable improvements on measures of intermediate transfer (verbal and visuospatial working memory). For measures of far transfer (nonverbal ability, verbal ability, word decoding, reading comprehension, arithmetic) there was no convincing evidence of any reliable improvements when working memory training was compared with a treated control condition. Furthermore, mediation analyses indicated that across studies, the degree of improvement on working memory measures was not related to the magnitude of far-transfer effects found. Finally, analysis of publication bias shows that there is no evidential value from the studies of working memory training using treated controls. The authors conclude that working memory training programs appear to produce short-term, specific training effects that do not generalize to measures of “real-world” cognitive skills. These results seriously question the practical and theoretical importance of current computerized working memory programs as methods of training working memory skills. PMID:27474138

OCE NEMP PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT OF CRITERIA FOR PROTECTION OF NIKE-X POWER PLANT AND FACILITIES ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AGAINST NUCLEAR ELECTROMAGNETIC PULSE EFFECTS.

DTIC Science & Technology

technical backup material for the OCE NEMP PROGRAM, Development of Criteria for Protection of NIKE-X Power Plant and Facilities Electrical Systems Against Nuclear Electromagnetic Pulse Effects, Protective MEASURES. (Author)

3 CFR 8761 - Proclamation 8761 of November 30, 2011. National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, 2011

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... take action by promoting rigorous enforcement measures and effective substance abuse prevention programs. During National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, we recommit to preventing tragedy before it... efforts, implement more effective legislation, and support successful, evidence-based prevention programs...

Torsion pendulum measurements on viscoelastic materials during vacuum exposure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ward, T. C.; Evans, M. L.

1972-01-01

A torsional pendulum apparatus designed for testing in situ in vacuum, the dynamic mechanical properties of materials is described. The application of this apparatus to an experimental program to measure the effects of vacuum on the mechanical properties of two ablator materials (a foamed material and a filled elastomer) and a solid rocket propellant (a filled elastomer) is presented. Results from the program are discussed as to the effects of vacuum on the mechanical properties of these three materials. In addition, time-temperature-superposition, as a technique for accelerating vacuum induced changes in mechanical properties, is discussed with reference to the three materials tested in the subject program.

Software Measurement Guidebook

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

This Software Measurement Guidebook is based on the extensive experience of several organizations that have each developed and applied significant measurement programs over a period of at least 10 years. The lessons derived from those experiences reflect not only successes but also failures. By applying those lessons, an organization can minimize, or at least reduce, the time, effort, and frustration of introducing a software measurement program. The Software Measurement Guidebook is aimed at helping organizations to begin or improve a measurement program. It does not provide guidance for the extensive application of specific measures (such as how to estimate software cost or analyze software complexity) other than by providing examples to clarify points. It does contain advice for establishing and using an effective software measurement program and for understanding some of the key lessons that other organizations have learned. Some of that advice will appear counterintuitive, but it is all based on actual experience. Although all of the information presented in this guidebook is derived from specific experiences of mature measurement programs, the reader must keep in mind that the characteristics of every organization are unique. Some degree of measurement is critical for all software development and maintenance organizations, and most of the key rules captured in this report will be generally applicable. Nevertheless, each organization must strive to understand its own environment so that the measurement program can be tailored to suit its characteristics and needs.

Collection and processing of data from a phase-coherent meteor radar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Backof, C. A., Jr.; Bowhill, S. A.

1974-01-01

An analysis of the measurement accuracy requirement of a high resolution meteor radar for observing short period, atmospheric waves is presented, and a system which satisfies the requirements is described. A medium scale, real time computer is programmed to perform all echo recognition and coordinate measurement functions. The measurement algorithms are exercised on noisy data generated by a program which simulates the hardware system, in order to find the effects of noise on the measurement accuracies.

Evaluating effects of developmental education for college students using a regression discontinuity design.

PubMed

Moss, Brian G; Yeaton, William H

2013-10-01

Annually, American colleges and universities provide developmental education (DE) to millions of underprepared students; however, evaluation estimates of DE benefits have been mixed. Using a prototypic exemplar of DE, our primary objective was to investigate the utility of a replicative evaluative framework for assessing program effectiveness. Within the context of the regression discontinuity (RD) design, this research examined the effectiveness of a DE program for five, sequential cohorts of first-time college students. Discontinuity estimates were generated for individual terms and cumulatively, across terms. Participants were 3,589 first-time community college students. DE program effects were measured by contrasting both college-level English grades and a dichotomous measure of pass/fail, for DE and non-DE students. Parametric and nonparametric estimates of overall effect were positive for continuous and dichotomous measures of achievement (grade and pass/fail). The variability of program effects over time was determined by tracking results within individual terms and cumulatively, across terms. Applying this replication strategy, DE's overall impact was modest (an effect size of approximately .20) but quite consistent, based on parametric and nonparametric estimation approaches. A meta-analysis of five RD results yielded virtually the same estimate as the overall, parametric findings. Subset analysis, though tentative, suggested that males benefited more than females, while academic gains were comparable for different ethnicities. The cumulative, within-study comparison, replication approach offers considerable potential for the evaluation of new and existing policies, particularly when effects are relatively small, as is often the case in applied settings.

FMCSA Safety Program Effectiveness Measurement: Carrier Intervention Effectiveness Model, Version 1.1-Report for FY 2014 Interventions - Analysis Brief

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-04-01

The Carrier Intervention Effectiveness Model (CIEM) provides the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) with a tool for measuring the safety benefits of carrier interventions conducted under the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) e...

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : carrier intervention effectiveness model, version 1.1 - report for FY 2013 interventions : analysis brief

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-04-01

The Carrier Intervention Effectiveness Model (CIEM) provides the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) with a tool for measuring the safety benefits of carrier interventions conducted under the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) e...

An Elusive Policy Imperative: Data and Methodological Challenges When Using Growth in Student Achievement to Evaluate Teacher Education Programs' "Value-Added"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amrein-Beardsley, Audrey; Lawton, Kerry; Ronan, Katherine

2017-01-01

In this study researchers examined the effectiveness of one of the largest teacher education programs located within the largest research-intensive universities within the US. They did this using a value-added model as per current federal educational policy imperatives to assess the measurable effects of teacher education programs on their teacher…

Assessing the Effects of a Community-Based College Preparation Program on the Academic Performance and Noncognitive Factors of Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aidman, Barry; Malerba, Catherine

2017-01-01

This study examines the intermediate effects of a community-based college preparation program in a fast growth, high-needs exurban district in Texas. Participants and a matched group of nonparticipants were compared on a variety of academic and noncognitive measures. Findings indicate program participation is associated with higher scores on the…

The Examination of the Effects of Functional Training Program Applied on Instable Ground on Anaerobic Capacities of Elite Martial Arts Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caglayan, Atakan; Ozbar, Nurper

2017-01-01

The aim of this study is to measure both dynamic balance of elite martial arts athletes doing functional strength exercises on instable ground and the effects of circuit training program on their anaerobic capacities, and compare them with those following classical training program. Students studying in Faculty of Sport Sciences at Duzce…

The South Australia Health Chronic Disease Self-Management Internet Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorig, Kate; Ritter, Philip L.; Plant, Kathryn; Laurent, Diana D.; Kelly, Pauline; Rowe, Sally

2013-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of an online chronic disease self-management program for South Australia residents. Method: Data were collected online at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. The intervention was an asynchronous 6-week chronic disease self-management program offered online. The authors measured eight health status measures,…

Background, College Experiences, and the ACT-COMP Exam: Using Construct Validity to Evaluate Assessment Instruments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pike, Gary R.

1989-01-01

A study investigated the appropriateness of the American College Testing Program's College Outcome Measures Program, conducted at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, by applying the criterion of construct validity. Results indicated that while the test primarily measures individual differences, it is also sensitive to the effects of higher…

Determining Appropriate Criteria in the Evaluation of Correctional Mental Health Treatment for Inmates.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alexander, Rudolph, Jr.

1992-01-01

Notes that, despite changed goals of mental health treatment for inmates, some prison treatment programs still evaluate effects in terms of adjustment indicators. Discusses and critiques proposals in Ohio to use adjustment indicators as outcome measures for new treatment program for mentally ill inmates. Discusses proper outcome measures for…

Semiannual Report to Congress on the Effectiveness of the Civil Aviation Security Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-11-07

hijackings since 1973 during any comparable 6-month period. (See Exhibits 1, 2, and 3) Air carrier and airport security measures required by the FAA have...enforcement support for airline passenger boarding and airport security measures. The passengers, who are the principal beneficiaries of the security program

Measuring Student Engagement in an Online Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bigatel, Paula; Williams, Vicki

2015-01-01

In an effort to measure the effectiveness of faculty development courses promoting student engagement, the faculty development unit of Penn State's Online Campus conducted a pilot study within a large online Bachelor of Science in Business (BSB) program. In all, 2,296 students were surveyed in the spring and summer semesters of 2014 in order to…

Measuring User Compliance and Cost Effectiveness of Safe Drinking Water Programs: A Cluster-Randomized Study of Household Ultraviolet Disinfection in Rural Mexico.

PubMed

Reygadas, Fermín; Gruber, Joshua S; Dreizler, Lindsay; Nelson, Kara L; Ray, Isha

2018-03-01

Low adoption and compliance levels for household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) technologies have made it challenging for these systems to achieve measurable health benefits in the developing world. User compliance remains an inconsistently defined and poorly understood feature of HWTS programs. In this article, we develop a comprehensive approach to understanding HWTS compliance. First, our Safe Drinking Water Compliance Framework disaggregates and measures the components of compliance from initial adoption of the HWTS to exclusive consumption of treated water. We apply this framework to an ultraviolet (UV)-based safe water system in a cluster-randomized controlled trial in rural Mexico. Second, we evaluate a no-frills (or "Basic") variant of the program as well as an improved (or "Enhanced") variant, to test if subtle changes in the user interface of HWTS programs could improve compliance. Finally, we perform a full-cost analysis of both variants to assess their cost effectiveness (CE) in achieving compliance. We define "compliance" strictly as the habit of consuming safe water. We find that compliance was significantly higher in the groups where the UV program variants were rolled out than in the control groups. The Enhanced variant performed better immediately postintervention than the Basic, but compliance (and thus CE) degraded with time such that no effective difference remained between the two versions of the program.

Effects of a gerotranscendence educational program on gerotranscendence recognition, attitude towards aging and behavioral intention towards the elderly in long-term care facilities: A quasi-experimental study.

PubMed

Lin, Yen-Chun; Wang, Chi-Jane; Wang, Jing-Jy

2016-01-01

Caregivers in long-term care (LTC) facilities have to uphold a positive attitude toward the elderly, so they will be more willing to provide the elderly with care of higher quality. Theory of Gerotranscendence is a theory which can assist the elderly in developing more mature and intellectual state of mind. It is hoped that the caregivers who receive gerotranscendence education may apply its concept to the care for the elderly. To evaluate the effects of the gerotranscendence educational program on caregivers' gerotranscendence recognition, attitude towards aging, and behavioral intention towards caring for the elderly. A quasi-experimental design with repeated measures was conducted. A total of 41 caregivers in LTC facilities participated and completed the study. Participants were invited to participate in a 2-day gerotranscendence educational program, and measurement took place at baseline, the end of the program (post-test) and three months after the program (follow-up test). The research tools included Gerotranscendence Recognition Scale-Chinese version, Aging Attitude scale, and Caregivers' Behavioral Intention Scale. This study used GLM repeated measures to perform analysis. There was a statistically significant difference in three repeated measures of participants' gerotranscendence recognition and behavior intention toward caring for the elderly (p=.002, .002, respectively) but not in the aging attitude score (p=.21). The post hoc comparison showed that the scores of these two outcomes in the post-test were significantly higher than those in the pre-test (p=.000; .024). However, the scores in the follow-up test were almost the same as those in the pre-test. The gerotranscendence educational program had timely effects on caregivers' gerotranscendence recognition and behavioral intention towards aging, and so caregivers working in LTC facilities may require ongoing training in the gerotranscendence educational program to ensure that these positive effects remain strong. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Primary calibrations of radionuclide solutions and sources for the EML quality assessment program

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fisenne, I.M.

1993-12-31

The quality assurance procedures established for the operation of the U.S. Department of Energy`s Environmental Measurements Laboratory (DOE-EML`s) Quality Assessment Program (QAP) are essentially the same as those that are in effect for any EML program involving radiometric measurements. All these programs have at their core the use of radionuclide standards for their instrument calibration. This paper focuses on EML`s approach to the acquisition, calibration and application of a wide range of radionuclide sources that are required to meet its programmatic needs.

Evaluating Student Success and Progress in the Maryland Sea Grant REU Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moser, F. C.; Allen, M. R.; Clark, J.

2012-12-01

The Maryland Sea Grant's Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) 12-week summer program is in its 24th year. This estuarine science-focused program has evolved, based in part on our use of assessment tools to measure the program's effectiveness. Our goal is to understand the REU program's effectiveness in such areas as improving student understanding of scientific research, scientific ethics and marine science careers. Initially, our assessment approach was limited to short surveys that used qualitative answers from students about their experience. However, in the last decade we have developed a more comprehensive approach to measure program effectiveness. Currently, we use paired pre- and post-survey questions to estimate student growth during the program. These matching questions evaluate the student's change in knowledge and perception of science research over the course of the summer program. Additionally, we administer several surveys during the 12 weeks of the program to measure immediate responses of students to program activities and to gauge the students' evolving attitudes to customize each year's program. Our 2011 cohort showed consistent improvement in numerous areas, including understanding the nature of science (pre: 4.35, post: 4.64 on a 5 point scale), what graduate school is like (3.71, 4.42), the job of a researcher (4.07, 4.50), and career options in science (3.86, 4.42). Student confidence also increased in numerous skills required for good scientists. To analyze the long-term impact of our program, we survey our alumni to assess graduate degrees earned and career choices. A large percentage (72%) of our tracked alumni have continued on to graduate school, with subsequent careers spanning the academic (51%), public (24%) and private (25%) sectors. These assessments demonstrate that our program is successful in meeting our key objectives of strengthening the training of undergraduates in the sciences and retaining them in marine science careers.

Use of a business excellence model to improve conservation programs.

PubMed

Black, Simon; Groombridge, Jim

2010-12-01

The current shortfall in effectiveness within conservation biology is illustrated by increasing interest in "evidence-based conservation," whose proponents have identified the need to benchmark conservation initiatives against actions that lead to proven positive effects. The effectiveness of conservation policies, approaches, and evaluation is under increasing scrutiny, and in these areas models of excellence used in business could prove valuable. Typically, conservation programs require years of effort and involve rigorous long-term implementation processes. Successful balance of long-term efforts alongside the achievement of short-term goals is often compromised by management or budgetary constraints, a situation also common in commercial businesses. "Business excellence" is an approach many companies have used over the past 20 years to ensure continued success. Various business excellence evaluations have been promoted that include concepts that could be adapted and applied in conservation programs. We describe a conservation excellence model that shows how scientific processes and results can be aligned with financial and organizational measures of success. We applied the model to two well-documented species conservation programs. In the first, the Po'ouli program, several aspects of improvement were identified, such as more authority for decision making in the field and better integration of habitat management and population recovery processes. The second example, the black-footed ferret program, could have benefited from leadership effort to reduce bureaucracy and to encourage use of best-practice species recovery approaches. The conservation excellence model enables greater clarity in goal setting, more-effective identification of job roles within programs, better links between technical approaches and measures of biological success, and more-effective use of resources. The model could improve evaluation of a conservation program's effectiveness and may be used to compare different programs, for example during reviews of project performance by sponsoring organizations. © 2010 Society for Conservation Biology.

Evaluation of preventive programs in high caries active preschool children.

PubMed

Sundell, Anna Lena; Ullbro, Christer; Koch, Göran

2013-01-01

Although caries prevalence in preschool children has dramatically decreased during the last decades it is still a large problem for a minor group of these children. Great efforts have been invested in finding effective preventive programs for the high caries active preschool children. However, few studies have evaluated and discussed which approach will give the best effect. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of a "standard" preventive program with a series of programs with more extensive measures during a two-year period. At start one hundred and sixty high caries active preschool children (mean age 4 years) were included in the study. The children were randomly distributed to four groups. All groups were exposed to the basic program composed of dietary counselling, oral hygiene instructions and fluoride varnish application. Three groups were exposed to one additional preventive measure e.g. 1% chlorhexidine gel in trays, 0.2% NaF gel in trays or daily tooth brushing with 1% chlorhexidine gel. The programs were repeated seven times during the two-year study period and were executed by trained dental hygienists. Caries examination and saliva sampling for Streptococcus mutans measurements were performed at start of the study and after two years. The mean defs at start was between 10.8 and 12.6 for the four groups (NS). After two years the caries increment was 1.9 ds in the basic preventive group and between 1.9 and 2.6 (NS) in the other groups. Numerically there were more children in the chlorhexidine groups that showed reduction of Streptococcus mutans counts compared to the other groups, but the differences were small. The mean caries increment of about 1.9 ds per year in all groups indicate that all programs were effective taken into account that the children had about 11 defs at start. There were no differences in caries increment between the basic preventive group and the other groups. The conclusion was that addition of preventive measures on top of an effective basic program is a waste of resources. The effect on oral health of individual reinstruction and motivation, by a dental hygienist, seven times during the two-year study period should not be underestimated.

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement: intervention model fiscal year 2009.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-04-01

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in cooperation with the researcher, has developed an analytic model to measure the effectiveness of roadside inspections and traffic enforcements in terms of crashes avoided, injuries avoided, ...

Workshop 3.5: Closing the gap between exposure and effects in monitoring studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tillitt, Donald E.; Papoulias, Diana M.

2003-01-01

A major challenge to contaminant monitoring programs is the selection of an appropriate suite of measurements for assessing exposure and effects. Early monitoring programs relied solely on residue analysis to detect the organochlorine compounds that were in use at that time. A shift to the use of more transient, less persistent chemicals required that a new set of tools be developed to determine if an organism had been exposed. This led to the development of cellular and biochemical assays that could indicate the presence of these types of chemicals in biota and the environment. However, it was recognized that measures of contaminant presence alone were insufficient to assess the health of biota. As a result, considerable research began to be directed toward development of diagnostic tools for measuring chemical effects in fish and wildlife. Today, contaminant monitoring programs follow a paradigm for study design that emphasizes not only the use of measures of exposure, but also measures of effect. Using data from our monitoring and research studies for hormonally active substances, we discuss a variety of metrics of exposure and effects and their application to specific chemicals, and the current information gaps. We conclude that although several bioindicators of exposure and effect have been promoted and used, to date there continues to be a poor association between cause and effect for endocrine active substances. In part, this is due to the limited number of diagnostic tools that are available and to a lack of basic toxicological information concerning toxicokinetics and mechanisms of action of hormonally active chemicals in fish and wildlife species. In the foreseeable future, both tissue and environmental residue data, despite the many limitations, will continue to be an important component of monitoring programs for hormonally active chemicals as we continue to develop and validate more specific bioindicators of exposure and effects.

Report: EPA Needs Accurate Data on Results of Pollution Prevention Grants to Maintain Program Integrity and Measure Effectiveness of Grants

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #15-P-0276, September 4, 2015. Inaccurate reporting of results misrepresents the impacts of pollution prevention activities provided to the public, and misinforms EPA management on the effectiveness of its investment in the program.

Evaluating Training by Four Economic Indices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosentreter, Gary

1979-01-01

This study was intended to demonstrate the effectiveness of four selected economic indicators as criteria for evaluation of a manufacturing firm's management training program in communication skills. Though the results indicated that the program effected change only in employee turnover, the study supports the measurement of training by economic…

Can We Learn to Treat One Another Better? A Test of a Social Intelligence Curriculum

PubMed Central

Gallardo, Carmen Ecija; Velasco, Lilian

2015-01-01

This paper reports on the first test of the value of an online curriculum in social intelligence (SI). Built from current social and cognitive neuroscience research findings, the 50 session SI program was administered, with facilitation in Spanish by classroom instructors, to 207 students from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos in Madrid as part of their undergraduate classes. All materials were translated into Castilian Spanish, including outcome measures of SI that have been used in prior studies to provide valid estimates of two key components of social intelligence: 1) Sensitivity to others and 2) confidence in one’s capacity to manage social situations. Pre- and Posttest were administered to participants in the SI training, and also to 87 students in similar classes who did not receive the program who served as the control group. Gender and emotional intelligence levels at pretest also were examined as potential individual differences that might affect the impact of the program on study outcomes. Repeated measures ANOVAs on study outcomes revealed significant increases, from pre to post, in most measures of social intelligence for program participants in comparison to controls, with no effects of gender or age on program effectiveness. Prior scores on emotional intelligence were not a prerequisite for learning from the program. Some findings suggest ways the program may be improved to have stronger effects. Nonetheless, the findings indicate that the SI program tested here shows considerable promise as a means to increase the willingness of young adults to take the perspective of others and enhance their efficacy for initiating and sustaining positive social connections. PMID:26076133

Development of a Health Survey Instrument for 5- to 8-Year-Old Youths

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neelon, Marisa; Brian, Kelley; Iaccopucci, Anne M.; Lewis, Kendra M.; Worker, Steven M.

2017-01-01

Measuring program outcomes is required for documenting effectiveness of interventions with youths participating in programs funded through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Children, Youth, and Families at Risk (CYFAR) initiative. The California CYFAR program provided programming for youths aged 5-8, which necessitated the development of an…

Measuring E-Learning Effectiveness at Indonesian Private University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pradana, Mahir; Amir, NarisWari

2016-01-01

Telkom University was founded in 2013, as a result of merging four existing higher education institutions in Indonesia. One of their study programs is Master of Management (MM) program, which also facilitates full-time workers to participate in the program. Since their physical presences are sometimes unfulfilled, an e-learning program was…

The Development and Experimental Analysis of a Self-Instructional Program in Graphical Kinematics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nee, John G.

A project to help vocational-technical teachers in the development and experimental analysis of self-instructional programs is presented. The emphasis in developing the program was on maximizing effectiveness and efficiency of program-learner interaction as measured by criterion items. These items emphasized cognitive content dealing with the…

Optical properties monitor: Experiment definition phase

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkes, Donald R.; Bennett, Jean M.; Hummer, Leigh L.; Chipman, Russell A.; Hadaway, James B.; Pezzaniti, Larry

1990-01-01

The stability of materials used in the space environment will continue to be a limiting technology for space missions. The Optical Properties Monitor (OPM) Experiment provides a comprehensive space research program to study the effects of the space environment (both natural and induced) on optical, thermal and space power materials. The OPM Experiment was selected for definition under the NASA/OAST In-Space Technology Experiment Program. The results of the OPM Definition Phase are presented. The OPM experiment will expose selected materials to the space environment and measure the effects with in-space optical measurements. In-space measurements include total hemispherical reflectance total integrated scatter and VUV reflectance/transmittance. The in-space measurements will be augmented with extensive pre- and post-flight sample measurements to determine other optical, mechanical, electrical, chemical or surface effects of space exposure. Environmental monitors will provide the amount and time history of the sample exposure to solar irradiation, atomic oxygen and molecular contamination.

Optical properties monitor: Experiment definition phase

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkes, Donald R.; Bennett, Jean M.; Hummer, Leigh L.; Chipman, Russell A.; Hadaway, James B.; Pezzaniti, Larry

1989-01-01

The stability of materials used in the space environment will continue to be a limiting technology for space missions. The Optical Properties Monitor (OPM) Experiment provides a comprehensive space research program to study the effects of the space environment-both natural and induced-on optical, thermal and space power materials. The OPM Experiment was selected for definition under the NASA/OAST In-Space Technology Experiment Program. The results of the OPM Definition Phase are presented. The OPM Experiment will expose selected materials to the space environment and measure the effects with in-space optical measurements. In-space measurements include total hemispherical reflectance total integrated scatter and VUV reflectance/transmittance. The in-space measurements will be augmented with extensive pre- and post-flight sample measurements to determine other optical, mechanical, electrical, chemical or surface effects of space exposure. Environmental monitors will provide the amount and time history of the sample exposure to solar irradiation, atomic oxygen and molecular contamination.

Organizational determinants of efficiency and effectiveness in mental health partial care programs.

PubMed Central

Schinnar, A P; Kamis-Gould, E; Delucia, N; Rothbard, A B

1990-01-01

The use of partial care as a treatment modality for mentally ill patients, particularly the chronically mentally ill, has greatly increased. However, research into what constitutes a "good" program has been scant. This article reports on an evaluation study of staff productivity, cost efficiency, and service effectiveness of adult partial care programs carried out in New Jersey in fiscal year 1984/1985. Five program performance indexes are developed based on comparisons of multiple measures of resources, service activities, and client outcomes. These are used to test various hypotheses regarding the effect of organizational and fiscal variables on partial care program efficiency and effectiveness. The four issues explored are: auspices, organizational complexity, service mix, and fiscal control by the state. These were found to explain about half of the variance in program performance. In addition, partial care programs demonstrating midlevel performance with regard to productivity and efficiency were observed to be the most effective, implying a possible optimal level of efficiency at which effectiveness is maximized. PMID:2113046

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : carrier intervention effectiveness model (CIEM), version 1.1, report for Fiscal Year 2012 interventions.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-11-01

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in cooperation with the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe), has developed a quantitative model to measure the effectiveness of motor carrier interventions in terms of ...

FMCSA Safety Program Effectiveness Measurement: Carrier Intervention Effectiveness Model (CIEM), Version 1.1 Report for Fiscal Year 2014 Interventions

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-04-01

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in cooperation with the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe), has developed a quantitative model to measure the effectiveness of motor carrier interventions in terms of ...

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement: carrier intervention effectiveness model (CIEM), version 1.1 : report for fiscal year 2013 interventions.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-04-01

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in cooperation with the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe), has developed a quantitative model to measure the effectiveness of motor carrier interventions in terms of ...

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : carrier intervention effectiveness model, version 1.0, summary report for fiscal years 2009, 2010, 2011.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-01-01

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in cooperation with the John A. Volpe National : Transportation Systems Center (Volpe), has developed a quantitative model to measure the effectiveness of motor : carrier interventions in terms...

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : Carrier Intervention Effectiveness Model (CIEM), Version 1.1, report for fiscal year 2013 interventions.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-04-01

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), in cooperation with the John A. Volpe National Transportation Systems Center (Volpe), has developed a quantitative model to measure the effectiveness of motor carrier interventions in terms of ...

A pilot study examining the effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction on symptoms of chronic mild traumatic brain injury/postconcussive syndrome.

PubMed

Azulay, Joanne; Smart, Colette M; Mott, Tasha; Cicerone, Keith D

2013-01-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of the mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program tailored to individuals with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). A convenience sample recruited from clinical referrals over a 2-year period completed outcome measures pre- and posttreatment intervention. Post-acute brain injury rehabilitation center within a suburban medical facility. Twenty-two individuals with mTBI and a time postinjury more than 7 months. Eleven participants were men and 11 were women, ranging in age from 18 to 62 years. A 10-week group (with weekly 2-hour sessions) modeled after the MBSR program of Kabat-Zinn, but with modifications designed to facilitate implementation in a population of individuals with brain injury. (The treatment involved enhancement of attentional skills, in addition to increased awareness of internal and external experiences associated with the perspective change of acceptance and nonjudgmental attitude regarding those experiences). Perceived Quality of Life Scale, Perceived Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory. Secondary measures included neuropsychological tests, a self-report problem-solving inventory, and a self-report measure of mindfulness. Clinically meaningful improvements were noted on measures of quality of life (Cohen d = 0.43) and perceived self-efficacy (Cohen d = 0.50) with smaller but still significant effects on measures of central executive aspects of working memory and regulation of attention. The MBSR program can be adapted for participants with mTBI. Improved performance on measures associated with improved quality of life and self-efficacy may be related to treatment directed at improving awareness and acceptance, thereby minimizing the catastrophic assessment of symptoms associated with mTBI and chronic disability. Additional research on the comparative effectiveness of the MBSR program for people with mTBI is warranted.

Effects of mindfulness meditation on chronic pain: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

la Cour, Peter; Petersen, Marian

2015-04-01

This randomized controlled clinical trial investigated the effects of mindfulness meditation on chronic pain. A total of 109 patients with nonspecific chronic pain were randomized to either a standardized mindfulness meditation program (mindfulness-based stress reduction [MBSR]) or to a wait list control. Pain, physical function, mental function, pain acceptance, and health-related quality of life were measured. The SF36 vitality scale was chosen as the primary outcome measure; the primary end point was after completing the MBSR course. Within a 2.5-year period, 43 of the 109 randomized patients completed the mindfulness program, while 47 remained in the control group. Data were compared at three time points: at baseline, after completion of the course/waiting period, and at the 6-month follow-up. Significant effect (Cohen's d = 0.39) was found on the primary outcome measure, the SF36 vitality scale. On the secondary variables, significant medium to large size effects (Cohen's d = 0.37-0.71) were found for lower general anxiety and depression, better mental quality of life (psychological well-being), feeling in control of the pain, and higher pain acceptance. Small (nonsignificant) effect sizes were found for pain measures. There were no significant differences in the measures just after the intervention vs the 6-month follow-up. A standardized mindfulness program (MBSR) contributes positively to pain management and can exert clinically relevant effects on several important dimensions in patients with long-lasting chronic pain. © 2014 American Academy of Pain Medicine.

A worksite prevention program for construction workers: design of a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Oude Hengel, Karen M; Joling, Catelijne I; Proper, Karin I; Blatter, Birgitte M; Bongers, Paulien M

2010-06-14

A worksite prevention program was developed to promote the work ability of construction workers and thereby prolong a healthy working life. The objective of this paper is to present the design of a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of that intervention program compared with usual care for construction workers. The study is designed as a randomized controlled trial with a follow-up of one year. Employees eligible for this study are construction workers performing actual construction work. The worksite intervention will be compared with usual care. This intervention was developed by using the Intervention Mapping approach and consists of the following components: (1) two individual training sessions of a physical therapist to lower the physical workload, (2) a Rest-Break tool to improve the balance between work and recovery, and (3) two empowerment training sessions to increase the influence of the construction workers at the worksite. Outcome measures are assessed at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. The primary outcome measures of this study are work ability and health-related quality of life. Secondary outcome measures include need for recovery, musculoskeletal complaints, work engagement and self efficacy. Cost-effectiveness will be evaluated from the company perspective. Moreover, a process evaluation will be conducted. The feasibility of the intervention and the study has been enhanced by creating an intervention program that explicitly appeals to construction workers and will not interfere too much with the ongoing construction. The feasibility and effectiveness of this worksite prevention program will be investigated by means of an effect- and a process evaluation. If proven effective, this worksite prevention program can be implemented on a larger scale within the construction industry. NTR1278.

The effectiveness of the COPE healthy lifestyles TEEN program: a school-based intervention in middle school adolescents with 12-month follow-up.

PubMed

Ardic, Aysun; Erdogan, Semra

2017-06-01

The goal of this study is to assess the applicability and long-term effectiveness of the T-COPE Healthy TEEN program on adolescent health. Obesity and mental health disorders are major public health problems in adolescents. In this context, including long-term and multiple behavioural obesity prevention programs are becoming increasingly important. A quasi-experimental design with pre-test/post-test control group and repeated measurements. Eighty-seven (45 in intervention group, 42 in control group) adolescents were included from two different middle schools in the intervention program. The data were analysed by using descriptive statistics, Pearson chi-square, Fisher's exact test, Student-t test, repeated measures of variance analysis and Cohen's d effect size. No significant difference was found between the intervention and control groups in terms of descriptive characteristics, behavioural and cognitive variables of the adolescents. Following the intervention, the adolescents in intervention groups showed improvements in nutritional behaviour, physical activity and stress management. These improvements concerned increased physical walking measured in the number of physical steps per week daily fruit and vegetable consumption and the daily quantity of water ingested. While their nutrition/physical activity knowledge significantly increased, their weight and anxiety symptoms significantly decreased. The effect of the program on body mass index, depression and health beliefs of the adolescents were not significant compared with the control group. The applicability of the T-COPE Healthy TEEN program on Turkish adolescents and its effectiveness on their health behaviours, nutrition and physical activity knowledge and stress management were revealed in this study. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A worksite prevention program for construction workers: design of a randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background A worksite prevention program was developed to promote the work ability of construction workers and thereby prolong a healthy working life. The objective of this paper is to present the design of a randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of that intervention program compared with usual care for construction workers. Methods The study is designed as a randomized controlled trial with a follow-up of one year. Employees eligible for this study are construction workers performing actual construction work. The worksite intervention will be compared with usual care. This intervention was developed by using the Intervention Mapping approach and consists of the following components: (1) two individual training sessions of a physical therapist to lower the physical workload, (2) a Rest-Break tool to improve the balance between work and recovery, and (3) two empowerment training sessions to increase the influence of the construction workers at the worksite. Outcome measures are assessed at baseline, 3, 6, and 12 months. The primary outcome measures of this study are work ability and health-related quality of life. Secondary outcome measures include need for recovery, musculoskeletal complaints, work engagement and self efficacy. Cost-effectiveness will be evaluated from the company perspective. Moreover, a process evaluation will be conducted. Discussion The feasibility of the intervention and the study has been enhanced by creating an intervention program that explicitly appeals to construction workers and will not interfere too much with the ongoing construction. The feasibility and effectiveness of this worksite prevention program will be investigated by means of an effect- and a process evaluation. If proven effective, this worksite prevention program can be implemented on a larger scale within the construction industry. Trial Registration NTR1278 PMID:20546568

[Individualization of exercise load control for inpatient cardiac rehabilitation. Development and evaluation of a HRV-based intervention program for patients with ischemic heart failure].

PubMed

Behrens, K; Hottenrott, K; Weippert, M; Montanus, H; Kreuzfeld, S; Rieger, A; Lübke, J; Werdan, K; Stoll, R

2015-03-01

The effective use of rehabilitation programs is of primary importance in order to improve the physical performance of cardiac disease patients. A modular program has been developed which is intended to structure and individualize conventional, exercise-based rehabilitation programs according to the individual needs and physical condition of each patient. The individualization of the program is based on detailed diagnostics before patients enter the program and daily measurements of heart rate variability (HRV) during cardiac rehabilitation. A total of 30 patients with ischemic heart disease were randomly assigned either to the intervention group (IG), completing the modular individualized rehabilitation program [n=15, mean age 54.4±4.2 years and mean left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) 28.53±6.25%) or to the control group (CG) taking part in the conventional rehabilitation program (n=15, mean age 56.4±4.4 years and mean LVEF 27.63±5.62). Before and after the intervention, cardiorespiratory fitness was assessed by measurement of maximal oxygen consumption (relative VO2max) during bicycle ergometry and the 6-minute walk test (6-MWT). Pre-post comparisons of cardiorespiratory fitness indicators were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the rehabilitation program. In addition to the results of the basic clinical investigations and the cardiorespiratory testing, results of standardized HRV measurements of 10 min at morning rest served as criteria for program individualization. The relative VO2max increased significantly (p<0.05) in the IG whereas no change was found in the CG. Similar results were found for maximum power output during bicycle ergometry (p<0.01) and for 6-MWT distance (p<0.001). Although patients in the IG completed less aerobic exercise sessions than those in the CG (p<0.001) the physical performance of the IG improved significantly. The results prove the effectiveness and efficacy of the modular individualized rehabilitation program. They further suggest the need for an individual program matrix instead of a maximum performance matrix in cardiac rehabilitation. Individualization should be based on clinical and performance diagnostics before and accompanying assessments of training condition, e.g. by HRV measurements, during rehabilitation programs. Each patient should only perform those intervention programs which match the results of the basic clinical investigation and additional analyses during rehabilitation.

PREvention STudy On preventing or reducing disability from musculoskeletal complaints in music school students (PRESTO): protocol of a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Baadjou, Vera A E; Verbunt, Jeanine A M C F; Eijsden-Besseling, Marjon D F van; Samama-Polak, Ans L W; Bie, Rob A D E; Smeets, Rob J E M

2014-12-01

Up to 87% of professional musicians develop work-related complaints of the musculoskeletal system during their careers. Music school students are at specific risk for developing musculoskeletal complaints and disabilities. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a biopsychosocial prevention program to prevent or reduce disabilities from playing-related musculoskeletal disorders. Secondary objectives are evaluation of cost-effectiveness and feasibility. Healthy, first or second year students (n=150) will be asked to participate in a multicentre, single-blinded, parallel-group randomised controlled trial. Students randomised to the intervention group (n=75) will participate in a biopsychosocial prevention program that addresses playing-related health problems and provides postural training according to the Mensendieck or Cesar methods of postural exercise therapy, while incorporating aspects from behavioural change theories. A control group (n=75) will participate in a program that stimulates a healthy physical activity level using a pedometer, which conforms to international recommendations. No long-term effects are expected from this control intervention. Total follow-up duration is two years. The primary outcome measure is disability (Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire). The secondary outcome measures are pain, quality of life and changes in health behaviour. Multilevel mixed-effect logistic or linear regression analyses will be performed to analyse the effects of the program on the aforementioned outcome measurements. Furthermore, cost-effectiveness, cost-utility and feasibility will be analysed. It is believed that this is the first comprehensive randomised controlled trial on the effect and rationale of a biopsychosocial prevention program for music students. Copyright © 2014 Australian Physiotherapy Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Needs assessment and implementation of an employee assistance program: promoting a healthier work force.

PubMed

Monfils, M K

1995-05-01

1. The functions of a continuous quality improvement tool used by Deming--the Plan, Do, Check, Act Cycle--can be applied to the assessment, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). 2. Various methods are available to assess the need for an EAP. As much data as possible should be collected to qualify and quantify the need so that management can make an informed decision and develop measures to determine program effectiveness. 3. Once an EAP is implemented, it should be monitored continually against the effectiveness measures initially developed. Using a continuous quality improvement process, the occupational health nurse and the EAP provider can establish a dynamic relationship that allows for growth beyond the original design and increased effectiveness of service to employees.

78 FR 37649 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Request for Comments for a New Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-21

... social, economic, and environmental effects and costs of the noise abatement measures. The SDOT must base... highway program (need, funding, environmental impacts, public involvement, etc.). Reduction of highway traffic noise should occur through a program of shared responsibility with the most effective strategy...

Measuring the diffusion of innovative health promotion programs.

PubMed

Steckler, A; Goodman, R M; McLeroy, K R; Davis, S; Koch, G

1992-01-01

Once a health promotion program has proven to be effective in one or two initial settings, attempts may be made to transfer the program to new settings. One way to conceptualize the transference of health promotion programs from one locale to another is by considering the programs to be innovations that are being diffused. In this way, diffusion of innovation theory can be applied to guide the process of program transference. This article reports on the development of six questionnaires to measure the extent to which health promotion programs are successfully disseminated: Organizational Climate, Awareness-Concern, Rogers's Adoption Variables, Level of Use, Level of Success, and Level of Institutionalization. The instruments are being successfully used in a study of the diffusion of health promotion/tobacco prevention curricula to junior high schools in North Carolina. The instruments, which measure the four steps of the diffusion process, have construct validity since they were developed within existing theories and are derived from the work of previous researchers. No previous research has attempted to use instruments like these to measure sequentially the stages of the diffusion process.

[Effects of Breastfeeding Empowerment Program on Breastfeeding Self-efficacy, Adaptation and Continuation in Primiparous Women].

PubMed

Song, Seon Mi; Park, Mi Kyung

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was to develop a breastfeeding empowerment program and to investigate the effects of the breastfeeding empowerment program on self-efficacy, adaptation and continuation of breastfeeding for primiparous women. The 5 session breastfeeding empowerment program was developed and a non-equivalent control group non-synchronized quasi-experiment design was used. Fifty-five participants were assigned to either the experimental group (n=27) or the control group (n=28). Effects were tested using repeated measures ANOVA and χ²-test. Scores for self-efficacy, adaptation and continuation of breastfeeding of in the experimental group after program were significantly higher than 1 week, 4 weeks, 8 weeks scores in control group. The effects of the breastfeeding empowerment program for elevating self-efficacy, adaptation and continuation of breastfeeding in primiparous women were validated. Therefore, this program can be recommended for vigorous use in clinical practice.

The Effects of a Disease Management Program on Self-Reported Health Behaviors and Health Outcomes: Evidence from the "Florida--A Healthy State (FAHS)" Medicaid Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morisky, Donald E.; Kominski, Gerald F.; Afifi, Abdelmonem A.; Kotlerman, Jenny B.

2009-01-01

Premature morbidity and mortality from chronic diseases account for a major proportion of expenditures for health care cost in the United States. The purpose of this study was to measure the effects of a disease management program on physiological and behavioral health indicators for Medicaid patients in Florida. A two-year prospective study of…

Assessing the Effects of the "Rocket Math" Program with a Primary Elementary School Student at Risk for School Failure: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Christina R.; Marchand-Martella, Nancy E.; Martella, Ronald C.

2011-01-01

This study assessed the effects of the "Rocket Math" program on the math fluency skills of a first grade student at risk for school failure. The student received instruction in the "Rocket Math" program over 6 months. He was assessed using a pre- and posttest curriculum-based measurement (CBM) and individualized fluency checkouts within the…

Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining an Effective In-School Suspension Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan, Judy S.

1989-01-01

Notes that many in-school suspension (ISS) programs are used as a temporary controlling technique, rather than a truly rehabilitative measure. Presents 12 steps in planning and implementing, and 10 steps in maintaining, an ISS program that is a positive disciplinary strategy. (NH)

Assessing an Academic Library Professional Development Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harker, Karen R.; O'Toole, Erin; Sassen, Catherine

2018-01-01

Professional development programs have been established in many academic libraries to support the research and scholarly activities of librarians. Continuous assessment can contribute to the sustainability and effectiveness of these programs. This study describes how measures of need, participation, satisfaction, and impact were employed to assess…

Effects of exercise on knee joints with osteoarthritis: a pilot study of biologic markers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bautch, J. C.; Malone, D. G.; Vailas, A. C.

1997-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of low intensity weight-bearing exercise on osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. METHODS: Synovial fluid keratan sulfate (KS) and hydroxyproline were measured as markers of cartilage degradation. The Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS) were used to measure health status, and a visual analog scale for pain assessment was used before and after intervention. An exercise (EX) group (n = 15) received a thrice-weekly 12-week low intensity exercise program and a weekly educational program, and a minimal treatment (Min RX) group (n = 15) received only the education program. RESULTS: Pain levels declined in the EX group, and the Min RX group showed improvement on the AIMS. Synovial fluid was obtained in 11 subjects before and after the intervention. Levels of KS and hydroxyproline did not change. CONCLUSION: Further study of exercise effects should include both clinical and biologic parameters to examine the outcome of exercise as a therapeutic intervention in OA of the knee.

Outcome evaluation of a community center-based program for mothers at high psychosocial risk.

PubMed

Rodrigo, María José; Máiquez, María Luisa; Correa, Ana Delia; Martín, Juan Carlos; Rodríguez, Guacimara

2006-09-01

This study reported the outcome evaluation of the "Apoyo Personal y Familiar" (APF) program for poorly-educated mothers from multi-problem families, showing inadequate behavior with their children. APF is a community-based multi-site program delivered through weekly group meetings in municipal resource centers. A total of 340 mothers referred by the municipal social services of Tenerife, Spain were assessed; 185 mothers participated in the APF program that lasted 8 months, and 155 mothers were in the control group. Pre-post test comparisons for the intervention group and post-test comparisons with the control group on self-rating measures of maternal beliefs, personal agency and child-rearing practices were performed. Multivariate tests, t tests and effect sizes (ES) were calculated to determine the program effectiveness on the outcome measures. Mothers' support of nurturist and nativist beliefs and the reported use of Neglect-permissive and Coercive practices significantly decreased after program completion whereas the reported use of Inductive practices significantly increased. Increases in self-efficacy, internal control and role difficulty were also significant in relation to those of the control group. The program was especially effective for older mothers, with fewer children, living in a two-parent family, in urban areas and with either low or medium educational levels. The program was very effective in changing the mothers' perceived competences and modestly effective in changing their beliefs about child development and education and reported child-rearing practices. Changes in personal agency are very important for at-risk parents who feel helpless and with no control over their lives.

The Program and Treatment Effect of Summer Jobs on Girls' Post-Schooling Incomes.

PubMed

Alam, Moudud; Carling, Kenneth; Nääs, Ola

2015-06-01

Public programs offering summer jobs to smooth the transition from school to work is commonplace. However, the empirical support for summer jobs is limited. This article exploits the availability of registered individual information and random allocation to summer jobs to provide empirical evidence on this issue. To identify the effect of summer job programs on the post-schooling incomes of the intended participants. Also to identify the effect of sophomore girls' high school work experience on their post-schooling incomes. In this article, 1,447 sophomore girls from 1997 to 2003 are followed 5-12 years after graduation. They all applied to Falun municipality's (Sweden) summer job program, and about 25% of them were randomly allotted a job. The random allocation to a summer job is used to identify the causal effect of sophomore girls' high school income on their post-schooling incomes. All the 1,447 sophomore girls who applied to Falun municipality's summer job program during 1997-2003. Annual post-schooling income is used as an outcome measure. The work experience of girls in high school is also measured in terms of total income while in high school. The program led to a substantially larger accumulation of income during high school as well as 19% higher post-schooling incomes. The high school income led to a post-schooling income elasticity of 0.37 which is, however, potentially heterogeneous with regard to academic ability. Both the program effect and the causal effect of high school income on post-schooling incomes were substantial and statistically significant. © The Author(s) 2015.

The Action Plan--a new instrument to collect data on interventions in secondary prevention in adolescents.

PubMed

Hüsler, Gebhard; Werlen, Egon; Rehm, Jürgen

2005-01-01

It is difficult to draw causal conclusions about the effectiveness of secondary prevention programs for adolescents at risk, when the programs use a variety of different interventions. The Action Plan is an instrument that is designed to make collection of such data possible. This allows calculating different kinds of intervention patterns for each participant and program, which, in combination with outcome measures, gives an estimate of successful vs. less successful interventions. The study compared intervention patterns from 12 different sites in a national intervention program in Switzerland. The program, called supra-f (www.supra-f.ch), started in 1999 and will end in 2005. Results are presented from the ongoing study with approximately 600 adolescents. We calculated effect sizes (ES) to compare interventions with outcome measures. Effect sizes (ES) are presented on well being, coping, self-esteem, delinquency, and substance use (cigarettes, alcohol, cannabis) in relation to intervention packages, risk groups (low, moderate, high), and age (two groups: 11-15 and 16-20 years of age) using data collected from 1999-2002.

Training the Poor. A Benefit-Cost Analysis of Manpower Programs in the U.S. Antipoverty Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sewell, D. O.

This report critically reviews past benefit-cost studies of manpower programs and offers an alternative methodology for program evaluation. Because of selective admission criteria and a tendency to attribute all income changes to training, previous studies have had an upward bias in measuring the effectiveness of training. This study evaluates a…

School-based programs to reduce sexual risk behaviors: a review of effectiveness.

PubMed Central

Kirby, D; Short, L; Collins, J; Rugg, D; Kolbe, L; Howard, M; Miller, B; Sonenstein, F; Zabin, L S

1994-01-01

This review was undertaken in recognition of the mounting public health and social problems associated with adolescent sexual behavior and the importance of basing school-affiliated programs designed to reduce sexual risk-taking behavior on sound research. The authors were commissioned by the Division of Adolescent and School Health within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Public Health Service, to review carefully the research on these programs and to assess their impact on behavior. The authors identified 23 studies of school-based programs that were published in professional journals and measured program impact on behavior. They then summarized the results of those studies, identifying the distinguishing characteristics of effective programs, and citing important research questions to be addressed in the future. Not all sex and AIDS education programs had significant effects on adolescent sexual risk-taking behavior, but specific programs did delay the initiation of intercourse, reduce the frequency of intercourse, reduce the number of sexual partners, or increase the use of condoms or other contraceptives. These effective programs have the potential to reduce exposure to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease, including HIV infection. These programs should be replicated widely in U.S. schools. Additional research is needed to improve the effectiveness of programs and to clarify the most important characteristics of effective programs. PMID:8190857

Working Memory Training Does Not Improve Performance on Measures of Intelligence or Other Measures of "Far Transfer": Evidence From a Meta-Analytic Review.

PubMed

Melby-Lervåg, Monica; Redick, Thomas S; Hulme, Charles

2016-07-01

It has been claimed that working memory training programs produce diverse beneficial effects. This article presents a meta-analysis of working memory training studies (with a pretest-posttest design and a control group) that have examined transfer to other measures (nonverbal ability, verbal ability, word decoding, reading comprehension, or arithmetic; 87 publications with 145 experimental comparisons). Immediately following training there were reliable improvements on measures of intermediate transfer (verbal and visuospatial working memory). For measures of far transfer (nonverbal ability, verbal ability, word decoding, reading comprehension, arithmetic) there was no convincing evidence of any reliable improvements when working memory training was compared with a treated control condition. Furthermore, mediation analyses indicated that across studies, the degree of improvement on working memory measures was not related to the magnitude of far-transfer effects found. Finally, analysis of publication bias shows that there is no evidential value from the studies of working memory training using treated controls. The authors conclude that working memory training programs appear to produce short-term, specific training effects that do not generalize to measures of "real-world" cognitive skills. These results seriously question the practical and theoretical importance of current computerized working memory programs as methods of training working memory skills. © The Author(s) 2016.

40 CFR 195.20 - Fee payments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... organization or individual who is not a listed participant in EPA's radon proficiency programs on the effective... and RCP programs shall pay fees according to the following fee schedule: (1) Organizations Listed for... listed participant, each organization that is listed for primary measurement services in the RMP program...

Program for an improved hypersonic temperature-sensing probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reilly, Richard J.

1993-01-01

Under a NASA Dryden-sponsored contract in the mid 1960s, temperatures of up to 2200 C were successfully measured using a fluid oscillator. The current program, although limited in scope, explores the problem areas which must be solved if this technique is to be extended to 10,000 R. The potential for measuring extremely high temperatures, using fluid oscillator techniques, stems from the fact that the measuring element is the fluid itself. The containing structure of the oscillator need not be brought to equilibrium temperature with with the fluid for temperature measurement, provided that a suitable calibration can be arranged. This program concentrated on review of high-temperature material developments since the original program was completed. Other areas of limited study included related pressure instrumentation requirements, dissociation, rarefied gas effects, and analysis of sensor time response.

The effectiveness of a stress coping program based on mindfulness meditation on the stress, anxiety, and depression experienced by nursing students in Korea.

PubMed

Kang, Yune Sik; Choi, So Young; Ryu, Eunjung

2009-07-01

This study examined the effectiveness of a stress coping program based on mindfulness meditation on the stress, anxiety, and depression experienced by nursing students in Korea. A nonequivalent, control group, pre-posttest design was used. A convenience sample of 41 nursing students were randomly assigned to experimental (n=21) and control groups (n=20). Stress was measured with the PWI-SF (5-point) developed by Chang. Anxiety was measured with Spieberger's state anxiety inventory. Depression was measured with the Beck depression inventory. The experimental group attended 90-min sessions for eight weeks. No intervention was administered to the control group. Nine participants were excluded from the analysis because they did not complete the study due to personal circumstances, resulting in 16 participants in each group for the final analysis. Results for the two groups showed (1) a significant difference in stress scores (F=6.145, p=0.020), (2) a significant difference in anxiety scores (F=6.985, p=0.013), and (3) no significant difference in depression scores (t=1.986, p=0.056). A stress coping program based on mindfulness meditation was an effective intervention for nursing students to decrease their stress and anxiety, and could be used to manage stress in student nurses. In the future, long-term studies should be pursued to standardize and detail the program, with particular emphasis on studies to confirm the effects of the program in patients with diseases, such as cancer.

Impact of an Activity-Based Program on Health, Quality of Life, and Occupational Performance of Women Diagnosed With Cancer.

PubMed

Maher, Colleen; Mendonca, Rochelle J

We evaluated the impact of a 1-wk activity program on the health, quality of life (QOL), and occupational performance of community-living women diagnosed with cancer. A one-group pretest-posttest repeated-measures design was used. Participants completed a functional health measure (36-Item Short Form Health Survey [SF-36]), a QOL measure (World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief version [WHOQOL-BREF]), and an occupational performance and satisfaction measure (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure [COPM]) before and 6 wk after program completion. The COPM was also administered on Day 5. Paired t tests for the SF-36 and WHOQOL-BREF showed no significant differences, except for the WHOQOL-BREF's Social Relationships subscale (p < .008). Repeated-measures analyses of variance showed a significant difference in COPM performance and satisfaction scores (p < .001). The activity program effectively improved occupational performance and satisfaction and social relationships of community-living women diagnosed with cancer. Copyright © 2018 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

List randomization for soliciting experience of intimate partner violence: Application to the evaluation of Zambia's unconditional child grant program.

PubMed

Peterman, Amber; Palermo, Tia M; Handa, Sudhanshu; Seidenfeld, David

2018-03-01

Social scientists have increasingly invested in understanding how to improve data quality and measurement of sensitive topics in household surveys. We utilize the technique of list randomization to collect measures of physical intimate partner violence in an experimental impact evaluation of the Government of Zambia's Child Grant Program. The Child Grant Program is an unconditional cash transfer, which targeted female caregivers of children under the age of 5 in rural areas to receive the equivalent of US $24 as a bimonthly stipend. The implementation results show that the list randomization methodology functioned as planned, with approximately 15% of the sample identifying 12-month prevalence of physical intimate partner violence. According to this measure, after 4 years, the program had no measurable effect on partner violence. List randomization is a promising approach to incorporate sensitive measures into multitopic evaluations; however, more research is needed to improve upon methodology for application to measurement of violence. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of scapular upward rotation exercises on alignment of scapula and clavicle and strength of scapular upward rotators in subjects with scapular downward rotation syndrome.

PubMed

Ha, Sung-min; Kwon, Oh-yun; Yi, Chung-hwi; Cynn, Heon-seock; Weon, Jong-hyuck; Kim, Tae-ho

2016-02-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of a 6-week scapular upward rotation exercise (SURE) on scapular and clavicular alignment and scapular upward rotators strength in subjects with scapular downward rotation syndrome (SDRS). Seventeen volunteer subjects with SDRS were recruited from university populations. The alignment of the scapula and clavicle was measured using radiographic analysis and compared in subjects before and after a 6-week self-SURE program. A hand-held dynamometer was used to measure the strength of the scapular upward rotators. The subjects were instructed how to perform the self-SURE program at home. The 6-week self-SURE program was divided into two sections (the first section with non-resistive SURE during weeks 1-3, and the second section with resistive SURE using thera-band during weeks 4-6). The significance of the difference between pre- and post-program was assessed using a paired t-test, with the level of statistical significance set at p<0.05. Significant differences between pre- and post-program were found for scapular and clavicular alignment (p<0.05). Additionally, the comparison between pre- and post-program measurements of the strength of the scapular upward rotators showed significant differences (p<0.05). The results of this study showed that a 6-week self-SURE program is effective for improving scapular and clavicular alignment and increasing the strength of scapular upward rotator muscles in subjects with SDRS. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fidelity and outcomes in six integrated dual disorders treatment programs.

PubMed

Chandler, Daniel W

2011-02-01

Fidelity scores and outcomes were measured in six outpatient programs in California which implemented Integrated Dual Disorders Treatment (IDDT). Outcomes were measured for 1 year in four sites and 2 years in two sites; fidelity was assessed at 6 month intervals. Three of the six sites achieved high fidelity (at least a 4 on a 5 point fidelity scale) and three moderate fidelity (at least a 3). Retention in treatment, mental health functioning, stage of substance abuse treatment, abstinence, and psychiatric hospitalization were measured. Outcomes for individual programs were generally positive but not consistent within programs or across programs. Using pooled data in a longitudinal regression model with random effects at person level and adjustment of standard errors for clustering by site, change over time was not statistically significant for the primary outcomes. Fidelity scores had limited association with positive outcomes.

Measuring the effect of workplace health promotion interventions on "presenteeism": a potential role for biomarkers.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Shelby; Loerbroks, Adrian; Terris, Darcey D

2009-05-01

Health promotion activities to improve employee health to reduce health care costs and increase productivity are of particular importance for organizations and society. The evaluation of employee health and health promotion programs has typically focused on absenteeism, disability and increasingly, "presenteeism", which refers to an employee's presence at work with reduced performance due to illness. Existing psychometric measures of presenteeism may be subject to the effects of recall bias as they typically rely on questionnaires. Biomarkers such as heart rate variability and salivary cortisol can provide additional objective measures of illness and stress. Combining such physiologic measures of stress with assessments of presenteeism may offer a more comprehensive way to assess workplace productivity when developing health promotion programs.

Effects of a veterinary student leadership program on measures of stress and academic performance.

PubMed

Moore, Dale A; Truscott, Marla L; St Clair, Lisa; Klingborg, Donald J

2007-01-01

Assuming leadership roles in veterinary student governance or club activities could be considered an added stressor for students because of the impact on time available for personal and academic activities. The study reported here evaluated the effects of participation in a leadership program and leadership activity across two classes of veterinary students on measures of stress, using the Derogatis Stress Profile (DSP), and on veterinary school academic performance, measured as annual grade-point average (GPA) over a three-year period. Program participants and their classmates completed the DSP three times across the first three years of veterinary school. On average, participating students reported self-declared stress levels that were higher and measured DSP stress levels that were lower than those of the general population. Students were more likely to assume elected or appointed leadership roles while in their first three years of the veterinary degree program if they participated in the optional leadership program and demonstrated lower stress in several dimensions. Some increased stress, as measured in some of the DSP stress dimensions, had a small but statistically significant influence on professional school GPA. The study determined that the most important predictors of students' cumulative GPA across the three-year period were the GPA from the last 45 credits of pre-veterinary coursework and their quantitative GRE scores. The results of the study indicate that neither participation in the leadership program nor taking on leadership roles within veterinary school appeared to influence veterinary school academic performance or to increase stress.

The effect of different exercise programs on cervical flexor muscles dimensions in patients with chronic neck pain.

PubMed

Javanshir, Khodabakhsh; Amiri, Mohsen; Mohseni Bandpei, Mohammad Ali; De las Penas, Cesar Fernandez; Rezasoltani, Asghar

2015-01-01

The effect of different exercise programs on cervical flexor muscles dimensions in patients with chronic neck pain is yet to be demonstrated. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of two exercise programs; craniocervical flexion (CCF) and cervical flexion (CF), on flexor muscles dimensions in patients with chronic neck pain. Following ethical approval, 60 patients were randomly assigned into either a CCF group or a CF group. Patients in the CCF group were given CCF exercises and those in the CF group received CF exercises. All patients received interventions for a period of ten weeks. Pain intensity and functional disability were assessed using numerical pain rate scale and neck disability index, respectively. Dimensions of longus colli (LC) and sternoclidomastoid (SCM) muscles were measured using ultrasonography (US). All measurements were taken before and after interventions. Following intervention, the CCF group demonstrated a significant increase in LC muscle dimensions including cross sectional area, width and thickness compared with the CF group. A statistically significant increase was found on SCM thickness in the CF group. Following intervention, SCM thickness measurement in the CCF group showed no significant changes. Statistically significant decrease on pain intensity and disability were also found in both groups. Present findings demonstrated that craniocervical flexion program which specifically recruiting deep cervical flexor muscles increased LC muscle dimension significantly and CF program as an endurance training program increased SCM thickness.

The effectiveness of education in the recognition and management of deteriorating patients: A systematic review.

PubMed

Connell, Clifford J; Endacott, Ruth; Jackman, Jennifer A; Kiprillis, Noelleen R; Sparkes, Louise M; Cooper, Simon J

2016-09-01

Survival from in-hospital cardiac arrest is poor. Clinical features, including abnormal vital signs, often indicate patient deterioration prior to severe adverse events. Early warning systems and rapid response teams are commonly used to assist the health profession in the identification and management of the deteriorating patient. Education programs are widely used in the implementation of these systems. The effectiveness of the education is unknown. The aims of this study were to identify: (i) the evidence supporting educational effectiveness in the recognition and management of the deteriorating patient and (ii) outcome measures used to evaluate educational effectiveness. A mixed methods systematic review of the literature was conducted using studies published between 2002 and 2014. Included studies were assessed for quality and data were synthesized thematically, while original data are presented in tabular form. Twenty-three studies were included in the review. Most educational programs were found to be effective reporting significant positive impacts upon learners, patient outcomes and organisational systems. Outcome measures related to: i learners, for example knowledge and performance, ii systems, including activation and responses of rapid response teams, and iii patients, including patient length of stay and adverse events. All but one of the programs used blended teaching with >87% including medium to high fidelity simulation. In situ simulation was employed in two of the interventions. The median program time was eight hours. The longest program lasted 44h however one of the most educationally effective programs was based upon a 40min simulation program. Educational interventions designed to improve the recognition and management of patient deterioration can improve learner outcomes when they incorporate medium to high-fidelity simulation. High-fidelity simulation has demonstrated effectiveness when delivered in brief sessions lasting only forty minutes. In situ simulation has demonstrated sustained positive impact upon the real world implementation of rapid response systems. Outcome measures should include knowledge and skill developments but there are important benefits in understanding patient outcomes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Meditation programs for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: Aggregate findings from a multi-site evaluation.

PubMed

Heffner, Kathi L; Crean, Hugh F; Kemp, Jan E

2016-05-01

Interest in meditation to manage posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms is increasing. Few studies have examined the effectiveness of meditation programs offered to Veterans within Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) mental health services. The current study addresses this gap using data from a multisite VA demonstration project. Evaluation data collected at 6 VA sites (N = 391 Veterans) before and after a meditation program, and a treatment-as-usual (TAU) program, were examined here using random effects meta-analyses. Site-specific and aggregate between group effect sizes comparing meditation programs to TAU were determined for PTSD severity measured by clinical interview and self-report. Additional outcomes included experiential avoidance and mindfulness. In aggregate, analyses showed medium effect sizes for meditation programs compared to TAU for PTSD severity (clinical interview: effect size (ES) = -0.32; self-report: ES = -0.39). Similarly sized effects of meditation programs were found for overall mindfulness (ES = 0.41) and 1 specific aspect of mindfulness, nonreactivity to inner experience (ES = .37). Additional findings suggested meditation type and program completion differences each moderated program effects. VA-sponsored meditation programs show promise for reducing PTSD severity in Veterans receiving mental health services. Where meditation training fits within mental health services, and for whom programs will be of interest and effective, require further clarification. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Effect of a Storyboarding Technique on Selected Measures of Fitness among University Employees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anshel, Mark H.; Sutarso, Toto

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of storyboarding (i.e., participants' written narrative) on improving fitness among university employees over 10 weeks. Groups consisted of storytelling during the program orientation, storytelling plus two coaching sessions, or the normal program only (control). Using difference…

Effects of a College Adventure Orientation Program on Student Development Behaviors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vlamis, Ekaterini; Bell, Brent J.; Gass, Michael

2011-01-01

This study examined the effects of an adventure orientation program on the student development behaviors of incoming first-year students at Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York. Student development was measured by a condensed version of the Student Development Task Inventory-2 (CSDTI-2; Gass, 1986; Winston, Miller, & Prince, 1979). Data…

The Effect of Business and Economics Education Programs on Students' Entrepreneurial Intention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Jorge-Moreno, Justo; Castillo, Leopoldo Laborda; Triguero, Maria Sanz

2012-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to evaluate the effect of participation in business and economics education programs on the student's entrepreneurial intention in terms of perceptions of the desirability and personal feasibility of starting a business. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology used to measure the student's entrepreneurial intention is…

Understanding the Effects of Leadership Development on the Creation of Organizational Culture Change: A Research Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ray, Keith W.; Goppelt, Joan

2011-01-01

Many leadership development programs are intended to improve individual leaders' skills and abilities to perform. Methods for measuring the effect of such programs range from simple metacognitive self-report surveys to 360-degree feedback, to instrumentation of psychological phenomena. However, the outcomes of some leadership development programs…

The Effect of Neurolinguistic Programming on Organisational and Individual Performance: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, John E.; Courtney, Lisa; Dickson, D.

2002-01-01

A longitudinal evaluation measured the effects of neurolinguistic programming (NLP) on 67 hospitality worker immediately before and after and 6 weeks and 6 months after training. Positive increases in interpersonal communication appeared after 6 weeks, leveling off or declining after 6 months. Self-efficacy, self-esteem, and adaptive selling…

Measuring Competitive Effects from School Voucher Programs: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Egalite, Anna J.

2013-01-01

Studies of the competition effects from voucher or tuition tax credit scholarship programs on public school student academic outcomes have taken place in seven locations throughout the United States, with the majority of studies taking place in Florida, followed by Wisconsin. This article reviews 21 total studies of the impacts on student academic…

The Effects Of An Exercise Physiology Program on Physical Fitness Variables, Body Satisfaction, and Physiology Knowledge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perry, Arlette C.; Rosenblatt, Evelyn S.; Kempner, Lani; Feldman, Brandon B.; Paolercio, Maria A.; Van Bemden, Angie L.

2002-01-01

Examined the effects of an exercise physiology program on high school students' physical fitness, body satisfaction, and physiology knowledge. Intervention students received exercise physiology theory and active aerobic and resistance exercise within their biology course. Data from student surveys and measurements indicated that the integrated…

Effects of an Evidence-Based Falls Risk-Reduction Program on Physical Activity and Falls Efficacy among Oldest-Old Adults.

PubMed

Cho, Jinmyoung; Smith, Matthew Lee; Ahn, SangNam; Kim, Keonyeop; Appiah, Bernard; Ory, Marcia G

2014-01-01

The current study was designed to examine changes in falls efficacy and physical activities among oldest-old and young-old participants in a falls risk-reduction program called a matter of balance/volunteer lay leader model. An oldest-old group (aged 85 years and older; n = 260) and a young-old group (aged between 65 and 84 years old; n = 1,139) in Texas with both baseline and post-intervention measures were included. Changes in Falls Efficacy Scale scores and weekly physical activity levels were examined from baseline to post-intervention. Repeated measures analysis of covariance were employed to assess program effects on falls efficacy. Results showed significant changes in falls efficacy from baseline to post-intervention, as well as a significant interaction effect between time (baseline and post-intervention) and physical activity on falls efficacy. Findings from this study imply the effectiveness of evidence-based programs for increasing falls efficacy in oldest-old participants. Future implications for enhancing physical activities and reducing fear of falling for oldest-old adults are discussed.

The effectiveness of a Group Triple P with Chinese parents who have a child with developmental disabilities: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Leung, Cynthia; Fan, Angel; Sanders, Matthew R

2013-03-01

The study examined the effectiveness of Group Triple P, a Level 4 variant of the Triple P multilevel system of parenting support, with Chinese parents who had a preschool aged child with a developmental disability, using randomized controlled trial design. Participants (Intervention group: 42; Waitlist Control group: 39) completed measures on child behaviour, parental stress, dysfunctional discipline styles and parental conflict before and after program completion by the Intervention group. Intervention group participants also completed these same measures six months after program completion. Compared to the Waitlist Control group, parents receiving Group Triple P reported significantly lower levels of child behaviour problems, parental stress, dysfunctional discipline style and parental conflict scores. The Intervention group participants maintained their gains six months after program completion. The results provided promising evidence for the Level 4 Group Triple P as an effective intervention program for Chinese parents who have preschool aged children with developmental disabilities. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring an educational assessment tool to measure registered nurses' knowledge of hearing impairment and effective communication strategies: A USA study.

PubMed

Ruesch, Amy L

2018-01-01

Poor communication between the Registered Nurse and a hearing impaired patient can affect quality of care and health outcomes. Communication skills training programs for healthcare providers are needed to improve patient centered care. A descriptive research study, using a knowledge assessment tool developed and validated by the researcher, was conducted on 339 Registered Nurses to identify knowledge deficits to be addressed in a communication skills training program being designed. The educational tool measured the Registered Nurses' knowledge across four areas - hearing impairment, hearing aids, communication strategies, and regulations regarding access to care for a person with a hearing disability. Knowledge deficits were detected in all four areas. Using this educational assessment tool may enable nurse educators to tailor communication skills training programs to specifically address the gaps identified regarding hearing impairment and how to effectively communicate with the hearing impaired patient. Post training program, nurse educators can use the tool to evaluate effectiveness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Impact Evaluation of an Addiction Intervention Program in a Quebec Prison

PubMed Central

Arseneault, Catherine; Alain, Marc; Plourde, Chantal; Ferland, Francine; Blanchette-Martin, Nadine; Rousseau, Michel

2015-01-01

OBJECTIVES This study evaluates the effects of a prison-based addiction intervention program. The evaluation is based on a multidimensional data collection that draws a portrait of the respondents’ substance use, and of their psychological/emotional, social, and judicial spheres. It measures the changes, or lack thereof, in substance use; the psychological/emotional, social, and judicial spheres; as well as the post-treatment services used. METHOD A quasi-experimental repeated measures design (0, 6 weeks, and 6 months) was used. Effects of the program were identified by comparing the results obtained by a group of inmates who had participated in the program (n = 80; experimental group) with those of another group who had received no intervention (n = 70; control group). RESULTS The preliminary results suggested a certain treatment effect related to impulsivity and psychological distress. CONCLUSION Although the preliminary results were promising, the experimental and control groups did not differ significantly when more robust analyses were used. PMID:26056466

Evaluating the effectiveness of psychosocial resilience training for heart health, and the added value of promoting physical activity: a cluster randomized trial of the READY program.

PubMed

Burton, Nicola W; Pakenham, Kenneth I; Brown, Wendy J

2009-11-23

Depression and poor social support are significant risk factors for coronary heart disease (CHD), and stress and anxiety can trigger coronary events. People experiencing such psychosocial difficulties are more likely to be physically inactive, which is also an independent risk factor for CHD. Resilience training can target these risk factors, but there is little research evaluating the effectiveness of such programs. This paper describes the design and measures of a study to evaluate a resilience training program (READY) to promote psychosocial well-being for heart health, and the added value of integrating physical activity promotion. In a cluster randomized trial, 95 participants will be allocated to either a waitlist or one of two intervention conditions. Both intervention conditions will receive a 10 x 2.5 hour group resilience training program (READY) over 13 weeks. The program targets five protective factors identified from empirical evidence and analyzed as mediating variables: positive emotions, cognitive flexibility, social support, life meaning, and active coping. Resilience enhancement strategies reflect the six core Acceptance and Commitment Therapy processes (values, mindfulness, defusion, acceptance, self-as-context, committed action) and Cognitive Behavior Therapy strategies such as relaxation training and social support building skills. Sessions include psychoeducation, discussions, experiential exercises, and home assignments. One intervention condition will include an additional session and ongoing content promoting physical activity. Measurement will occur at baseline, two weeks post intervention, and at eight weeks follow-up, and will include questionnaires, pedometer step logs, and physical and hematological measures. Primary outcome measures will include self-reported indicators of psychosocial well-being and depression. Secondary outcome measures will include self-reported indicators of stress, anxiety and physical activity, and objective indicators of CHD risk (blood glucose, cholesterol [mmol.L-1], triglycerides, blood pressure). Process measures of attendance, engagement and fidelity will also be conducted. Linear analyses will be used to examine group differences in the outcome measures, and the product of coefficients method will be used to examine mediated effects. If successful, this program will provide an innovative means by which to promote psychosocial well-being for heart health in the general population. The program could also be adapted to promote well-being in other at risk population subgroups. ACTRN12608000017325.

Outcome Evaluation of the Hands-On Parent Empowerment (HOPE) Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leung, Cynthia; Tsang, Sandra; Dean, Suzanne

2011-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of the HOPE program. Participants included 120 Chinese new immigrant parents with preschool children in Hong Kong from 13 preschools which were randomized into intervention group (HOPE) and comparison group (6-session parent education program). Parent participants completed measures on child behavior,…

Attitude Change following a Diversion Program for Men Who Solicit Sex

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, M. Alexis; Klein, Carolin; Gorzalka, Boris B.; Yuille, John C.

2004-01-01

This study investigates the effectiveness of an educational diversion program, or "john school," in changing the attitudes of men arrested for soliciting or attempting to solicit sex. Participants were 341 men who completed pre- and post-program measures assessing attitudes towards prostitution, attitudes towards prostituted women, and…

Role of Clinical Practice in Teacher Preparation: Perceptions of Elementary Teacher Candidates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Delar K.

2017-01-01

The Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs (CAEP) has established five standards to measure the effectiveness of teacher preparation programs. Clinical partnerships and practice represent "Standard 2." The CAEP requires that teacher education programs design high quality clinical practice that is central to preparation…

Local Government Leadership Education: Measuring the Impact of Leadership Skill Development on Public Officials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Gregory A.; Lucente, Joe

2012-01-01

Many Extension leadership development programs have been evaluated for effectiveness. Little literature exists focusing on the evaluation of leadership development programs involving elected and appointed local officials. This article describes an annual program involving elected and appointed local officials and shares quantitative and…

The DOD Humanitarian and Civic Assistance Program Concepts, Trends, Medical Challenges

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-03-01

program improvements; measuring program performance and effectiveness; and defining military roles relevant to training, long term benefits, and the...support conclusions relevant to trends, benefits, challenges, suggested improvements, and suggested areas for future research. 15. SUBJECT TERMS 16...a Long Term Medical Benefit ................ 28 CONCLUSION

An Experimental Health Education Program: Effects on Urban Primary Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Richard L.; Hearne, Jill T.

1986-01-01

Presents findings of an evaluation of a health education program for primary school students of low SES. Related findings to two dependent measures--attitudes toward smoking and knowledge about smoking and health. Reports that program participants displayed more positive attitudes toward good health practices than did non-participating control…

76 FR 9041 - Intent To Request Approval From OMB of One New Public Collection of Information: Security Program...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-16

... measure their effectiveness. Through its voluntary Corporate Security Review (CSR) Program, TSA's Highway... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Transportation Security Administration Intent To Request Approval From OMB of One New Public Collection of Information: Security Program for Hazardous Materials Motor...

Using Assessment to Support Basic Instruction Programs in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Thomas; Evans, Tom; Ormond, Frank

2006-01-01

College/University administrators have, for various reasons, scrutinized Physical Education basic instruction program (BIP) requirements for possible reduction. In an effort to defend these requirements, assessment should be undertaken to obtain objective and subjective data that measure a program's effectiveness. This study was conducted at a…

Folic Acid Food Fortification—Its History, Effect, Concerns, and Future Directions

PubMed Central

Crider, Krista S.; Bailey, Lynn B.; Berry, Robert J.

2011-01-01

Periconceptional intake of folic acid is known to reduce a woman’s risk of having an infant affected by a neural tube birth defect (NTD). National programs to mandate fortification of food with folic acid have reduced the prevalence of NTDs worldwide. Uncertainty surrounding possible unintended consequences has led to concerns about higher folic acid intake and food fortification programs. This uncertainty emphasizes the need to continually monitor fortification programs for accurate measures of their effect and the ability to address concerns as they arise. This review highlights the history, effect, concerns, and future directions of folic acid food fortification programs. PMID:22254102

Communications oriented programming of parallel iterative solutions of sparse linear systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patrick, M. L.; Pratt, T. W.

1986-01-01

Parallel algorithms are developed for a class of scientific computational problems by partitioning the problems into smaller problems which may be solved concurrently. The effectiveness of the resulting parallel solutions is determined by the amount and frequency of communication and synchronization and the extent to which communication can be overlapped with computation. Three different parallel algorithms for solving the same class of problems are presented, and their effectiveness is analyzed from this point of view. The algorithms are programmed using a new programming environment. Run-time statistics and experience obtained from the execution of these programs assist in measuring the effectiveness of these algorithms.

MEASUREMENT ISSUES IN HOME-VISITING RESEARCH WITHIN TRIBAL COMMUNITIES: CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES.

PubMed

Whitesell, Nancy Rumbaugh; Bolan, Marc; Chomos, Julianna C; Heath, Debra; Miles, Jon; Salvador, Melina; Whitmore, Corrie; Barlow, Allison

2018-05-04

In this article, Tribal Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting (MIECHV) grantees share strategies they have developed and adopted to address the most common barriers to effective measurement (and thus to effective evaluation) encountered in the course of implementation and evaluation of their home-visiting programs. We identify key challenges in measuring outcomes in Tribal MIECHV Programs and provide practical examples of various strategies used to address these challenges within diverse American Indian and Alaska Native cultural and contextual settings. Notably, high-quality community engagement is a consistent thread throughout these strategies and fundamental to successful measurement in these communities. These strategies and practices reflect the experiences and innovative solutions of practitioners working on the ground to deliver and evaluate intervention programs to tribal communities. They may serve as models for getting high-quality data to inform intervention while working within the constraints and requirements of program funding. The utility of these practical solutions extends beyond the Tribal MIECHV grantees and offers the potential to inform a broad array of intervention evaluation efforts in tribal and other community contexts. © 2018 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

The impact of an empowering Internet-based Breast Cancer Patient Pathway program on breast cancer patients' clinical outcomes: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Ryhänen, Anne M; Rankinen, Sirkku; Siekkinen, Mervi; Saarinen, Maiju; Korvenranta, Heikki; Leino-Kilpi, Helena

2013-04-01

To evaluate the effect of the Breast Cancer Patient Pathway program on breast cancer patient's empowerment process. The results of earlier studies indicate that the use of tailored Internet-based patient education programs increased patient's knowledge level; however, other outcome measures differed. This randomised control trial studied the effect of the Internet-based patient educational program on breast cancer patients' empowerment. In this study, we measured the quality of life, anxiety and managing with treatment-related side effects as the outcomes of breast cancer patients' empowering process. Breast cancer patients who were Internet users in one Finnish university hospital during 2008-2010 were randomised to the control group (n=43) and the intervention group (n=47). Baseline data were collected first in the hospital and the following data seven times during the treatment process, the last time one year after breast cancer diagnosis. There were no statistically significant differences in the quality of life, anxiety or side effects of treatment between the groups. The amount of treatment-related side effects was connected to both physical and psychological well-being. In this study, the Breast Cancer Patient Pathway program did not decrease anxiety level or treatment-related side effects among breast cancer patients or improve subscales of quality of life when compared with controls. There is a need to relieve the side effects caused by patients' care with the help of patient education. Internet-based patient education programs need more focus when developing new patient education methods. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Translation of an Effective Tai Chi Intervention Into a Community-Based Falls-Prevention Program

PubMed Central

Li, Fuzhong; Harmer, Peter; Glasgow, Russell; Mack, Karin A.; Sleet, David; Fisher, K. John; Kohn, Melvin A.; Millet, Lisa M.; Mead, Jennifer; Xu, Junheng; Lin, Mei-Li; Yang, Tingzhong; Sutton, Beth; Tompkins, Yvaughn

2008-01-01

Tai Chi—Moving for Better Balance, a falls-prevention program developed from a randomized controlled trial for community-based use, was evaluated with the RE-AIM framework in 6 community centers. The program had a 100% adoption rate and 87% reach into the target older adult population. All centers implemented the intervention with good fidelity, and participants showed significant improvements in health-related outcome measures. This evidence-based tai chi program is practical to disseminate and can be effectively implemented and maintained in community settings. PMID:18511723

Aeronautical Sciences Advanced Studies Program. Delivery Order 0002: Plasma Modeling Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-01

reach the stagnation point of the airfoil. However, the effect is much more pronounced at the trailing edge region of the airfoil and its wake region...presents measured results that provide an indication of the amount of noise in the pitot probe measurements. The second presents the results of...is the noise problems that occurred in the measurements when a magnetic field was applied. For this reason the results with a magnetic field applied

Effect of individualized physical rehabilitation programs on respiratory function in women with post-mastectomy syndrome.

PubMed

Odinets, Tatiana; Briskin, Yuriy; Pityn, Maryan

2018-02-26

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an individualized physical rehabilitation programs aimed at improving respiratory function in women with post-mastectomy syndrome. In a randomized controlled trial 50 women with post-mastectomy syndrome were enrolled in the experimental group (EG, n = 25) or the comparison group (CG, n = 25). The program for the EG included: aqua aerobics (i.e. aqua jogging, aqua building, and aqua stretching); conditional swimming; and recreational aerobics. The program for the CG included: conditional swimming and Pilates exercises. Both intervention groups attended individualized physical rehabilitation programs three times per week for 48 weeks. The primary outcome measure was spirometry of the patients measured before, 6 and 12 months after the intervention. This study demonstrated that most of the respiratory function parameters increased significantly in both groups over the year of exercise training. After the year of training the individualized physical rehabilitation program for the EG was significantly better (p < 0.01) as compared with the CG, except for inspiratory reserve volume and maximal voluntary ventilation, which were not statistically different. The results of the study suggest that individual programs of physical rehabilitation could be considered effective for the improvement of respiratory function of the patients with post-mastectomy syndrome. The results obtained could serve as a basis for more widespread clinical program development.

Assessing the Effectiveness of a School-Based Dental Clinic on the Oral Health of Children Who Lack Access to Dental Care: A Program Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carpino, Rachel; Walker, Mary P.; Liu, Ying; Simmer-Beck, Melanie

2017-01-01

This program evaluation examines the effectiveness of a school-based dental clinic. A repeated-measures design was used to longitudinally examine secondary data from participants (N = 293). Encounter intensity was developed to normalize data. Multivariate analysis of variance and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to investigate the effect of encounter…

A 3-Month Jump-Landing Training Program: A Feasibility Study Using the RE-AIM Framework

PubMed Central

Aerts, Inne; Cumps, Elke; Verhagen, Evert; Mathieu, Niels; Van Schuerbeeck, Sander; Meeusen, Romain

2013-01-01

Context: Evaluating the translatability and feasibility of an intervention program has become as important as determining the effectiveness of the intervention. Objective: To evaluate the applicability of a 3-month jump-landing training program in basketball players, using the RE-AIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance) framework. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Setting: National and regional basketball teams. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-four teams of the second highest national division and regional basketball divisions in Flanders, Belgium, were randomly assigned (1:1) to a control group and intervention group. A total of 243 athletes (control group = 129, intervention group = 114), ages 15 to 41 years, volunteered. Intervention(s): All exercises in the intervention program followed a progressive development, emphasizing lower extremity alignment during jump-landing activities. Main Outcome Measure(s): The results of the process evaluation of the intervention program were based on the 5 dimensions of the RE-AIM framework. The injury incidence density, hazard ratios, and 95% confidence intervals were determined. Results: The participation rate of the total sample was 100% (reach). The hazard ratio was different between the intervention group and the control group (0.40 [95% confidence interval = 0.16, 0.99]; effectiveness). Of the 12 teams in the intervention group, 8 teams (66.7%) agreed to participate in the study (adoption). Eight of the participating coaches (66.7%) felt positively about the intervention program and stated that they had implemented the training sessions of the program as intended (implementation). All coaches except 1 (87.5%) intended to continue the intervention program the next season (maintenance). Conclusions: Compliance of the coaches in this coach-supervised jump-landing training program was high. In addition, the program was effective in preventing lower extremity injuries. PMID:23675788

Effects of a 12-week Tai Chi Chuan program versus a balance training program on postural control and walking ability in older people.

PubMed

Lelard, Thierry; Doutrellot, Pierre-Louis; David, Pascal; Ahmaidi, Said

2010-01-01

Lelard T, Doutrellot P-L, David P, Ahmaidi S. Effects of a 12-week Tai Chi Chuan program versus a balance training program on postural control and walking ability in older people. To compare the respective effects of 2 balance training programs: a Tai Chi (TC) program and a balance training program on static postural control and walking ability. Randomized controlled trial. General community. Older subjects (N=28) participated in the study. The TC group (n=14; mean age +/- SD, 76.8+/-5.1y) and the balance training group (n=14; 77.0+/-4.5y) were both trained for 12 weeks. Static postural control was assessed via measurement of center of pressure sway under eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) conditions. Walking speed over a 10-meter course was also assessed. After the 12-week training period, there were no significant differences in walking speed or postural parameters in either the EO or EC conditions for the TC and balance training groups. Performance in the EC condition was lower than in the EO condition in pretest and posttest for the balance training and TC groups. The Romberg quotient (EO/EC ratio) was significantly higher after the balance training program than the TC program (P<.05). We cannot conclude that the balance training program has better effects than the TC program on postural control or walking ability. None of the outcome measures showed significant change posttraining in either the TC or the balance training groups. However, the differences described in the Romberg quotient after the training period between the TC and the balance training groups suggest that TC should be helpful to limit the deleterious effects of eye closure on postural balance. Copyright (c) 2010 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quality Assurance and Control Considerations in Environmental Measurements and Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sedlet, Jacob

1982-06-01

Quality assurance and quality control have become accepted as essential parts of all environmental surveillance, measurements, and monitoring programs, both nuclear and non-nuclear. The same principles and details apply to each. It is primarily the final measurement technique that differs. As the desire and need to measure smaller amounts of pollutants with greater accuracy has increased, it has been recognized that quality assurance and control programs are cost-effective in achieving the expected results. Quality assurance (QA) consists of all the actions necessary to provide confidence in the results. Quality control (QC) is a part of QA, and consists of those actions and activities that permit the control of the individual steps in the environmental program. The distinction between the two terms is not always clearly defined, but a sharp division is not necessary. The essential principle of QA and QC is a commitment to high quality results. The essential components of a QA and QC program are a complete, written procedures manual for all parts of the environmental program, the use of standard or validated procedures, participation in applicable interlaboratory comparison or QA programs, replicate analysis and measurement, training of personnel, and a means of auditing or checking that the QA and QC programs are properly conducted. These components are discussed below in some detail.

Getting Ready for College: An Implementation and Early Impacts Study of Eight Texas Developmental Summer Bridge Programs. NCPR Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wathington, Heather D.; Barnett, Elisabeth A.; Weissman, Evan; Teres, Jedediah; Pretlow, Joshua; Nakanishi, Aki

2011-01-01

In 2009, the National Center for Postsecondary Research (NCPR) launched an evaluation of eight developmental summer bridge programs in Texas to assess whether these programs reduce the need for developmental coursework and improve student outcomes in college. The evaluation uses an experimental design to measure the effects of these programs on…

Benefits, Costs, and Explanation of the High/Scope Perry Preschool Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweinhart, Lawrence J.

The High/Scope Perry Preschool Study is a study of the effects of a high-quality preschool program for children born in poverty. Following 123 children randomly assigned to program or no-program control groups, the study has had little attrition on a variety of measures from age 3 to age 41. The study has found evidence of preschool program…

A program to calculate pulse transmission responses through transversely isotropic media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wei; Schmitt, Douglas R.; Zou, Changchun; Chen, Xiwei

2018-05-01

We provide a program (AOTI2D) to model responses of ultrasonic pulse transmission measurements through arbitrarily oriented transversely isotropic rocks. The program is built with the distributed point source method that treats the transducers as a series of point sources. The response of each point source is calculated according to the ray-tracing theory of elastic plane waves. The program could offer basic wave parameters including phase and group velocities, polarization, anisotropic reflection coefficients and directivity patterns, and model the wave fields, static wave beam, and the observed signals for pulse transmission measurements considering the material's elastic stiffnesses and orientations, sample dimensions, and the size and positions of the transmitters and the receivers. The program could be applied to exhibit the ultrasonic beam behaviors in anisotropic media, such as the skew and diffraction of ultrasonic beams, and analyze its effect on pulse transmission measurements. The program would be a useful tool to help design the experimental configuration and interpret the results of ultrasonic pulse transmission measurements through either isotropic or transversely isotropic rock samples.

Measurement of gender-sensitive treatment for women in mixed-gender substance abuse treatment programs.

PubMed

Tang, Zhiqun; Claus, Ronald E; Orwin, Robert G; Kissin, Wendy B; Arieira, Carlos

2012-06-01

Gender-sensitive (GS) substance abuse treatment services have emerged in response to the multidimensional profile of problems that women display upon admission to substance abuse treatment. The present study examines the extent to which treatment programs vary in GS programming for women in real-world mixed-gender treatment settings, where most women are treated. Data were collected through site visits using semi-structured interviews with program directors, clinical directors, and counselors in 13 mixed-gender treatment programs from Washington State. Rasch modeling techniques were used to analyze the data. Naturally occurring variation was revealed within and across the treatment programs, and demonstrated that reliable measures of three GS domains (Grella, 2008) can be constructed despite a small number of programs. This is the first study to quantify GS treatment for substance abusing women. The identified treatment services and practices and the way they clustered together to form scales have practical implications for researchers, service providers, clinicians, and policy makers. The scales can be used to study treatment outcomes and to evaluate the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and cost-benefit of GS programming for women. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A multidimensional evaluation of a nursing information-literacy program.

PubMed Central

Fox, L M; Richter, J M; White, N E

1996-01-01

The goal of an information-literacy program is to develop student skills in locating, evaluating, and applying information for use in critical thinking and problem solving. This paper describes a multidimensional evaluation process for determining nursing students' growth in cognitive and affective domains. Results indicate improvement in student skills as a result of a nursing information-literacy program. Multidimensional evaluation produces a well-rounded picture of student progress based on formal measurement as well as informal feedback. Developing new educational programs can be a time-consuming challenge. It is important, when expending so much effort, to ensure that the goals of the new program are achieved and benefits to students demonstrated. A multidimensional approach to evaluation can help to accomplish those ends. In 1988, The University of Northern Colorado School of Nursing began working with a librarian to integrate an information-literacy component, entitled Pathways to Information Literacy, into the curriculum. This article describes the program and discusses how a multidimensional evaluation process was used to assess program effectiveness. The evaluation process not only helped to measure the effectiveness of the program but also allowed the instructors to use several different approaches to evaluation. PMID:8826621

Track Geometry Development : UMTA Urban Rail Supporting Technology Program

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-04-01

Measurement of transit system track geometry parameters, under normal operating conditions, is essential for planning and conducting an effective maintenance program. The pertinent parameters are profile, gage, alignment, and cross level. Present met...

The development of a community and home-based chronic care management program for older adults.

PubMed

Cooper, Jennifer; McCarter, Kathryn A

2014-01-01

The objective of this paper was to evaluate a chronic care management program piloted by a visiting nurses association. Desired outcomes were to increase nurses' knowledge of self-management of chronic conditions and improve patient self-efficacy and clinical measures. The program provided educational development for nurses and piloted encounters with patients with chronic conditions targeting community health nurses for a chronic care professional (CCP) certification and invited 300 faith community nurses to an education program on chronic condition(s). Thirteen patients with chronic condition(s) were enrolled. Chronic care professional modules were used to increase nurses' knowledge and were measured by successful completion of a certification exam. Faith community nurses participated in an education program and completed a posttest to measure knowledge of content. Patient improvement in self-management was measured by pre- and postintervention self-efficacy scores and clinical measures. Seventeen nurses successfully completed the exam, and 38 faith community nurses participated in the program and completed the posttest. Three patients showed improvement in self-efficacy scores and eight in clinical measures. The educational development of community nurses prepared them to provide effective encounters to improve self-efficacy and clinical outcomes for older adults with chronic conditions. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Developing measures of community-relevant outcomes for violence prevention programs: a community-based participatory research approach to measurement.

PubMed

Hausman, Alice J; Baker, Courtney N; Komaroff, Eugene; Thomas, Nicole; Guerra, Terry; Hohl, Bernadette C; Leff, Stephen S

2013-12-01

Community-Based Participatory Research is a research paradigm that encourages community participation in designing and implementing evaluation research, though the actual outcome measures usually reflect the "external" academic researchers' view of program effect and the policy-makers' needs for decision-making. This paper describes a replicable process by which existing standardized psychometric scales commonly used in youth-related intervention programs were modified to measure indicators of program success defined by community partners. This study utilizes a secondary analysis of data gathered in the context of a community-based youth violence prevention program. Data were retooled into new measures developed using items from the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire, the Hare Area Specific Self-Esteem Scale, and the Youth Asset Survey. These measures evaluated two community-defined outcome indicators, "More Parental Involvement" and "Showing Kids Love." Results showed that existing scale items can be re-organized to create measures of community-defined outcomes that are psychometrically reliable and valid. Results also show that the community definitions of parent or parenting caregivers exemplified by the two indicators are similar to how these constructs have been defined in previous research, but they are not synonymous. There are nuanced differences that are important and worthy of better understanding, in part through better measurement.

The effect of a supervised community-based exercise program on balance, balance confidence, and gait in individuals with lower limb amputation.

PubMed

Miller, Carol A; Williams, Jennifer E; Durham, Katey L; Hom, Selena C; Smith, Julie L

2017-10-01

Many individuals with lower limb loss report concern with walking ability after completing structured traditional rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to explore the impact of a supervised community-based exercise program on balance, balance confidence, and gait in individuals with lower limb amputation. Repeated measures. The supervised exercise program was offered biweekly for 6 weeks. The GAITRite System by CIR Systems, Inc., the Figure-of-8 Walk Test, and Activity-specific Balance Confidence Scale were used to measure clinical outcomes pre- and post-intervention. In total, 16 participants with lower limb amputation (mean age: 50.8 years) completed the study. A multivariate, repeated measures analysis of variance indicated a statistically significant effect of training across six clinical outcome measures ( F(6, 10) = 4.514, p = .018). Moderate effect sizes were found for the Figure-of-8 Walk Test ( η 2 = .586), Activity-specific Balance Confidence Scale ( η 2 = .504), and gait velocity at comfortable walking speed ( η 2 = .574). The average increase in gait speed was clinically meaningful at .14 m/s. The supervised community-based exercise program implemented in this study was designed to address specific functional needs for individuals with lower limb loss. Each participant experienced clinically meaningful improvements in balance, balance confidence, and walking ability. Clinical relevance The provision of a supervised community-based exercise program, after traditional rehabilitation, provides opportunity to offer a continuum of care that may enhance prosthetic functional ability and active participation in the community for individuals with lower limb amputation.

The palliative care knowledge questionnaire for PEACE: reliability and validity of an instrument to measure palliative care knowledge among physicians.

PubMed

Yamamoto, Ryo; Kizawa, Yoshiyuki; Nakazawa, Yoko; Morita, Tatsuya

2013-11-01

In Japan, a nationwide palliative care education program for primary palliative care (the Palliative care Emphasis program on symptom management and Assessment for Continuous medical Education: PEACE) was established in 2008. Effective delivery of such programs relies on adequate evaluations of program efficacy; however, such an instrument does not exist. This study aimed to develop and validate a measurement tool to quantify knowledge level of physicians about broader areas of palliative care, by which the effect of an education program could be measured. We conducted a cross-sectional, anonymous, self-administered questionnaire survey with a group of 801 conveniently sampled physicians in October 2010. To examine the test-retest reliability of items and domains, the questionnaire was reissued two weeks after the first survey was completed. This study used psychometric methods, including item response theory, intraclass correlation coefficients, and known-group validity. The response rate was 54% (n=434). We included 33 items across the following 9 domains: (1) philosophy of palliative care, (2) cancer pain, (3) side effects of opioids, (4) dyspnea, (5) nausea and vomiting, (6) psychological distress, (7) delirium, (8) communication regarding palliative care, and (9) community-based palliative care. For these items, the intraclass correlation was 0.84 and the Kuder-Richardson Formula 20 (KR-20) test of internal consistency was 0.87. There was a significant difference in the scores between palliative care specialists and other physicians. We successfully validated a newly developed palliative care knowledge questionnaire to evaluate PEACE effectiveness (PEACE-Q). The PEACE-Q could be useful for evaluating both palliative care knowledge among physicians and education programs in primary palliative care.

A cost-effectiveness analysis of a multimedia learning education program for stoma patients.

PubMed

Lo, Shu-Fen; Wang, Yun-Tung; Wu, Li-Yue; Hsu, Mei-Yu; Chang, Shu-Chuan; Hayter, Mark

2010-07-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the costs and effectiveness of enterostomal education using a multimedia learning education program (MLEP) and a conventional education service program (CESP). Multimedia health education programs not only provide patients with useful information in the absence of health professionals, but can also augment information provided in traditional clinical practice. However, the literature on the cost-effectiveness of different approaches to stoma education is limited. This study used a randomised experimental design. A total of 54 stoma patients were randomly assigned to MLEP or CESP nursing care with a follow-up of one week. Effectiveness measures were knowledge of self-care (KSC), attitude of self-care (ASC) and behavior of self-care (BSC). The costs measures for each patient were: health care costs, MLEP cost and family costs. Subjects in the MLEP group demonstrated significantly better outcomes in the effectiveness measures of KSC, ASC and BSC. Additionally, the total social costs for each MLEP patient and CESP patient were US$7396·90 and US$8570·54, respectively. The cost-effectiveness ratios in these two groups showed that the MLEP model was better than the CESP model after one intervention cycle. In addition, the Incremental Cost Effectiveness Ratio was -20·99. This research provides useful information for those who would like to improve the self-care capacity of stoma patients. Due to the better cost-effectiveness ratio of MLEP, hospital policy-makers may consider these results when choosing to allocate resources and develop care and educational interventions. This study provides a cost effective way of addressing stoma care in the post-operative period that could be usefully transferred to stoma care settings internationally. © 2009 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2009 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Maximizing Energy Savings Reliability in BC Hydro Industrial Demand-side Management Programs: An Assessment of Performance Incentive Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gosman, Nathaniel

For energy utilities faced with expanded jurisdictional energy efficiency requirements and pursuing demand-side management (DSM) incentive programs in the large industrial sector, performance incentive programs can be an effective means to maximize the reliability of planned energy savings. Performance incentive programs balance the objectives of high participation rates with persistent energy savings by: (1) providing financial incentives and resources to minimize constraints to investment in energy efficiency, and (2) requiring that incentive payments be dependent on measured energy savings over time. As BC Hydro increases its DSM initiatives to meet the Clean Energy Act objective to reduce at least 66 per cent of new electricity demand with DSM by 2020, the utility is faced with a higher level of DSM risk, or uncertainties that impact the costeffective acquisition of planned energy savings. For industrial DSM incentive programs, DSM risk can be broken down into project development and project performance risks. Development risk represents the project ramp-up phase and is the risk that planned energy savings do not materialize due to low customer response to program incentives. Performance risk represents the operational phase and is the risk that planned energy savings do not persist over the effective measure life. DSM project development and performance risks are, in turn, a result of industrial economic, technological and organizational conditions, or DSM risk factors. In the BC large industrial sector, and characteristic of large industrial sectors in general, these DSM risk factors include: (1) capital constraints to investment in energy efficiency, (2) commodity price volatility, (3) limited internal staffing resources to deploy towards energy efficiency, (4) variable load, process-based energy saving potential, and (5) a lack of organizational awareness of an operation's energy efficiency over time (energy performance). This research assessed the capacity of alternative performance incentive program models to manage DSM risk in BC. Three performance incentive program models were assessed and compared to BC Hydro's current large industrial DSM incentive program, Power Smart Partners -- Transmission Project Incentives, itself a performance incentive-based program. Together, the selected program models represent a continuum of program design and implementation in terms of the schedule and level of incentives provided, the duration and rigour of measurement and verification (M&V), energy efficiency measures targeted and involvement of the private sector. A multi criteria assessment framework was developed to rank the capacity of each program model to manage BC large industrial DSM risk factors. DSM risk management rankings were then compared to program costeffectiveness, targeted energy savings potential in BC and survey results from BC industrial firms on the program models. The findings indicate that the reliability of DSM energy savings in the BC large industrial sector can be maximized through performance incentive program models that: (1) offer incentives jointly for capital and low-cost operations and maintenance (O&M) measures, (2) allow flexible lead times for project development, (3) utilize rigorous M&V methods capable of measuring variable load, process-based energy savings, (4) use moderate contract lengths that align with effective measure life, and (5) integrate energy management software tools capable of providing energy performance feedback to customers to maximize the persistence of energy savings. While this study focuses exclusively on the BC large industrial sector, the findings of this research have applicability to all energy utilities serving large, energy intensive industrial sectors.

A Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Community Health Workers in Mozambique.

PubMed

Bowser, Diana; Okunogbe, Adeyemi; Oliveras, Elizabeth; Subramanian, Laura; Morrill, Tyler

2015-10-01

Community health worker (CHW) programs are a key strategy for reducing mortality and morbidity. Despite this, there is a gap in the literature on the cost and cost-effectiveness of CHW programs, especially in developing countries. This study assessed the costs of a CHW program in Mozambique over the period 2010-2012. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratios, comparing the change in costs to the change in 3 output measures, as well as gains in efficiency were calculated over the periods 2010-2011 and 2010-2012. The results were reported both excluding and including salaries for CHWs. The results of the study showed total costs of the CHW program increased from US$1.34 million in 2010 to US$1.67 million in 2012. The highest incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was for the cost per beneficiary covered including CHW salaries, estimated at US$47.12 for 2010-2011. The smallest incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was for the cost per household visit not including CHW salaries, estimated at US$0.09 for 2010-2012. Adding CHW salaries would not only have increased total program costs by 362% in 2012 but also led to the largest efficiency gains in program implementation; a 56% gain in cost per output in the long run as compared with the short run after including CHW salaries. Our findings can be used to inform future CHW program policy both in Mozambique and in other countries, as well as provide a set of incremental cost per output measures to be used in benchmarking to other CHW costing analyses. © The Author(s) 2015.

Systematic review: internet-based program for youth smoking prevention and cessation.

PubMed

Park, Eunhee; Drake, Emily

2015-01-01

To review the characteristics and effects Internet-based youth smoking prevention and cessation programs. Systematic review of published articles in peer-reviewed journals in the past 10 years, focused on Internet-based youth smoking prevention and cessation programs. Twelve articles were selected based on the following criteria: studies reporting the outcomes of Internet-based smoking cessation or prevention intervention programs for adolescents who are younger than 24 years. The components of youth Internet-based smoking intervention programs are analyzed based on study features (i.e., sample, design, theoretical basis, analysis, outcome measures) and program characteristics (i.e., focus, setting, frequency, duration, intensity, and different components) that make the programs effective. The most common components of effective Internet-based programs are identified as the following: the use of multimedia, tailored approaches, personalized feedback, and interactive features. The characteristics and effects of the programs vary, but most programs show positive results in youth smoking prevention and cessation in spite of the studies' limitations. The evidence from this review provides useful information of recent efforts related to Internet-based youth smoking prevention and cessation programs, which can have significant clinical implications in developing future innovative youth smoking prevention and intervention programs. © 2014 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Medication safety programs in primary care: a scoping review.

PubMed

Khalil, Hanan; Shahid, Monica; Roughead, Libby

2017-10-01

Medication safety plays an essential role in all healthcare organizations; improving this area is paramount to quality and safety of any wider healthcare program. While several medication safety programs in the hospital setting have been described and the associated impact on patient safety evaluated, no systematic reviews have described the impact of medication safety programs in the primary care setting. A preliminary search of the literature demonstrated that no systematic reviews, meta-analysis or scoping reviews have reported on medication safety programs in primary care; instead they have focused on specific interventions such as medication reconciliation or computerized physician order entry. This scoping review sought to map the current medication safety programs used in primary care. The current scoping review sought to examine the characteristics of medication safety programs in the primary care setting and to map evidence on the outcome measures used to assess the effectiveness of medication safety programs in improving patient safety. The current review considered participants of any age and any condition using care obtained from any primary care services. We considered studies that focussed on the characteristics of medication safety programs and the outcome measures used to measure the effectiveness of these programs on patient safety in the primary care setting. The context of this review was primary care settings, primary healthcare organizations, general practitioner clinics, outpatient clinics and any other clinics that do not classify patients as inpatients. We considered all quantitative studied published in English. A three-step search strategy was utilized in this review. Data were extracted from the included studies to address the review question. The data extracted included type of medication safety program, author, country of origin, aims and purpose of the study, study population, method, comparator, context, main findings and outcome measures. The objectives, inclusion criteria and methods for this scoping review were specified in advance and documented in a protocol that was previously published. This scoping review included nine studies published over an eight-year period that investigated or described the effects of medication safety programs in primary care settings. We classified each of the nine included studies into three main sections according to whether they included an organizational, professional or patient component. The organizational component is aimed at changing the structure of the organization to implement the intervention, the professional component is aimed at the healthcare professionals involved in implementing the interventions, and the patient component is aimed at counseling and education of the patient. All of the included studies had different types of medication safety programs. The programs ranged from complex interventions including pharmacists and teams of healthcare professionals to educational packages for patients and computerized system interventions. The outcome measures described in the included studies were medication error incidence, adverse events and number of drug-related problems. Multi-faceted medication safety programs are likely to vary in characteristics. They include educational training, quality improvement tools, informatics, patient education and feedback provision. The most likely outcome measure for these programs is the incidence of medication errors and reported adverse events or drug-related problems.

Disease management 360 degrees: a scorecard approach to evaluating TRICARE's programs for asthma, congestive heart failure, and diabetes.

PubMed

Yang, Wenya; Dall, Timothy M; Zhang, Yiduo; Hogan, Paul F; Arday, David R; Gantt, Cynthia J

2010-08-01

To assess the effect of TRICARE's asthma, congestive heart failure, and diabetes disease management programs using a scorecard approach. EVALUATION MEASURES: Patient healthcare utilization, financial, clinical, and humanistic outcomes. Absolute measures were translated into effect size and incorporated into a scorecard. Actual outcomes for program participants were compared with outcomes predicted in the absence of disease management. The predictive equations were established from regression models based on historical control groups (n = 39,217). Z scores were calculated for the humanistic measures obtained through a mailed survey. Administrative records containing medical claims, patient demographics and characteristics, and program participation status were linked using an encrypted patient identifier (n = 57,489). The study time frame is 1 year prior to program inception through 2 years afterward (October 2005-September 2008). A historical control group was identified with the baseline year starting October 2003 and a 1-year follow-up period starting October 2004. A survey was administered to a subset of participants 6 months after baseline assessment (39% response rate). Within the observation window--24 months for asthma and congestive heart failure, and 15 months for the diabetes program--we observed modest reductions in hospital days and healthcare cost for all 3 programs and reductions in emergency visits for 2 programs. Most clinical outcomes moved in the direction anticipated. The scorecard provided a useful tool to track performance of 3 regional contractors for each of 3 diseases and over time.

A model of translational research for diabetes prevention in low and middle-income countries: The Diabetes Community Lifestyle Improvement Program (D-CLIP) trial.

PubMed

Weber, Mary Beth; Ranjani, Harish; Meyers, Gaya Celeste; Mohan, Viswanathan; Narayan, K M Venkat

2012-04-01

The Diabetes Community Lifestyle Improvement Program (D-CLIP) aims to implement and evaluate in a controlled, randomized trial the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability of a culturally appropriate, low-cost, and sustainable lifestyle intervention for the prevention of type 2 diabetes mellitus in India. D-CLIP, a translational research project adapted from the methods and curriculum developed and tested for efficacy in the Diabetes Prevention Program, utilizes innovated methods (a step-wise model of diabetes prevention with lifestyle and metformin added when needed; inclusion of individuals with isolated glucose tolerance, impaired fasting glucose, and both; classes team-taught by professionals and trained community educators) with the goals of increasing diabetes prevention, community acceptability, and long-term dissemination and sustainability of the program. The study outcomes are: diabetes incidence (primary measure of effectiveness), cost-effectiveness, changes in anthropometric measures, plasma lipids, blood pressure, blood glucose, and HbA(1c,) Program acceptability and sustainability will be assessed using a mixed methods approach. D-CLIP, a low-cost, community-based, research program, addresses the key components of translational research and can be used as a model for prevention of chronic diseases in other low and middle-income country settings. Copyright © 2011 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of an integrated housing and recovery model for people with severe and persistent mental illnesses: the Doorway program.

PubMed

Dunt, David R; Benoy, Andrew W; Phillipou, Andrea; Collister, Laura L; Crowther, Elizabeth M; Freidin, Julian; Castle, David J

2017-10-01

Objective The Doorway program is a 3-year pilot integrated housing and recovery support program aimed at people with a severe and persistent mental illness who are 'at risk' or actually homeless. Participants source and choose properties through the open rental market, with appropriate rental subsidy and brokerage support. This arrangement is highly innovative, differing from widely favoured arrangements internationally involving congregate and scattered-site housing owned or managed by the support program. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of the Doorway program on participants' health, housing, service utilisation and costs. Methods A pre-post study design was used with outcome measures consisting of a number of question inventories and their costs (where relevant). The principal inventories were the Behaviour and Symptom Identification Scale 32 (BASIS-32), a consumer-oriented, self-report measure of behavioural symptoms and distress, the Health of the Nation Outcome Scale (HoNOS), an interviewer-administered measurement tool designed to assess general health and social functioning of mentally ill people and the Outcomes Star (Homelessness) system which measures various aspects of the homelessness experience. Baseline measurements were performed routinely by staff at entry to the program and then at 6-monthly intervals across the evaluation period. Results For 55 of 59 participants, total mean BASIS-32 scores (including as well three of five subscale scores) improved significantly and with moderate effect size. Four of the 10 domain scores on the Outcome Star (Homelessness) inventory also improved significantly, with effect sizes ranging from small-medium (three domains) to large (one domain). Mean usage of bed-based mental health clinical services and general hospital admissions both significantly decreased (with overall net savings of A$3096 per participant per annum). Overall cost savings (including housing) to government ranged from A$1149 to A$19837 depending on the housing type comparator. Conclusion The Doorway program secured housing for this vulnerable group with additional benefits in client outcomes, including reduced use and cost of health services. These findings, if confirmed in larger studies, should have widespread applicability internationally. What is known about the topic? Beneficial effects of housing and recovery programs (Housing First) on people with severe and persistent mental illness and who are 'at risk', or actually homeless, are being demonstrated in Northern America. These effects include housing security, well being, health service utilisation and cost effects on government. However, these beneficial effects can only be regarded as settled for housing security. The highly innovative Doorway care model in which participants source and choose properties through the open rental market, with appropriate rental subsidy and brokerage support, has not been investigated previously. What does this paper add? This paper adds new data on the Doorway care models, it's effects and costs, particularly with regard to participant behavioural distress and social functioning. What are the implications for practitioners? The beneficial effects of this innovative model, if confirmed in larger studies, should have widespread applicability internationally.

Alfredson versus Silbernagel exercise therapy in chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Habets, Bas; van Cingel, Robert E H; Backx, Frank J G; Huisstede, Bionka M A

2017-07-11

Midportion Achilles tendinopathy (AT) is a common overuse injury, usually requiring several months of rehabilitation. Exercise therapy of the ankle plantar flexors (i.e. tendon loading) is considered crucial during conservative rehabilitation. Alfredson's isolated eccentric and Silbernagel's combined concentric-eccentric exercise programs have both shown beneficial results, but it is unknown whether any of these programs is superior for use in clinical practice. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of both programs on clinical symptoms. Secondary objectives are to compare the effectiveness of both programs on quality of life and functional outcome measures, to investigate the prognostic value of baseline characteristics, to investigate differences in cost-effectiveness. Eighty-six recreational athletes (21-60 years of age) with unilateral chronic midportion AT (i.e. ≥ 3 months) will be included in this multicenter assessor blinded randomized controlled trial. They will be randomly allocated to either a group performing the Alfredson isolated eccentric training program (n = 43), or a group performing the Silbernagel combined concentric-eccentric program (n = 43). In the Alfredson group, participants will perform eccentric heel-drops on their injured side, twice daily for 12 weeks, whereas in the Silbernagel group, participants perform various concentric-eccentric heel-raise exercises, once daily for 12 weeks. Primary outcome measure will be the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment - Achilles (VISA-A) questionnaire. Secondary outcomes will be a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain during daily activities and sports, duration of morning stiffness, global perceived effect, the 12-item Short Form Health Survey and the Euroqol instrument, and functional performance measured with the heel-raise test and the countermovement jump. Additionally, alongside the RCT, a cost-effectiveness analysis will be performed. Assessments will be performed at baseline and after 12, 26, and 52 weeks. This study is the first to directly compare the Alfredson and the Silbernagel exercise program in a randomized trial. The results can further enlarge the evidence base for choosing the most appropriate exercise program for patients with midportion AT. Dutch Trial register: NTR5638 . Date of registration: 7 January 2016.

The effects of emission control system malfunctions or maladjustments on exhaust emissions. Technical report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1976-10-01

The Environmental Protection Agency is currently undertaking programs that measure the exhaust emissions of in-use vehicles. One of these programs, the Emission Factors Program (EFP), has generated data indicating that a high percentage of in-use 1975 automobiles have exhaust emissions exceeding the Federal emission standards for 1975-1976 light-duty vehicles. Typical failing vehicles have very high CO emissions. High CO emissions may be indicative of improper adjustment of either the idle mixture or the choke. Since idle mixture and choke adjustments are easily accessible and adjusted on most cars, it seems probable that the maladjustment of these two items may bemore » responsible for some of the high emission levels measured in the EFP. In order to further investigate these possibilities, a test program was conducted by the EPA to quantify the effects of various engine maladjustments on exhaust emissions. This test program would help identify maladjustments resulting in the types of failures encountered in the EFP.« less

Further Validation of the Pathways Housing First Fidelity Scale.

PubMed

Goering, Paula; Veldhuizen, Scott; Nelson, Geoffrey B; Stefancic, Ana; Tsemberis, Sam; Adair, Carol E; Distasio, Jino; Aubry, Tim; Stergiopoulos, Vicky; Streiner, David L

2016-01-01

This study examined whether Housing First fidelity ratings correspond to program operation descriptions from administrative data and predict client outcomes. A multisite, randomized controlled trial (At Home/Chez Soi) in five Canadian cities included two assessments of 12 programs over two years. Outcomes for 1,158 clients were measured every six months. Associations between fidelity ratings and administrative data (Spearman correlations) and participant outcomes (mixed-effects modeling) were examined. Fidelity ratings were generally good (mean ± SD=136.6 ± 10.3 out of a possible range of 38-152; 87% of maximum value). Fidelity was significantly associated with three of four measures of program operation, with correlations between .55 and .60. Greater program fidelity was associated with improvement in housing stability, community functioning, and quality of life. Variation in program fidelity was associated with operations and outcomes, supporting scale validity and intervention effectiveness. These findings reinforced the value of using fidelity monitoring to conduct quality assurance and technical assistance activities.

Comparison of the Effects of using Tygon Tubing in Rocket Propulsion Ground Test Pressure Transducer Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farr, Rebecca A.; Wiley, John T.; Vitarius, Patrick

2005-01-01

This paper documents acoustics environments data collected during liquid oxygen- ethanol hot-fire rocket testing at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in November- December 2003. The test program was conducted during development testing of the RS-88 development engine thrust chamber assembly in support of the Orbital Space Plane Crew Escape System Propulsion Program Pad Abort Demonstrator. In addition to induced environments analysis support, coincident data collected using other sensors and methods has allowed benchmarking of specific acoustics test measurement methodologies during propulsion tests. Qualitative effects on data characteristics caused by using tygon sense lines of various lengths in pressure transducer measurements is discussed here.

Monitoring post-fire vegetation rehabilitation projects: A common approach for non-forested ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wirth, Troy A.; Pyke, David A.

2007-01-01

Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation (ES&R) and Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) treatments are short-term, high-intensity treatments designed to mitigate the adverse effects of wildfire on public lands. The federal government expends significant resources implementing ES&R and BAER treatments after wildfires; however, recent reviews have found that existing data from monitoring and research are insufficient to evaluate the effects of these activities. The purpose of this report is to: (1) document what monitoring methods are generally used by personnel in the field; (2) describe approaches and methods for post-fire vegetation and soil monitoring documented in agency manuals; (3) determine the common elements of monitoring programs recommended in these manuals; and (4) describe a common monitoring approach to determine the effectiveness of future ES&R and BAER treatments in non-forested regions. Both qualitative and quantitative methods to measure effectiveness of ES&R treatments are used by federal land management agencies. Quantitative methods are used in the field depending on factors such as funding, personnel, and time constraints. There are seven vegetation monitoring manuals produced by the federal government that address monitoring methods for (primarily) vegetation and soil attributes. These methods vary in their objectivity and repeatability. The most repeatable methods are point-intercept, quadrat-based density measurements, gap intercepts, and direct measurement of soil erosion. Additionally, these manuals recommend approaches for designing monitoring programs for the state of ecosystems or the effect of management actions. The elements of a defensible monitoring program applicable to ES&R and BAER projects that most of these manuals have in common are objectives, stratification, control areas, random sampling, data quality, and statistical analysis. The effectiveness of treatments can be determined more accurately if data are gathered using an approach that incorporates these six monitoring program design elements and objectives, as well as repeatable procedures to measure cover, density, gap intercept, and soil erosion within each ecoregion and plant community. Additionally, using a common monitoring program design with comparable methods, consistently documenting results, and creating and maintaining a central database for query and reporting, will ultimately allow a determination of the effectiveness of post-fire rehabilitation activities region-wide.

Addressing Social Injustices, Displacement, and Minority Rights through Cases of Culturally Responsive Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stokes, Helga; Chaplin, Shane S.; Dessouky, Shimaa; Aklilu, Liya; Hopson, Rodney K.

2011-01-01

Evaluation of programs that address the lingering effects of human rights abuses during times of conflict is necessary to improve program sustainability and create a knowledge bank about the effectiveness of strategies. Outcomes, however, are hard to measure. Evaluators have to gain understanding of the roots of a conflict, surrounding events,…

Meeting the Need to Belong: Predicting Effects of a Friendship Enrichment Program for Older Women

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens, Nan L.; Martina, Camille M. S.; Westerhof, Gerben J.

2006-01-01

Purpose: This study explores the effects of participation in a program designed to enrich friendship and reduce loneliness among women in later life. Several hypotheses based on the need to belong, socioemotional selectivity theory, and the social compensation model were tested. Design and Methods: Study 1 involved two measurement points, one at…

A Meta-Analytic Review of the Penn Resiliency Program's Effect on Depressive Symptoms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brunwasser, Steven M.; Gillham, Jane E.; Kim, Eric S.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this review was to evaluate whether the Penn Resiliency Program (PRP), a group cognitive-behavioral intervention, is effective in targeting depressive symptoms in youths. We identified 17 controlled evaluations of PRP (N = 2,498) in which depressive symptoms had been measured via an online search of PsycInfo, Medline, ERIC, and…

Alcohol-Related Consequences among First-Year University Students: Effectiveness of a Web-Based Personalized Feedback Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doumas, Diana M.; Nelson, Kinsey; DeYoung, Amanda; Renteria, Camryn Conrad

2014-01-01

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a web-based personalized feedback program using an objective measure of alcohol-related consequences. Participants were assigned to either the intervention group or an assessment-only control group during university orientation. Sanctions received for campus alcohol policy violations were tracked over the…

Characteristics linked to the reduction of stigma towards schizophrenia: a pre-and-post study of parents of adolescents attending an educational program.

PubMed

Ling, Yiwei; Watanabe, Mayumi; Yoshii, Hatsumi; Akazawa, Kouhei

2014-03-18

The stigma of schizophrenia constitutes a major barrier to early detection and treatment of this illness. Anti-stigma education has been welcomed to reduce stigma among the general public. This study examined the factors associated with the effectiveness of a web-based educational program designed to reduce the stigma associated with schizophrenia. Using Link's Devaluation-Discrimination Scale to measure stigma, the effect of the program was measured by the difference in pre- and post-program tests. In the present study, we focused on program participants whose stigma towards schizophrenia had considerably improved (a reduction of three points or more between pre- and post-program tests) or considerably worsened (an increase of three points or more). The study participants were 1,058 parents of middle or high school students across Japan, including 508 whose stigma had significantly decreased after the program and 550 whose stigma had significantly increased. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to predict a considerable reduction in stigma (by three or more points) using independent variables measured before exposure to the program. In these models, we assessed the effects of demographic characteristics of the participants and four measures of knowledge and views on schizophrenia (basic knowledge, Link's Devaluation-Discrimination Scale, ability to distinguish schizophrenia from other conditions, and social distance). Participants' employment status, occupation, basic knowledge of schizophrenia, pre-program Link's Devaluation-Discrimination Scale score, and social distance were significant factors associated with a considerable decrease in the stigma attached to schizophrenia following the educational program. Specifically, full-time and part-time employees were more likely to experience reduced stigma than parents who were self-employed, unemployed, or had other employment status. Considerable decreases in stigma were more likely among parents working in transportation and communication or as homemakers than among other occupational groups. In addition, parents with higher pre-program levels of stigma, lower basic knowledge, or lower social distance were more likely to have reduced levels of stigma. Based on the regression analysis results presented here, several possible methods of reducing stigma were suggested, including increasing personal contact with people with schizophrenia and the improvement of law and insurance systems in primary and secondary industries.

Characteristics linked to the reduction of stigma towards schizophrenia: a pre-and-post study of parents of adolescents attending an educational program

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The stigma of schizophrenia constitutes a major barrier to early detection and treatment of this illness. Anti-stigma education has been welcomed to reduce stigma among the general public. This study examined the factors associated with the effectiveness of a web-based educational program designed to reduce the stigma associated with schizophrenia. Methods Using Link’s Devaluation-Discrimination Scale to measure stigma, the effect of the program was measured by the difference in pre- and post-program tests. In the present study, we focused on program participants whose stigma towards schizophrenia had considerably improved (a reduction of three points or more between pre- and post-program tests) or considerably worsened (an increase of three points or more). The study participants were 1,058 parents of middle or high school students across Japan, including 508 whose stigma had significantly decreased after the program and 550 whose stigma had significantly increased. We used multiple logistic regression analysis to predict a considerable reduction in stigma (by three or more points) using independent variables measured before exposure to the program. In these models, we assessed the effects of demographic characteristics of the participants and four measures of knowledge and views on schizophrenia (basic knowledge, Link’s Devaluation-Discrimination Scale, ability to distinguish schizophrenia from other conditions, and social distance). Results Participants’ employment status, occupation, basic knowledge of schizophrenia, pre-program Link’s Devaluation-Discrimination Scale score, and social distance were significant factors associated with a considerable decrease in the stigma attached to schizophrenia following the educational program. Specifically, full-time and part-time employees were more likely to experience reduced stigma than parents who were self-employed, unemployed, or had other employment status. Considerable decreases in stigma were more likely among parents working in transportation and communication or as homemakers than among other occupational groups. In addition, parents with higher pre-program levels of stigma, lower basic knowledge, or lower social distance were more likely to have reduced levels of stigma. Conclusions Based on the regression analysis results presented here, several possible methods of reducing stigma were suggested, including increasing personal contact with people with schizophrenia and the improvement of law and insurance systems in primary and secondary industries. PMID:24642069

Effect of a fall prevention program on balance maintenance using a quasi-experimental design in real-world settings.

PubMed

Robitaille, Yvonne; Fournier, Michel; Laforest, Sophie; Gauvin, Lise; Filiatrault, Johanne; Corriveau, Hélène

2012-08-01

To examine the effect of a fall prevention program offered under real-world conditions on balance maintenance several months after the program. To explore the program's impact on falls. A quasi-experimental study was conducted among community-dwelling seniors, with pre- and postintervention measures of balance performance and self-reported falls. Ten community-based organizations offered the intervention (98 participants) and 7 recruited participants to the study's control arm (102 participants). An earlier study examined balance immediately after the 12-week program. The present study focuses on the 12-month effect. Linear regression (balance) and negative binomial regression (falls) procedures were performed.falls. During the 12-month study period, experimental participants improved and maintained their balance as reflected by their scores on three performance tests. There was no evidence of an effect on falls.falls. Structured group exercise programs offered in community-based settings can maintain selected components of balance for several months after the program's end.

Assessment of a wake vortex flight test program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spangler, S. B.; Dillenius, M. F. E.; Schwind, R. G.; Nielsen, J. N.

1974-01-01

A proposed flight test program to measure the characteristics of wake vortices behind a T-33 aircraft was investigated. A number of facets of the flight tests were examined to define the parameters to be measured, the anticipated vortex characteristics, the mutual interference between the probe aircraft and the wake, the response of certain instruments to be used in obtaining measurements, the effect of condensation on the wake vortices, and methods of data reduction. Recommendations made as a result of the investigation are presented.

[Effects of an intensive thalassotherapy and aquatic therapy program in stroke patients. A pilot study].

PubMed

Morer, C; Boestad, C; Zuluaga, P; Alvarez-Badillo, A; Maraver, F

2017-09-16

Stroke remains the leading cause of acquired disability. Health and social planning and management may vary and although prevention is crucial, having better treatments and strategies to reduce disability is needed. To determine the effect of an intensive program of thalassotherapy and aquatic therapy in stroke patients, valuing clinical parameters and functional validated scales. A quasi-experimental prospective study consisting of a specific program assessed pre- and post- 3 weeks treatment to 26 stroke patients with a mild-moderate disability. The outcomes measured were: Berg Balance scale, Timed Up and Go test, 10-meter walking test, 6-minute walking test and pain Visual Analogue Scale. After intervention, participants had a significant improvement in all outcomes measured. Our results suggest that an intensive program of thalassotherapy and aquatic therapy could be useful during stroke rehabilitation to improve balance, gait and pain.

The Impact of the Norton High School Early College Program on the Academic Performance of Students at Norton High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barba, Eric Matthew

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Norton High School Early College Early College Program on academic measures for students at Norton High School. Measures of achievement include the results of the English Language Arts (ELA), Mathematics, Social Science, and Science portions of the California Standards Test (CST), Student…

Simulation of mass storage systems operating in a large data processing facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmes, R.

1972-01-01

A mass storage simulation program was written to aid system designers in the design of a data processing facility. It acts as a tool for measuring the overall effect on the facility of on-line mass storage systems, and it provides the means of measuring and comparing the performance of competing mass storage systems. The performance of the simulation program is demonstrated.

Dimensions of Academic Growth and Development During College: Using Alumni Reports to Evaluate Education Programs. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pike, Gary R.

This study attempted to validate the use of academic growth and development items from Tennessee alumni surveys as measures of program quality and effectiveness at the University of Tennessee (UTK), Knoxville. The argument is made that it is essential that the instruments used to assess students educational outcomes be valid measures of the goals…

Effectiveness of the Civil Aviation Security Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-04-15

on item were processed through the screening system daily. The airline and airport security measures developed continue to provide increased safety...United States or Puerto Rico. None of these 16 hijackings resulted from insufficient airport security measures or a breakdown in the FAA-approved airport ... airport security programs is conducted at the Transportation Safety Institute in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The course provides in-depth coverage of civil

The Case for Including Adverse Childhood Experiences in Child Maltreatment Education: A Path Analysis

PubMed Central

Bachmann, Michael; Bachmann, Brittany A

2018-01-01

Context The lifelong, negative consequences of exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) for individuals and their families are well established. Objective To demonstrate the importance of including ACE information in child maltreatment education curricula using path analysis. Design Survey data examined the impact of child maltreatment education programs and knowledge about ACEs on medical practitioners’ reporting habits and ability to detect maltreatment. A path diagram distinguished between the direct impact of education programs on outcome measures and the indirect effect that is mediated through knowledge of ACEs. Main Outcome Measures Medical practitioners’ ability to detect child maltreatment and their number of referrals to Child Protective Services (CPS). Results The optimized path diagram (χ2SB(3) = 3.9, p = 0.27; RMSEA-SB = 0.017; R2 = 0.21, where SB is Satorra-Bentler coefficient and RMSEA is root-mean-square error of approximation) revealed the mediating variable “knowledge about ACEs” as the strongest structural effect (SB-β = 0.34) on the number of CPS referrals. It was almost twice as high as the second strongest effect of formal education programs (SB-β = 0.19). For workplace training programs, the total effect when including knowledge of ACEs was almost double as strong as the direct effect alone. Even when previous child maltreatment education was controlled for, practitioners familiar with the consequences of ACEs were significantly more likely to recognize and to report abuse to CPS. Conclusion This study documented the importance of specialized training programs on ACEs, and the essential role ACE knowledge plays in the effectiveness of provider education programs. PMID:29616910

Changes in University Students after Joining a Service Leadership Program in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shek, Daniel T. L.; Lin, Li

2016-01-01

This study examined the effectiveness of a 4.5-day service leadership program for students from Chinese universities using objective outcome evaluation. The participants were assessed before and after the program, with two post-test measurements (immediate assessment and assessment 12 days after the completion of class learning). At pretest and…

A Census of Prison-Based Drug Treatment Programs: Implications for Programming, Policy, and Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welsh, Wayne N.; Zajac, Gary

2004-01-01

Despite a growing realization that unmeasured programmatic differences influence prison-based drug treatment effectiveness, few attempts to systematically measure such differences have been made. To improve program planning and evaluation in this area, we developed a census instrument to collect descriptive information about 118 prison-based drug…

A Quality Instrument for Effective Honors Program Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Patricia Joanne

2015-01-01

Although the number of honors programs and colleges has grown dramatically over the last twenty years to over a thousand programs nationally, little has been done to develop consistency of standards in honors. In the interest of seeking consistency, the author designed a research study to provide initial insights into assessable measures that a…

Effective Secondary Science Programs: A Best-Evidence Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheung, Alan; Slavin, Robert E.; Kim, Elizabeth; Lake, Cynthia

2015-01-01

This article reports a systematic review of research on science programs in grades 6-12. Twenty-one studies met inclusion criteria including use of randomized or matched assignment to conditions, measures that assess content emphasized equally in experimental and control groups, and a duration of at least 12 weeks. Programs fell into four…

Effective Secondary Science Programs: A Best-Evidence Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheung, Alan; Slavin, Robert E.; Kim, Elizabeth; Lake, Cynthia

2017-01-01

This article reports a systematic review of research on science programs in grades 6-12. Twenty-one studies met inclusion criteria including use of randomized or quasi-experimental assignment to conditions, measures that assess content emphasized equally in experimental and control groups, and a duration of at least 12 weeks. Programs fell into…

Young Mothers' Involvement in a Prenatal and Postpartum Support Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wen, Xiaoli; Korfmacher, Jon; Hans, Sydney L.; Henson, Linda G.

2010-01-01

The involvement of 124 young mothers in a doula support program was measured in two dimensions--quantity of program contact and quality of mother-doula helping relationship. The study examined each dimension's differential associations with maternal outcomes, as well as the moderating effects of mother characteristics on these associations.…

Head Start, 4 years After Completing the Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Young-Joo

2013-01-01

This paper studies the effect of the Head Start program on children's achievements in reading and math tests during their first 4 years of schooling after completing the program. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, I found large measurement error in the parental reports of Head Start attendance, which…

PAL[R] Services Being Measured through Scientifically-Based Evaluation Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perspectives in Peer Programs, 2007

2007-01-01

In January 2006, PAL[R] Peer Assistance and Leadership, a Promising Prevention Program of Workers Assistance Program, Inc. (WAP), received a $30,000 grant from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) in order to be scientifically-evaluated on the outcomes and effectiveness of its programs and services. According to the grant, the…

Community Engaged Service-Learning: The Effect on University Students and Community Partners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steele, Susan C.

2012-01-01

The notion that an ethic of service can be fostered through participation in an academic community engaged service-learning program was the underlying premise for this program evaluation study. The purpose of this program evaluation study, using both quantitative and qualitative measures in a thoughtfully organized setting of university and…

Summative Evaluation of the Foreign Credential Recognition Program. Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, 2010

2010-01-01

A summative evaluation of the Foreign Credential Recognition Program (FCRP) funded by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) was conducted during the spring, summer and fall of 2008. The main objective of the evaluation was to measure the relevance, impacts, and cost-effectiveness of the program. Given the timing of the evaluation…

Developing Mathematical Thinking: Changing Teachers' Knowledge and Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brendefur, Jonathan L.; Thiede, Keith; Strother, Sam; Bunning, Kim; Peck, Duane

2013-01-01

In the present research, we evaluated the effectiveness of a multi-year professional development program in mathematics for elementary teachers. Each year the program focused on a different domain of mathematics. We found the program increased teachers' knowledge of (a) number and operations, (b) measurement and geometry, and (c) probability and…

Co-Parenting for Successful Kids: Impacts and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Jeong-Kyun; Hatton-Bowers, Holly; Brand, Gail; Poppe, Lisa M.; Foged, Jaclynn

2017-01-01

We examined the impacts of the Co-Parenting for Successful Kids program offered by University of Nebraska Extension. Using a sample of 2,622 parents who participated in the program in 2015, we measured their knowledge change and ability to perform cooperative co-parenting behaviors. Results suggest that the program effectively improved…

75 FR 20526 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Individual Fishing Quota Program; Correction

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-20

... the Halibut Act. The IFQ Program's principal management measures, with certain exceptions, were: to... Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), and other applicable law. DATES: Effective April 20...: Background The IFQ Program, a limited access management system for the fixed gear Pacific halibut...

Attempts to Prevent Falls and Injury: A Prospective Community Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reinsch, Sibylle; And Others

1992-01-01

At 16 senior centers, studied effectiveness of exercise and cognitive-behavioral programs, compared to discussion control program, in reducing falls and injuries among 230 older adults. After one year of programs, observed no significant difference in time to first fall among groups. Secondary outcome measures such as strength, balance, fear of…

A Survey of Faculty Mentoring Programs in AACSB Schools of Business

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raymond, Bruce C.; Kannan, Vijay R.

2014-01-01

The human resources management literature offers considerable evidence that mentoring programs can positively influence a variety of measures of both individual and organizational performance. This study examines the use and effectiveness of faculty mentoring programs at business schools in the United States. A survey of 118 schools accredited by…

The Development of Practical Item Analysis Program for Indonesian Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muhson, Ali; Lestari, Barkah; Supriyanto; Baroroh, Kiromim

2017-01-01

Item analysis has essential roles in the learning assessment. The item analysis program is designed to measure student achievement and instructional effectiveness. This study was aimed to develop item-analysis program and verify its feasibility. This study uses a Research and Development (R & D) model. The procedure includes designing and…

Assessing the Functional Knowledge of Participants in the Virginia Beginning Teacher Assistance Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medley, Donald M.; And Others

1989-01-01

Describes the development of an assessment program for beginning teachers and the program's effect on teaching and teacher education in Virginia. Discusses definitions of competence and performance, development of a system for assessing competence, training of classroom recorders, and measurement of competence by observations of teachers'…

Assessing the quality of cost management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fayne, V.; McAllister, A.; Weiner, S.B.

1995-12-31

Managing environmental programs can be effective only when good cost and cost-related management practices are developed and implemented. The Department of Energy`s Office of Environmental Management (EM), recognizing this key role of cost management, initiated several cost and cost-related management activities including the Cost Quality Management (CQM) Program. The CQM Program includes an assessment activity, Cost Quality Management Assessments (CQMAs), and a technical assistance effort to improve program/project cost effectiveness. CQMAs provide a tool for establishing a baseline of cost-management practices and for measuring improvement in those practices. The result of the CQMA program is an organization that has anmore » increasing cost-consciousness, improved cost-management skills and abilities, and a commitment to respond to the public`s concerns for both a safe environment and prudent budget outlays. The CQMA program is part of the foundation of quality management practices in DOE. The CQMA process has contributed to better cost and cost-related management practices by providing measurements and feedback; defining the components of a quality cost-management system; and helping sites develop/improve specific cost-management techniques and methods.« less

R2 effect-size measures for mediation analysis

PubMed Central

Fairchild, Amanda J.; MacKinnon, David P.; Taborga, Marcia P.; Taylor, Aaron B.

2010-01-01

R2 effect-size measures are presented to assess variance accounted for in mediation models. The measures offer a means to evaluate both component paths and the overall mediated effect in mediation models. Statistical simulation results indicate acceptable bias across varying parameter and sample-size combinations. The measures are applied to a real-world example using data from a team-based health promotion program to improve the nutrition and exercise habits of firefighters. SAS and SPSS computer code are also provided for researchers to compute the measures in their own data. PMID:19363189

R2 effect-size measures for mediation analysis.

PubMed

Fairchild, Amanda J; Mackinnon, David P; Taborga, Marcia P; Taylor, Aaron B

2009-05-01

R(2) effect-size measures are presented to assess variance accounted for in mediation models. The measures offer a means to evaluate both component paths and the overall mediated effect in mediation models. Statistical simulation results indicate acceptable bias across varying parameter and sample-size combinations. The measures are applied to a real-world example using data from a team-based health promotion program to improve the nutrition and exercise habits of firefighters. SAS and SPSS computer code are also provided for researchers to compute the measures in their own data.

Access management performance measures for Virginia : a practical approach for public accountability.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-04-01

In order to develop performance measures to communicate the effect of Virginias access management program, five : tasks were performed: (1) the appropriate literature was reviewed, (2) a catalog of potential performance measures was : developed, (...

Effects of Partner's Improvisational Resistance Training on dancers' muscular strength.

PubMed

Vetter, Rheba E; Dorgo, Sandor

2009-05-01

The purpose of this study was to observe the effects of Partner's Improvisational Resistance Training (PIRT) on muscular strength, body circumference, and body fat percentage in 10 female college-age dancers in comparison with 8 female dancers in a control group. The PIRT program, based on the concepts of manual resistance training, is the application of contact improvisation in a systematic strength development program, which proposes a way of contextualizing muscular strength development within the dance class. The program lasted 8 weeks, meeting 3 times weekly for 60-minute sessions. The muscular strength pre- and posttests included 1-repetition maximum (1RM) for leg extension, leg flexion, leg press, bench press, lat pulldown, back extension, and modified sit-up. Hydrostatic weighing for body composition and circumference measures on the waist, hip, shoulder, upper arm, and thigh were made pre- and posttest analyses. There were no significant pretest differences between the groups for age, height, body weight, body fat percentage, any of the circumference measures, or 5 of the 7 muscular strength measures. At posttest, neither group showed significant changes in total body weight, body fat percentage, or lean body weight. The experimental group showed significant decrements in the waist and hip circumference measures, and all other body circumference changes were nonsignificant. The experimental group showed significant changes from pretest to posttest for all seven 1RM strength measures and greater absolute and relative strength improvements in 5 measures compared with the control group. Thus, the 8-week PIRT program for female dancers was found effective in improving overall muscular strength and decreasing circumference in the waist-hip region, but it did not elicit significant changes in body composition.

Measurement of stable changes of self-management skills after rehabilitation: a latent state-trait analysis of the Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ™).

PubMed

Schuler, M; Musekamp, G; Bengel, J; Schwarze, M; Spanier, K; Gutenbrunner, Chr; Ehlebracht-König, I; Nolte, S; Osborne, R H; Faller, H

2014-11-01

To assess stable effects of self-management programs, measurement instruments should primarily capture the attributes of interest, for example, the self-management skills of the measured persons. However, measurements of psychological constructs are always influenced by both aspects of the situation (states) and aspects of the person (traits). This study tests whether the Health Education Impact Questionnaire (heiQ™), an instrument assessing a wide range of proximal outcomes of self-management programs, is primarily influenced by person factors instead of situational factors. Furthermore, measurement invariance over time, changes in traits and predictors of change for each heiQ™ scale were examined. Subjects were N = 580 patients with rheumatism, asthma, orthopedic conditions or inflammatory bowel disease, who filled out the heiQ™ at the beginning, the end of and 3 months after a disease-specific inpatient rehabilitation program in Germany. Structural equation modeling techniques were used to estimate latent trait-change models and test for measurement invariance in each heiQ™ scale. Coefficients of consistency, occasion specificity and reliability were computed. All scales showed scalar invariance over time. Reliability coefficients were high (0.80-0.94), and consistency coefficients (0.49-0.79) were always substantially higher than occasion specificity coefficients (0.14-0.38), indicating that the heiQ™ scales primarily capture person factors. Trait-changes with small to medium effect sizes were shown in five scales and were affected by sex, age and diagnostic group. The heiQ™ can be used to assess stable effects in important outcomes of self-management programs over time, e.g., changes in self-management skills or emotional well-being.

Chronic pain self-management support with pain science education and exercise (COMMENCE): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Miller, Jordan; MacDermid, Joy C; Walton, David M; Richardson, Julie

2015-10-14

Previous research suggests that self-management programs for people with chronic pain improve knowledge and self-efficacy but result in negligible effects on function. This study will investigate the effectiveness self-management support with pain science education and exercise on improving function for people with chronic pain in comparison to a wait-list control. A secondary objective is to determine which variables help to predict response to the intervention. This study will be an unblinded, randomized controlled trial with 110 participants comparing a 6-week program that includes self-management support, pain science education and exercise to a wait-list control. The primary outcome will be function measured by the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment - Dysfunction Index. Secondary outcomes will include pain intensity measured by a numeric pain rating scale, pain interference measured by the eight-item PROMIS pain interference item-bank, how much patients are bothered by functional problems measured by the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment - Bother Index, catastrophic thinking measured by the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, fear of movement/re-injury measured by the 11-item Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, sense of perceived injustice measured by the Injustice Experience Questionnaire, self-efficacy measured by the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, pain sensitivity measured by pressure pain threshold and cold sensitivity testing, fatigue measured by a numeric fatigue rating scale, pain neurophysiology knowledge measured by the Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire, healthcare utilization measured by number of visits to a healthcare provider, and work status. Assessments will be completed at baseline, 7 and 18 weeks. After the 18-week assessment, the groups will crossover; however, we anticipate carry-over effects with the treatment. Therefore, data from after the crossover will be used to estimate within-group changes and to determine predictors of response that are not for direct between-group comparisons. Mixed effects modelling will be used to determine between-group differences for all primary and secondary outcomes. A series of multiple regression models will be used to determine predictors of treatment response. This study has the potential to inform future self-management programming through evaluation of a self-management program that aims to improve function as the primary outcome. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02422459 , registered on 13 April 2015.

Evaluating the impacts of the clean cities program.

PubMed

Qiu, Shiyong; Kaza, Nikhil

2017-02-01

The Department of Energy's Clean Cities program was created in 1993 to reduce petroleum usage in the transportation sector. The program promotes alternative fuels such as biofuels and fuel-saving strategies such as idle reduction and fleet management through coalitions of local government, non-profit, and private actors. Few studies have evaluated the impact of the program because of its complexity that include interrelated strategies of grants, education and training and diversity of participants. This paper uses a Difference-in-Differences (DiD) approach to evaluate the effectiveness of the program between 1990 and 2010. We quantify the effectiveness of the Clean Cities program by focusing on performance measures such as air quality, number of alternative fueling stations, private vehicle occupancy and transit ridership. We find that counties that participate in the program perform better on all these measures compared to counties that did not participate. Compared to the control group, counties in the Clean Cities program experienced a reduction in days with bad air quality (3.7%), a decrease in automobile commuters (2.9%), an overall increase in transit commuters (2.1%) and had greater numbers of new alternative fueling stations (12.9). The results suggest that the program is a qualified success. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Deepwater Gulf of Mexico turbidites -- Compaction effects on porosity and permeability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ostermeier, R.M.

1995-06-01

The deepwater Gulf of Mexico is now a major area of activity for the US oil industry. Compaction causes particular concern because most prospective deepwater reservoirs are highly geo-pressured and many have limited aquifer support; water injection may also be problematic. To address some of the issues associated with compaction, the authors initiated a special core-analysis program to study compaction effects on turbidite sand porosity and permeability specifically. This program also addressed a number of subsidiary but no less important issues, such as sample characterization and quality, sample preparation, and test procedures. These issues are particularly pertinent, because Gulf ofmore » Mexico turbidites are generally unconsolidated, loose sands, and are thus susceptible to a whole array of potentially serious core-disturbing processes. One key result of the special core analysis program is that turbidite compressibilities exhibit large variations in both magnitude and stress dependence. These variations correlate with creep response in the laboratory measurements. The effects of compaction on permeability are significant. To eliminate complicating effects caused by fines movement, the authors made oil flow measurements at initial water saturation. The measurements indicate compaction reduces permeability four to five times more than porosity on a relative basis.« less

An interactive multimedia program to prevent HIV transmission in men with intellectual disability.

PubMed

Wells, Jennifer; Clark, Khaya; Sarno, Karen

2014-05-01

The efficacy of a computer-based interactive multimedia HIV/AIDS prevention program for men with intellectual disability (ID) was examined using a quasi-experimental within-subjects design. Thirty-seven men with mild to moderate intellectual disability evaluated the program. The pretest and posttest instruments assessed HIV/AIDS knowledge (high-risk fluids, HIV transmission, and condom facts) and condom application skills. All outcome measures showed statistically significant gains from pretest to posttest, with medium to large effect sizes. In addition, a second study was conducted with twelve service providers who work with men with ID. Service providers reviewed the HIV/AIDS prevention program, completed a demographics questionnaire, and a program satisfaction survey. Overall, service providers rated the program highly on several outcome measures (stimulation, relevance, and usability).

The effectiveness of the Stop Now and Plan (SNAP) program for boys at risk for violence and delinquency.

PubMed

Burke, Jeffrey D; Loeber, Rolf

2015-02-01

Among the available treatments for disruptive behavior problems, a need remains for additional service options to reduce antisocial behavior and prevent further development along delinquent and violent pathways. The Stop Now and Plan (SNAP) Program is an intervention for antisocial behavior among boys between 6 and 11. This paper describes a randomized controlled treatment effectiveness study of SNAP versus standard behavioral health services. The treatment program was delivered to youth with aggressive, rule-breaking, or antisocial behavior in excess of clinical criterion levels. Outcomes were measured at 3, 9, and 15 months from baseline. Youth in the SNAP condition showed significantly greater reduction in aggression, conduct problems, and overall externalizing behavior, as well as counts of oppositional defiant disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms. Additional benefits for SNAP were observed on measures of depression and anxiety. Further analyses indicated that the SNAP program was more effective among those with a higher severity of initial behavioral problems. At 1 year follow-up, treatment benefits for SNAP were maintained on some outcome measures (aggression, ADHD and ODD, depression and anxiety) but not others. Although overall juvenile justice system contact was not significantly different, youth in SNAP had significantly fewer charges against them relative to those standard services. The SNAP Program, when contrasted with standard services alone, was associated with greater, clinically meaningful, reductions in targeted behaviors. It may be particularly effective for youth with more severe behavioral problems and may result in improvements in internalizing problems as well.

2014 Accomplishments-Tritium aging studies on stainless steel: Fracture toughness properties of forged stainless steels-Effect of hydrogen, forging strain rate, and forging temperature

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Morgan, Michael J.

Forged stainless steels are used as the materials of construction for tritium reservoirs. During service, tritium diffuses into the reservoir walls and radioactively decays to helium-3. Tritium and decay helium cause a higher propensity for cracking which could lead to a tritium leak or delayed failure of a tritium reservoir. The factors that affect the tendency for crack formation and propagation include: Environment; steel type and microstructure; and, vessel configuration (geometry, pressure, residual stress). Fracture toughness properties are needed for evaluating the long-term effects of tritium on their structural properties. Until now, these effects have been characterized by measuring themore » effects of tritium on the tensile and fracture toughness properties of specimens fabricated from experimental forgings in the form of forward-extruded cylinders. A key result of those studies is that the long-term cracking resistance of stainless steels in tritium service depends greatly on the interaction between decay helium and the steels’ forged microstructure. New experimental research programs are underway and are designed to measure tritium and decay helium effects on the cracking properties of stainless steels using actual tritium reservoir forgings instead of the experimental forgings of past programs. The properties measured should be more representative of actual reservoir properties because the microstructure of the specimens tested will be more like that of the tritium reservoirs. The programs are designed to measure the effects of key forging variables on tritium compatibility and include three stainless steels, multiple yield strengths, and four different forging processes. The effects on fracture toughness of hydrogen and crack orientation were measured for type 316L forgings. In addition, hydrogen effects on toughness were measured for Type 304L block forgings having two different yield strengths. Finally, fracture toughness properties of type 304L stainless steel were measured for four different forging strain rates which and two forging temperatures. Tritium exposures have been and are being conducted on companion specimens for property measurements in the upcoming years.« less

Measures of Success: A Survey of Selected Vocational and Technical Education Programs in Florida which Train Students in Occupations Requiring Licenses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Advisory Council on Vocational and Technical Education, Tallahassee.

A study of 13 vocational and technical education programs in Florida was conducted which represented an attempt to identify valid and reliable sources of data whereby some vocational programs might be evaluated in specified terms of effectiveness. The programs selected for study were among those which require graduating students to pass licensing…

WWC Quick Review of the Manuscript "Paying for A's: An Early Exploration of Student Reward and Incentive Programs in Charter Schools"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2008

2008-01-01

This review examined a study designed to evaluate whether offering student reward and incentive programs in charter schools affects academic achievement. The study measured effects by comparing changes in average grade-level test scores in schools that had incentive programs to changes in schools that did not have incentive programs. The study…

Effectiveness of two Arthritis Foundation programs: Walk With Ease, and YOU Can Break the Pain Cycle

PubMed Central

Bruno, Michelle; Cummins, Susan; Gaudiano, Lisha; Stoos, Johanna; Blanpied, Peter

2006-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of two Arthritis Foundation programs: Walk With Ease (WWE) and YOU Can Break The Pain Cycle (PC). Design: Quasi-experimental, repeated measures design. Retested at six weeks and four months. Setting: Community based intervention. Participants: Volunteer sample of 163 adults with arthritis recruited through mailings, newspapers, and flyers. Interventions: Subjects participated in a 90 minute seminar (PC, Group A), a six-week walking program (WWE, Group B), or both programs (Group C). Main outcome measures: Survey assessment of arthritis knowledge, general health, self-management activities, confidence, physical abilities, depression, health distress, and how arthritis affects their life. A Squat Test, a Six Minute Walk test, and a Timed Functional Walk Test were also administered. Results: Subjects in Group B were more confident, less depressed, had less health distress, and less pain than subjects in Group A. Scores of Group C were between Group A and B scores. Differences in groups over time indicated that the WWE resulted in increased confidence, physical abilities, time spent in self-management activities and decreased pain and fatigue. All groups increased in walking endurance at six weeks, and increased in health distress at four months. Conclusion: Subjects in different programs differed on impact of arthritis. These programs provide effective arthritis management opportunities. PMID:18046884

Graduate nurses' evaluation of mentorship: Development of a new tool.

PubMed

Tiew, Lay Hwa; Koh, Catherine S L; Creedy, Debra K; Tam, W S W

2017-07-01

Develop and test an instrument to measure graduate-nurses' perceptions of a structured mentorship program. New graduate nurses may experience difficulties in the transition from student to practitioner. Mentoring is commonly used to support graduates. However, there is a lack of published tools measuring graduate nurses' perceptions of mentorship. As mentoring is resource intensive, development and testing of a validated tool are important to assist in determining program effectiveness. A pretest-posttest interventional design was used. Following a critical review of literature and content experts' input, the 10-item National University Hospital Mentorship Evaluation (NUH ME) instrument was tested with a convenience sample of 83 graduate nurses. Psychometric tests included internal reliability, stability, content validity, and factor analysis. Changed scores were evaluated using paired samples t-test. Seventy-three graduates (88%) out of a possible 83 completed the pre-and post-program survey. Internal reliability was excellent with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.92. Test-retest reliability was stable over time (ICC=0.81). Exploratory factor analysis supported a 1-factor solution explaining 58.2% of variance. Paired samples t-test showed statistical significance between the pre- and post-program scores (p<0.001). The NUH-ME measure was found to be valid and reliable. Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the tool with different groups of nursing graduates is required. Mentorship programs can be an effective recruitment and retention strategy, but are also resource intensive. Measuring new graduates' perceptions of mentoring contributes to program relevance in addressing their personal, professional and clinical skill development needs. As mentoring engages a diverse range of mentors, feedback through measurement may also positively alter organizational learning culture. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effect of simultaneous model observation and self-modeling of volleyball skill acquisition.

PubMed

Barzouka, Karolina; Bergeles, Nikolaos; Hatziharistos, Dimitris

2007-02-01

This study examined the effect of feedback with simultaneous skilled model observation and self-modeling on volleyball skill acquisition. 53 pupils 12 to 15 years old formed two experimental groups and one control group who followed an intervention program with 12 practice sessions for acquisition and retention of how to receive a ball. Groups received different types of feedback before and in the middle of each practice session. Reception performance outcome (score) and technique in every group were assessed before and at the end of the intervention program and during the retention phase. A 3 (Group) x 3 (Measurement Period) multivariate analysis of variance with repeated measures was applied to investigate differences. Results showed equivalent improvement in all three groups at the end of the intervention program. In conclusion, types of augmented feedback from the physical education teacher are effective in acquisition and retention of the skill for reception in volleyball.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Coulter, R.L.; Klazura, J.; Lesht, B.M.

The Argonne Boundary Layer Experiments (ABLE) facility, located in south central Kansas, east of Wichita, is devoted primarily to investigations of and within the planetary boundary layer (PBL), including the dynamics of the mixed layer during both day and night; effects of varying land use and landform; the interactive role of precipitation, runoff, and soil moisture; storm development; and energy budgets on scales of 10 to 100 km. With an expected lifetime of 10--15 years, the facility is well situated to observe the effects of gradual urbanization on PBL dynamics and structure as the Wichita urban area expands to themore » east and several small municipalities located within the study area expand. Combining the continuous measurements of ABLE with (1) ancillary continuous measurements of, for example, the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program and the Global Energy Water Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) programs and with (2) shorter, more intensive studies within ABLE, such as the Cooperative Atmosphere Surface Exchange Studies (CASES) Program, allows hypothesized features of urbanization, including heat island effects, precipitation enhancement, and modification of the surface energy budget partitioning, to be studied.« less

Effectiveness of a Core-Competency-based Program on Residents' Learning and Experience.

PubMed

Charles, Lesley; Triscott, Jean; Dobbs, Bonnie; Tian, Peter George; Babenko, Oksana

2016-06-01

The Care of the Elderly (COE) Diploma Program is a six-to-twelve-month enhanced skills program taken after two years of core residency training in Family Medicine. In 2010, we developed and implemented a core-competency-based COE Diploma program (CC), in lieu of one based on learning objectives (LO). This study assessed the effectiveness of the core-competency-based program on residents' learning and their training experience as compared to residents trained using learning objectives. The data from the 2007-2013 COE residents were used in the study, with nine and eight residents trained in the LO and CC programs, respectively. Residents' learning was measured using preceptors' evaluations of residents' skills/abilities throughout the program (118 evaluations in total). Residents' rating of training experience was measured using the Graduate's Questionnaire which residents completed after graduation. For residents' learning, overall, there was no significant difference between the two programs. However, when examined as a function of the four CanMEDS roles, there were significant increases in the CC residents' scores for two of the CanMEDS roles: Communicator/Collaborator/Manager and Scholar compared to residents in the LO program. With respect to residents' training experience, seven out of ten program components were rated by the CC residents higher than by the LO residents. The implementation of a COE CC program appears to facilitate resident learning and training experience.

Cost-effectiveness of a health-social partnership transitional program for post-discharge medical patients.

PubMed

Wong, Frances Kam Yuet; Chau, June; So, Ching; Tam, Stanley Ku Fu; McGhee, Sarah

2012-12-24

Readmissions are costly and have implications for quality of care. Studies have been reported to support effects of transitional care programs in reducing hospital readmissions and enhancing clinical outcomes. However, there is a paucity of studies executing full economic evaluation to assess the cost-effectiveness of these transitional care programs. This study is therefore launched to fill this knowledge gap. Cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted alongside a randomized controlled trial that examined the effects of a Health-Social Transitional Care Management Program (HSTCMP) for medical patients discharged from an acute regional hospital in Hong Kong. The cost and health outcomes were compared between the patients receiving the HSTCMP and usual care. The total costs comprised the pre-program, program, and healthcare utilization costs. Quality of life was measured with SF-36 and transformed to utility values between 0 and 1. The readmission rates within 28 (control 10.2%, study 4.0%) and 84 days (control 19.4%, study 8.1%) were significantly higher in the control group. Utility values showed no difference between the control and study groups at baseline (p = 0.308). Utility values for the study group were significantly higher than in the control group at 28 (p < 0.001) and 84 days (p = 0.002). The study group also had a significantly higher QALYs gain (p < 0.001) over time at 28 and 84 days when compared with the control group. The intervention had an 89% chance of being cost-effective at the threshold of £20000/QALY. Previous studies on transitional care focused mainly on clinical outcomes and not too many included cost as an outcome measure. Studies examining the cost-effectiveness of the post-discharge support services are scanty. This study is the first to examine the cost-effectiveness of a transitional care program that used nurse-led services participated by volunteers. Results have shown that a health-social partnership transitional care program is cost-effective in reducing healthcare costs and attaining QALY gains. Economic evaluation helps to inform funders and guide decisions for the effective use of competing healthcare resources.

Effectiveness of the Civil Aviation Security Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-04-25

the airline and airport security measures in effect. Moreover, of the 25 U.S. airline hijackings that occurred over this 6-year period, none was caused...Furthermore, it is estimated that 75 hijackings or related crimes may have been prevented by the airline and airport security measures in effect...system. Moreover, it is estimated that at least 75 hijackings or related crimes may have been prevented by U.S. airline and airport security measures

Effectiveness and cost-utility of a guided self-help exercise program for patients treated with total laryngectomy: protocol of a multi-center randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Jansen, Femke; Cnossen, Ingrid C; Eerenstein, Simone E J; Coupé, Veerle M H; Witte, Birgit I; van Uden-Kraan, Cornelia F; Doornaert, Patricia; Braunius, Weibel W; De Bree, Remco; Hardillo, José A U; Honings, Jimmie; Halmos, György B; Leemans, C René; Verdonck-de Leeuw, Irma M

2016-08-02

Total laryngectomy with or without adjuvant (chemo)radiation often induces speech, swallowing and neck and shoulder problems. Speech, swallowing and shoulder exercises may prevent or diminish these problems. The aim of the present paper is to describe the study, which is designed to investigate the effectiveness and cost-utility of a guided self-help exercise program built into the application "In Tune without Cords" among patients treated with total laryngectomy. Patients, up to 5 years earlier treated with total laryngectomy with or without (chemo)radiation will be recruited for participation in this study. Patients willing to participate will be randomized to the intervention or control group (1:1). Patients in the intervention group will be provided access to a guided self-help exercise program and a self-care education program built into the application "In Tune without Cords". Patients in the control group will only be provided access to the self-care education program. The primary outcome is the difference in swallowing quality (SWAL-QOL) between the intervention and control group. Secondary outcome measures address speech problems (SHI), shoulder disability (SDQ), quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30, QLQ-H&N35 and EQ-5D), direct and indirect costs (adjusted iMCQ and iPCQ measures) and self-management (PAM). Patients will be asked to complete these outcome measures at baseline, immediately after the intervention or control period (i.e. at 3 months follow-up) and at 6 months follow-up. This randomized controlled trial will provide knowledge on the effectiveness of a guided self-help exercise program for patients treated with total laryngectomy. In addition, information on the value for money of such an exercise program will be provided. If this guided self-help program is (cost)effective for patients treated with total laryngectomy, the next step will be to implement this exercise program in current clinical practice. NTR5255 Protocol version 4 date September 2015.

Measuring learning, student engagement, and program effectiveness: a strategic process.

PubMed

Jantzi, Julie; Austin, Connie

2005-01-01

What if there was an effective way to address the age-old question from students, "Why do we have to do this assignment?" And from faculty, "How do we know our students are really learning?" And from administrators, "How will we demonstrate to our peers, our accrediting agencies, and other program stakeholders that our programs are educationally effective?" As it undertook a curriculum redesign, faculty in a baccalaureate school of nursing developed a 9-step process for curriculum implementation. The authors discuss how they applied the 9 steps strategically, positioning the program for 2 successful accreditation self-studies and concurrently addressing, with greater confidence, some of these age-old questions.

Tailoring mind-body therapies to individual needs: patients' program preference and psychological traits as moderators of the effects of mindfulness-based cancer recovery and supportive-expressive therapy in distressed breast cancer survivors.

PubMed

Carlson, Linda E; Tamagawa, Rie; Stephen, Joanne; Doll, Richard; Faris, Peter; Dirkse, Dale; Speca, Michael

2014-11-01

Mindfulness-based cancer recovery (MBCR) and supportive-expressive therapy (SET) are well-validated psycho-oncological interventions, and we have previously reported health benefits of both programs. However, little is known about patients' characteristics or program preferences that may influence outcomes. Therefore, this study examined moderators of the effects of MBCR and SET on psychological well-being among breast cancer survivors. A multi-site randomized controlled trial was conducted between 2007 and 2012 in two Canadian cities (Calgary and Vancouver). A total of 271 distressed stage I-III breast cancer survivors were randomized into MBCR, SET or a 1-day stress management seminar (SMS). Baseline measures of moderator variables included program preference, personality traits, emotional suppression, and repressive coping. Outcome measures of mood, stress symptoms, quality of life, spiritual well-being, post-traumatic growth, social support, and salivary cortisol were measured pre- and post intervention. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to assess moderator effects on outcomes. The most preferred program was MBCR (55%). Those who were randomized to their preference improved more over time on quality of life and spiritual well-being post-intervention regardless of the actual intervention type received. Women with greater psychological morbidity at baseline showed greater improvement in stress symptoms and quality of life if they received their preferred versus nonpreferred program. Patients' program preference and baseline psychological functioning, rather than personality, were predictive of program benefits. These results suggest incorporating program preference can maximize the efficacy of integrative oncology interventions, and emphasize the methodological importance of assessing and accommodating for preferences when conducting mind-body clinical trials. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Intensive exercise program after spinal cord injury ("Full-On"): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Galea, Mary P; Dunlop, Sarah A; Davis, Glen M; Nunn, Andrew; Geraghty, Timothy; Hsueh, Ya-seng Arthur; Churilov, Leonid

2013-09-11

Rehabilitation after spinal cord injury (SCI) has traditionally involved teaching compensatory strategies for identified impairments and deficits in order to improve functional independence. There is some evidence that regular and intensive activity-based therapies, directed at activation of the paralyzed extremities, promotes neurological improvement. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of a 12-week intensive activity-based therapy program for the whole body with a program of upper body exercise. A multicenter, parallel group, assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial will be conducted. One hundred eighty-eight participants with spinal cord injury, who have completed their primary rehabilitation at least 6 months prior, will be recruited from five SCI units in Australia and New Zealand. Participants will be randomized to an experimental or control group. Experimental participants will receive a 12-week program of intensive exercise for the whole body, including locomotor training, trunk exercises and functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling. Control participants will receive a 12-week intensive upper body exercise program. The primary outcome is the American Spinal Injuries Association (ASIA) Motor Score. Secondary outcomes include measurements of sensation, function, pain, psychological measures, quality of life and cost effectiveness. All outcomes will be measured at baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months and 12 months by blinded assessors. Recruitment commenced in January 2011. The results of this trial will determine the effectiveness of a 12-week program of intensive exercise for the whole body in improving neurological recovery after spinal cord injury. NCT01236976 (10 November 2010), ACTRN12610000498099 (17 June 2010).

An evaluation of the efficacy of a triple P-positive parenting program podcast series.

PubMed

Morawska, Alina; Tometzki, Helen; Sanders, Matthew R

2014-01-01

Parenting programs based on cognitive-behavioral and social learning principles are effective in changing child behavior problems and parenting styles. However, such programs typically have limited population reach. The current study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a brief radio series that provided parenting advice based on the Triple P-Positive Parenting Program. One hundred thirty-nine parents of children aged 2 to 10 years who had concerns about their child's behavioral and/or emotional adjustment were recruited, randomly assigned to either an intervention or waitlist control group, and completed online self-report measures. Parents in the intervention group were given access to seven Triple P podcasts online over a period of 2 weeks. Parents in the intervention group improved significantly more than parents in the control group, from pre- to postintervention, on measures of child behavioral problems and parenting style, self-efficacy, and confidence. These short-term intervention effects were maintained at the 6-month follow-up. These results suggest that brief radio and online parenting programs can be effective and have the potential to reach a large proportion of parents experiencing child behavior problems. Limitations, clinical significance, and future research suggestions are discussed.

The effect of a nutrition education program on the nutritional knowledge, hemoglobin levels, and nutritional status of Nicaraguan adolescent girls.

PubMed

Moore, Jean Burley; Pawloski, Lisa; Rodriguez, Claudia; Lumbi, Laura; Ailinger, Rita

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a community-based nutrition education program on the nutritional knowledge, hemoglobin levels, and nutritional status of Nicaraguan adolescent girls and the nutritional knowledge of their mothers. Self-care deficit nursing theory was used in this study. This longitudinal study used a mixed quantitative/qualitative design to study the effect of the nutrition education program. The nonprobability sample consisted of 182 adolescent girls and 67 of their mothers. The setting for the study was a community (barrio) in Managua, Nicaragua. INTERVENTION/MEASUREMENT: A team of nurse and nutrition researchers created the nutrition education program designed to improve girls' and mother's nutrition-related self-care operations. Data collection was carried out for 4 years for girls and 2 years for mothers in Managua, Nicaragua, using questionnaires, a HemoCue, and anthropometric measures. The findings of this study were that girls' and mothers' nutritional knowledge scores significantly improved in most cases after participation in the nutrition intervention program. Girls' hemoglobin levels did not significantly improve and their nutritional status findings were mixed. Girls and mothers described what dietary changes girls made and why.

The Effects of a Web-Based Nursing Process Documentation Program on Stress and Anxiety of Nursing Students in South Korea.

PubMed

Lee, Eunjoo; Noh, Hyun Kyung

2016-01-01

To examine the effects of a web-based nursing process documentation system on the stress and anxiety of nursing students during their clinical practice. A quasi-experimental design was employed. The experimental group (n = 110) used a web-based nursing process documentation program for their case reports as part of assignments for a clinical practicum, whereas the control group (n = 106) used traditional paper-based case reports. Stress and anxiety levels were measured with a numeric rating scale before, 2 weeks after, and 4 weeks after using the web-based nursing process documentation program during a clinical practicum. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t tests, chi-square tests, and repeated-measures analyses of variance. Nursing students who used the web-based nursing process documentation program showed significant lower levels of stress and anxiety than the control group. A web-based nursing process documentation program could be used to reduce the stress and anxiety of nursing students during clinical practicum, which ultimately would benefit nursing students by increasing satisfaction with and effectiveness of clinical practicum. © 2015 NANDA International, Inc.

Effect of a Trampoline Exercise on the Anthropometric Measures and Motor Performance of Adolescent Students

PubMed Central

Aalizadeh, Bahman; Mohammadzadeh, Hassan; Khazani, Ali; Dadras, Ali

2016-01-01

Background: Physical exercises can influence some anthropometric and fitness components differently. The aim of present study was to evaluate how a relatively long-term training program in 11-14-year-old male Iranian students affects their anthropometric and motor performance measures. Methods: Measurements were conducted on the anthropometric and fitness components of participants (n = 28) prior to and following the program. They trained 20 weeks, 1.5 h/session with 10 min rest, in 4 times trampoline training programs per week. Motor performance of all participants was assessed using standing long jump and vertical jump based on Eurofit Test Battery. Results: The analysis of variance (ANOVA) repeated measurement test showed a statistically significant main effect of time in calf girth P = 0.001, fat% P = 0.01, vertical jump P = 0.001, and long jump P = 0.001. The ANOVA repeated measurement test revealed a statistically significant main effect of group in fat% P = 0.001. Post hoc paired t-tests indicated statistical significant differences in trampoline group between the two measurements about calf girth (t = −4.35, P = 0.001), fat% (t = 5.87, P = 0.001), vertical jump (t = −5.53, P = 0.001), and long jump (t = −10.00, P = 0.001). Conclusions: We can conclude that 20-week trampoline training with four physical activity sessions/week in 11–14-year-old students seems to have a significant effect on body fat% reduction and effective results in terms of anaerobic physical fitness. Therefore, it is suggested that different training model approach such as trampoline exercises can help students to promote the level of health and motor performance. PMID:27512557

Effect of a Trampoline Exercise on the Anthropometric Measures and Motor Performance of Adolescent Students.

PubMed

Aalizadeh, Bahman; Mohammadzadeh, Hassan; Khazani, Ali; Dadras, Ali

2016-01-01

Physical exercises can influence some anthropometric and fitness components differently. The aim of present study was to evaluate how a relatively long-term training program in 11-14-year-old male Iranian students affects their anthropometric and motor performance measures. Measurements were conducted on the anthropometric and fitness components of participants (n = 28) prior to and following the program. They trained 20 weeks, 1.5 h/session with 10 min rest, in 4 times trampoline training programs per week. Motor performance of all participants was assessed using standing long jump and vertical jump based on Eurofit Test Battery. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) repeated measurement test showed a statistically significant main effect of time in calf girth P = 0.001, fat% P = 0.01, vertical jump P = 0.001, and long jump P = 0.001. The ANOVA repeated measurement test revealed a statistically significant main effect of group in fat% P = 0.001. Post hoc paired t-tests indicated statistical significant differences in trampoline group between the two measurements about calf girth (t = -4.35, P = 0.001), fat% (t = 5.87, P = 0.001), vertical jump (t = -5.53, P = 0.001), and long jump (t = -10.00, P = 0.001). We can conclude that 20-week trampoline training with four physical activity sessions/week in 11-14-year-old students seems to have a significant effect on body fat% reduction and effective results in terms of anaerobic physical fitness. Therefore, it is suggested that different training model approach such as trampoline exercises can help students to promote the level of health and motor performance.

The effects of a client-centered leisure activity program on satisfaction, self-esteem, and depression in elderly residents of a long-term care facility

PubMed Central

Jung, Ji-Yoon; Park, So-Yeon; Kim, Jin-Kyung

2018-01-01

[Purpose] This study aimed to examine the effects of a client-centered leisure activity program on satisfaction, upper limb function, self-esteem, and depression in elderly residents of a long-term care facility. [Subjects and Methods] This study included 12 elderly subjects, aged 65 or older, residing in a nursing home. The subjects were divided into an experimental and a control group. Subjects in the control group received leisure activities already provided by the facility. The experimental group participated in a client-centered leisure activity program. The subjects conducted individual activities three times per week, 30 minutes per session. The group activity was conducted three times per week for eight weeks. Each subject’s performance of and satisfaction with the leisure activity programs, upper limb function, self-esteem, and depression were measured before and after the intervention. [Results] After participating in a program, significant improvements were seen in both the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure and upper limb function in the experimental group. Also after the intervention, the subjects’ self-esteem significantly increased and their depression significantly decreased. [Conclusion] A client-centered leisure activity program motivates elderly people residing in a long-term care facility and induces their voluntary participation. Such customized programs are therefore effective for enhancing physical and psychological functioning in this population. PMID:29410570

Implementation Processes and Pay for Performance in Healthcare: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Kondo, Karli K; Damberg, Cheryl L; Mendelson, Aaron; Motu'apuaka, Makalapua; Freeman, Michele; O'Neil, Maya; Relevo, Rose; Low, Allison; Kansagara, Devan

2016-04-01

Over the last decade, various pay-for-performance (P4P) programs have been implemented to improve quality in health systems, including the VHA. P4P programs are complex, and their effects may vary by design, context, and other implementation processes. We conducted a systematic review and key informant (KI) interviews to better understand the implementation factors that modify the effectiveness of P4P. We searched PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL through April 2014, and reviewed reference lists. We included trials and observational studies of P4P implementation. Two investigators abstracted data and assessed study quality. We interviewed P4P researchers to gain further insight. Among 1363 titles and abstracts, we selected 509 for full-text review, and included 41 primary studies. Of these 41 studies, 33 examined P4P programs in ambulatory settings, 7 targeted hospitals, and 1 study applied to nursing homes. Related to implementation, 13 studies examined program design, 8 examined implementation processes, 6 the outer setting, 18 the inner setting, and 5 provider characteristics. Results suggest the importance of considering underlying payment models and using statistically stringent methods of composite measure development, and ensuring that high-quality care will be maintained after incentive removal. We found no conclusive evidence that provider or practice characteristics relate to P4P effectiveness. Interviews with 14 KIs supported limited evidence that effective P4P program measures should be aligned with organizational goals, that incentive structures should be carefully considered, and that factors such as a strong infrastructure and public reporting may have a large influence. There is limited evidence from which to draw firm conclusions related to P4P implementation. Findings from studies and KI interviews suggest that P4P programs should undergo regular evaluation and should target areas of poor performance. Additionally, measures and incentives should align with organizational priorities, and programs should allow for changes over time in response to data and provider input.

Outreach program by measurements of frost depth in Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harada, K.; Yoshikawa, K.; Iwahana, G.; Stanilovskaya, J. V.; Sawada, Y.

2015-12-01

In order to emphasis their interest for earth sciences, an outreach program through measurements of frost depth is conducting in Japan since 2011. This program is made at elementary, junior high and high schools in Hokkaido, northern part of Japan where seasonal ground freezing occurs in winter. At schools, a lecture was made and a frost tube was set at schoolyard, as the same tube and protocol as UAF's Permafrost Outreach Program, using clear tube with blue-colored water. Frost depth was measured directly once a week at each school by students during ground freezing under no snow-removal condition. In 2011 season, we started this program at three schools, and the number of participated school is extended to 29 schools in 2014 winter season, 23 elementary schools, 5 junior high schools and one high school. We visited schools summer time and just before frost season to talk about the method of measurement. After the end of measured period, we also visited schools to explain measured results by each school and the other schools in Japan, Alaska, Canada and Russia. The measured values of frost depth in Hokkaido were ranged between 0cm and more than 50cm. We found that the frost depth depends on air temperature and snow depth. We discussed with student why the frost depth ranged widely and explained the effect of snow by using the example of igloo. In order to validate the effect of snow and to compare frost depths, we tried to measure frost depths under snow-removal and no snow-removal conditions at one elementary school. At the end of December, depths had no significant difference between these conditions, 11cm and 10cm, and the difference went to 14cm, 27cm and 13cm after one month, with about 30cm of snow depth. After these measurements and lectures, students noticed snow has a role as insulator and affects the frost depth. The network of this program will be expected to expand, finally more than a hundred schools.

A Study on the Effectiveness of Lockup-Free Caches for a Reduced Instruction Set Computer (RISC) Processor

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-09-01

to acquire or develop effective simulation tools to observe the behavior of a RISC implementation as it executes different types of programs . We choose...Performance Computer performance is measured by the amount of the time required to execute a program . Performance encompasses two types of time, elapsed time...and CPU time. Elapsed time is the time required to execute a program from start to finish. It includes latency of input/output activities such as

WHO'S WHO III IN THE INTERAGENCY ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT R AND D PROGRAM

EPA Science Inventory

This directory provides a means of access to information on specific projects currently underway within the Interagency Program. The 14 major categories covered are: Characterization, measurement, and monitoring, Environmental transport processes, Health effects, Ecological effec...

10 CFR 436.18 - Measuring cost-effectiveness.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... water system, considered in determining such matters as the optimal size of a solar energy system, the... 10 Energy 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Measuring cost-effectiveness. 436.18 Section 436.18 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING PROGRAMS Methodology and...

10 CFR 436.18 - Measuring cost-effectiveness.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... water system, considered in determining such matters as the optimal size of a solar energy system, the... 10 Energy 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Measuring cost-effectiveness. 436.18 Section 436.18 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING PROGRAMS Methodology and...

10 CFR 436.18 - Measuring cost-effectiveness.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... water system, considered in determining such matters as the optimal size of a solar energy system, the... 10 Energy 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Measuring cost-effectiveness. 436.18 Section 436.18 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY ENERGY CONSERVATION FEDERAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT AND PLANNING PROGRAMS Methodology and...

Effect of accreditation on the quality of chronic disease management: a comparative observational study.

PubMed

van Doorn-Klomberg, Arna L; Braspenning, Jozé C C; Wolters, René J; Bouma, Margriet; Wensing, Michel

2014-11-04

Practice accreditation is widely used to assess and improve quality of healthcare providers. Little is known about its effectiveness, particularly in primary care. In this study we examined the effect of accreditation on quality of care regarding diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and cardiovascular disease (CVD). A comparative observational study with two cohorts was performed. We included 138 Dutch family practices that participated in the national accreditation program for primary care. A first cohort of 69 practices was measured at start and completion of a 3-year accreditation program. A second cohort of 69 practices was included and measured simultaneously with the final measurement of the first cohort. In separate multilevel regression analyses, we compared both within-group changes in the first cohort and between-groups differences at follow-up (first cohort) and start (second cohort). Outcome measures consisted of 24 systematically developed indicators of quality of care in targeted chronic diseases. In the within-group comparison, we found improvements on 6 indicators related to diabetes (feet examination, cholesterol measurement, lipid lowering medication prescription) and COPD (spirometry performance, stop smoking advice). In the between-groups comparison we found that first cohort practices performed better on 4 indicators related to diabetes (cholesterol outcome) and CVD (blood pressure outcome, smoke status registration, glucose measurement). Improvements of the quality of primary care for patients with chronic diseases were found, but few could be attributed to the accreditation program. Further development of accreditation is needed to enhance its effectiveness on chronic disease management.

Toward full life cycle control: Adding maintenance measurement to the SEL

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rombach, H. Dieter; Ulery, Bradford T.; Valett, Jon D.

1992-01-01

Organization-wide measurement of software products and processes is needed to establish full life cycle control over software products. The Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL)--a joint venture between NASA GSFC, the University of Maryland, and Computer Sciences Corporation--started measurement of software development more than 15 years ago. Recently, the measurement of maintenance was added to the scope of the SEL. In this article, the maintenance measurement program is presented as an addition to the already existing and well-established SEL development measurement program and evaluated in terms of its immediate benefits and long-term improvement potential. Immediate benefits of this program for the SEL include an increased understanding of the maintenance domain, the differences and commonalities between development and maintenance, and the cause-effect relationships between development and maintenance. Initial results from a sample maintenance study are presented to substantiate these benefits. The long-term potential of this program includes the use of maintenance baselines to better plan and manage future projects and to improve development and maintenance practices for future projects wherever warranted.

TIGER: Development of Thermal Gradient Compensation Algorithms and Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hereford, James; Parker, Peter A.; Rhew, Ray D.

2004-01-01

In a wind tunnel facility, the direct measurement of forces and moments induced on the model are performed by a force measurement balance. The measurement balance is a precision-machined device that has strain gages at strategic locations to measure the strain (i.e., deformations) due to applied forces and moments. The strain gages convert the strain (and hence the applied force) to an electrical voltage that is measured by external instruments. To address the problem of thermal gradients on the force measurement balance NASA-LaRC has initiated a research program called TIGER - Thermally-Induced Gradients Effects Research. The ultimate goals of the TIGER program are to: (a) understand the physics of the thermally-induced strain and its subsequent impact on load measurements and (b) develop a robust thermal gradient compensation technique. This paper will discuss the impact of thermal gradients on force measurement balances, specific aspects of the TIGER program (the design of a special-purpose balance, data acquisition and data analysis challenges), and give an overall summary.

Energy Savings Lifetimes and Persistence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoffman, Ian M.; Schiller, Steven R.; Todd, Annika

2016-02-01

This technical brief explains the concepts of energy savings lifetimes and savings persistence and discusses how program administrators use these factors to calculate savings for efficiency measures, programs and portfolios. Savings lifetime is the length of time that one or more energy efficiency measures or activities save energy, and savings persistence is the change in savings throughout the functional life of a given efficiency measure or activity. Savings lifetimes are essential for assessing the lifecycle benefits and cost effectiveness of efficiency activities and for forecasting loads in resource planning. The brief also provides estimates of savings lifetimes derived from amore » national collection of costs and savings for electric efficiency programs and portfolios.« less

Some Observations on Cost-Effectiveness Analysis in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geske, Terry G.

1979-01-01

The general nature of cost-effectiveness analysis is discussed, analytical frameworks for conducting cost-effectiveness studies are described, and some of the problems inherent in measuring educational costs and in assessing program effectiveness are addressed. (Author/IRT)

Using Wii Fit to reduce fatigue among African American women with systemic lupus erythematosus: a pilot study.

PubMed

Yuen, H K; Holthaus, K; Kamen, D L; Sword, D O; Breland, H L

2011-10-01

Fatigue and physical deconditioning are common, difficult to treat conditions among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a home-based exercise program using the Wii Fit system in patients with SLE. Fifteen sedentary African American women with SLE experiencing moderate to severe fatigue participated in a home exercise program using the Wii Fit 3 days a week for 30 minutes each for 10 weeks. A one-group pretest-post test design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of this program. Primary outcome measure was severity of fatigue. Secondary outcome measures were body weight, waist circumference, fatigue-related symptoms of distress, activity level, and physical fitness. At the completion of the 10-week Wii Fit exercise program, participants perceived fatigue severity as measured by the Fatigue Severity Scale to be significantly decreased (p = 0.002), and body weight and waist circumference were significantly reduced (p = 0.01). In addition, anxiety level, as measured by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and overall intensity of total pain experience, as measured by Short-form of the McGill Pain Questionnaire, were also significantly reduced (p < 0.05). Findings provide preliminary evidence that the Wii Fit motivates this population to exercise, which leads to alleviation of fatigue and reduced body weight, waist circumference, anxiety level, and overall intensity of total pain experience.

Using Wii Fit to reduce fatigue among African American women with systemic lupus erythematosus: A pilot study

PubMed Central

Yuen, Hon K.; Holthaus, Katy; Kamen, Diane L.; Sword, David; Breland, Hazel L.

2012-01-01

Fatigue and physical deconditioning are common, difficult to treat conditions among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a home-based exercise program using the Wii Fit system in patients with SLE. Fifteen sedentary African American women with SLE experiencing moderate to severe fatigue participated in a home exercise program using the Wii Fit 3 days a week for 30 minutes each for 10 weeks. A one-group pretest-posttest design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of this program. Primary outcome measure was severity of fatigue. Secondary outcome measures were body weight, waist circumference, fatigue-related symptoms of distress, activity level and physical fitness. At the completion of the 10-week Wii Fit exercise program, participants perceived fatigue severity as measured by the Fatigue Severity Scale to be significantly decreased (P=0.002), body weight and waist circumference were significantly reduced (Ps=0.01). In addition, anxiety level as measured by Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and overall intensity of total pain experience as measured by Short-form of the McGill Pain Questionnaire were also significantly reduced (Ps<0.05). Findings provide preliminary support that the Wii Fit motivates this population to exercise which leads to alleviation of fatigue and reduced body weight, waist circumference, anxiety level, and overall intensity of total pain experience. PMID:21700656

Using the Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales with lower-primary teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Lixin; Green, Jennifer L.; Smith, Wendy M.

2016-06-01

The Fennema-Sherman Mathematics Attitude Scales (FSMAS) are among the most popular instruments used in studies of attitudes toward mathematics. However, the FSMAS has been mainly used among student populations and rarely used with teachers. In the present study, three scales from the FSMAS— Confidence, Effectance Motivation, and Anxiety—were revised and used with lower-primary (kindergarten to third grade) teachers. This study includes three parts: (1) a pilot study to ensure the modifications made to the FSMAS were appropriate to use with teachers, (2) confirmatory factor analyses to assess the factor structure of the revised FSMAS with 225 lower-primary teachers, and (3) measurement invariance analyses using data from a similar sample of 171 lower-primary teachers to examine whether the revised FSMAS measures each construct in the same way as in the previous sample. The final three-factor model, after removing three problematic items, achieves acceptable model fit, with each construct meeting all conditions for strict measurement invariance. Additionally, repeated measures analyses were performed on data collected from 39 in-service lower-primary teachers who participated in an elementary mathematics specialist program to examine the use of the revised FSMAS in program evaluation. Overall results suggest that researchers and program evaluators may use the revised FSMAS to reliably measure lower-primary teachers' mathematical attitudes, and it can be a valuable tool for evaluating the effectiveness of professional development programs.

[Effects of an Integrated Internet Addiction Prevention Program on Elementary Students' Self-regulation and Internet Addiction].

PubMed

Mun, So Youn; Lee, Byoung Sook

2015-04-01

The purpose of this study was to develop an integrated internet addiction prevention program and test its effects on the self-regulation and internet addiction of elementary students who are at risk for internet addiction. A quasi-experimental study with a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. Participants were assigned to the experimental group (n=28) or control group (n=28). Contents of the program developed in this study included provision of information about internet addiction, interventions for empowerment and methods of behavioral modification. A pre-test and two post-tests were done to identify the effects of the program and their continuity. Effects were testified using Repeated measures ANOVA, simple effect analysis, and Time Contrast. The self-regulation of the experimental group after the program was significantly higher than the control group. The score for internet addiction self-diagnosis and the internet use time in the experimental group were significantly lower than the control group. The effects of the integrated internet addiction prevention program for preventing internet addiction in elementary students at risk for internet addiction were validated.

Update on child abuse prevention.

PubMed

Krugman, Scott D; Lane, Wendy G; Walsh, Christina M

2007-12-01

Child abuse remains a significant problem in the United States with 2.9 million reports and 825 000 indicated cases in 2005. This report will highlight recent efforts toward child abuse prevention, focusing on home visiting programs, abusive head trauma primary prevention, parent training programs, sexual abuse prevention, and the effectiveness of laws banning corporal punishment. Most home visitation programs have demonstrated a lack of effectiveness in recent randomized trials. One exception is the Nurse Family Partnership, which remains the most effective and longest enduring intervention for high-risk families. Child sexual abuse prevention programs and parent training programs need further evaluation with more rigorous methodology and outcome measures. Providing universal parent education about coping with crying infants appears to be effective in lowering the incidence of abusive head trauma. Although advocated for, further study will determine the effectiveness of laws banning corporal punishment or mandating abusive head trauma education to parents of newborns. Pediatricians play an important role in the prevention of child maltreatment. Their knowledge of the effectiveness of different programs can help guide parents toward appropriate services.

Improvement of balance between work stress and recovery after a body awareness program for chronic aspecific psychosomatic symptoms.

PubMed

Landsman-Dijkstra, Jeanet J A; van Wijck, Ruud; Groothoff, Johan W

2006-02-01

A 3-day residential body awareness program (BAP) was developed to teach people with chronic aspecific psychosomatic symptoms (CAPS) to react adequately to disturbances of the balance between a daily workload and the capacity to deal with it. The long-term effects of the program in improving the balance between work stress and recovery are presented in this study. The intervening effect of 'improved balance' on quality of life is also analysed. A pre-post design is used with post-measures at 2 and 12 months after the program, without controls (n = 122). Mean age is 42.5 years (S.D. = 9.0) and 60% of participants are female. The results show participants become more active physically and socially, and at the same time take the opportunity to recover. There was a difference measured in changing balance for participants who are fully employed and participants who are not working or are working part-time due to health problems: the second group reintegrated into work, the first group spent more time socialising inside the family. Personal goals are realised by 85% of the participants. Realising personal goals and becoming more active is a mediating factor for increasing quality of life. The majority of the measured changes can be interpreted as clinically relevant outcomes with medium-to-large effect sizes. Spouses of the participants also confirm these effects. Evaluation of the BAP gives evidence to conclude that this program leads to long-term effects in CAPS. Participants react more adequately to disturbances between daily workload and the capacity to deal with this load. Two and 12 months after the 3-day program, they changed their behaviour to a more active lifestyle and increased self-management in coping with stress and psychosomatic symptoms. By paying more attention to the balance between work stress and recovery, patient educators may be able to increase their effectiveness. Personal goal realization can be effective in guiding people by getting them out of the negative spiral.

Prevention validation and accounting platform: a framework for establishing accountability and performance measures of substance abuse prevention programs.

PubMed

Kim, S; McLeod, J H; Williams, C; Hepler, N

2000-01-01

The field of substance abuse prevention has neither an overarching conceptual framework nor a set of shared terminologies for establishing the accountability and performance outcome measures of substance abuse prevention services rendered. Hence, there is a wide gap between what we currently have as data on one hand and information that are required to meet the performance goals and accountability measures set by the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 on the other. The task before us is: How can we establish the accountability and performance measures of substance abuse prevention programs and transform the field of prevention into prevention science? The intent of this volume is to serve that purpose and accelerate the processes of this transformation by identifying the requisite components of the transformation (i.e., theory, methodology, convention on terms, and data) and by introducing an open forum called, Prevention Validation and Accounting (PREVA) Platform. The entire PREVA Platform (for short, the Platform) is designed as an analytic framework, which is formulated by a collectivity of common concepts, terminologies, accounting units, protocols for counting the units, data elements, and operationalizations of various constructs, and other summary measures intended to bring about an efficient and effective measurement of process input, program capacity, process output, performance outcome, and societal impact of substance abuse prevention programs. The measurement units and summary data elements are designed to be measured across time and across jurisdictions, i.e., from local to regional to state to national levels. In the Platform, the process input is captured by two dimensions of time and capital. Time is conceptualized in terms of service delivery time and time spent for research and development. Capital is measured by the monies expended for the delivery of program activities during a fiscal or reporting period. Program capacity is captured by fourteen measurement units, tapping into the dimensions of staff resources and community assets. Staff resources are, in turn, operationalized in terms of staff size, staff certification status, staff turnover rate, and the accreditation status of a provider agency. Community assets are operationalized by the number of community centers accessible to the funded agency, number of formalized teams or antidrug coalitions active in the catchment area, and other social/human services providers with whom the prevention agency has formalized networks. The totality of process output from all sources of program activities is reduced to eighteen classes of measures. These are operationalized by thirty-three summary measures. Some of these include: total count of events facilitated; total number of clients served; average number of clients served per event; clients served by single and multiple program sessions; classification of target population in terms of the severity of risk as defined by the Institute of Medicine; age groups and race/ethnicity of clients served; number of program participants retained by recurring programs; number of clients who have completed the program; penetration rates to the target population; client attrition rates; average referral rates per provider per time interval; referral success rates; and so on. All process output measures specified in the Platform are derived from two broad classes of events classified as either products or services. The collectivity of these measures is expected to present a cost-effective, parsimonious, yet comprehensive picture of the entire spectrum of the process output, i.e., "what came out of the program as program activities". For the measurement of performance outcomes, two types of data are incorporated into the Platform: outcome data from individuals and the behavior (or performance) of social indicators from aggregated data bases. Individual data are used to evaluate the outcome of substance abuse programs

Pharmacy Utilization and the Medicare Modernization Act

PubMed Central

Maio, Vittorio; Pizzi, Laura; Roumm, Adam R; Clarke, Janice; Goldfarb, Neil I; Nash, David B; Chess, David

2005-01-01

To control expenditures and use medications appropriately, the Medicare drug coverage program has established pharmacy utilization management (PUM) measures. This article assesses the effects of these strategies on the care of seniors. The literature suggests that although caps on drug benefits lower pharmaceutical costs, they may also increase the use of other health care services and hurt health outcomes. Our review raises concerns regarding the potential unintended effects of the Medicare drug program's PUM policies for beneficiaries. Therefore, the economic and clinical impact of PUM measures on seniors should be studied further to help policymakers design better drug benefit plans. PMID:15787955

Examining the Effectiveness of the Smoking Prevention Program "I Do Not Smoke, I Exercise" in Elementary and Secondary School Settings.

PubMed

Kolovelonis, Athanasios; Goudas, Marios; Theodorakis, Yannis

2016-11-01

The aim of the study was to examine the effectiveness of the smoking prevention program "I do not smoke, I exercise" implemented with elementary and secondary school students. "I do not smoke, I exercise" is a theory-based smoking prevention program that promotes exercise as an alternative of smoking. The program consists of eight sessions implemented weekly. Participants were 338 Greek students (135 elementary and 203 secondary students) who were pre- and posttested in smoking, program, and exercise-related measures. The results showed that the program had significant effects on elementary students' attitudes toward smoking, intention to smoke, subjective norms, attitudes toward the application of the program, and knowledge about the health consequences of smoking. For secondary students, significant effects were found on students' perceived behavioral control and knowledge about the health consequences of smoking, while very few students reported a smoking experience before and after the intervention. Therefore the program "I do not smoke, I exercise" may have positive effects on variables related with smoking behavior. Differences in the program's impact on elementary and secondary students were identified. All these are discussed with reference to the need of implementing smoking prevention programs in schools contexts. © 2016 Society for Public Health Education.

A randomized controlled trial of water-based exercise for cardiovascular fitness in individuals with chronic stroke

PubMed Central

Chu, Kelly S; Eng, Janice J; Dawson, Andrew S; Harris, Jocelyn E.; Ozkaplan, Atila; Gylfadóttir, Sif

2011-01-01

Objective To evaluate the effect of an 8-week water-based exercise program (experimental group) over an upper extremity function program (control group) to increase cardiovascular fitness within a community setting for individuals with stroke. Design Single-blind randomized controlled trial Setting Public community centre Participants 12 community-dwelling individuals who have had a stroke with mild to moderate motor deficits; volunteer sample Intervention Experimental and control groups participated in group exercise programs undertaken in one hour sessions, three times per week for 8 weeks. The experimental group undertook chest deep water exercises at targeted heart rates. The control group performed arm and hand exercises while sitting. Main Outcome Measures The primary outcome measure was cardiovascular fitness (VO2max). Secondary measures were maximal workload, muscle strength, gait speed, and the Berg Balance Score. Results The experimental group attained significant improvements over the control group in cardiovascular fitness, maximal workload, gait speed, and paretic lower extremity muscle strength. The relatively short program (8 weeks) of water-based exercise resulted in a large improvement (22%) in cardiovascular fitness in a small group of individuals with stroke with relatively high function. Conclusions A water-based exercise program can be undertaken in the community as a group program and may be an effective means to promote fitness in individuals with stroke. PMID:15179638

A community intervention trial of multimodal suicide prevention program in Japan: a novel multimodal community intervention program to prevent suicide and suicide attempt in Japan, NOCOMIT-J.

PubMed

Ono, Yutaka; Awata, Shuichi; Iida, Hideharu; Ishida, Yasushi; Ishizuka, Naoki; Iwasa, Hiroto; Kamei, Yuichi; Motohashi, Yutaka; Nakagawa, Atsuo; Nakamura, Jun; Nishi, Nobuyuki; Otsuka, Kotaro; Oyama, Hirofumi; Sakai, Akio; Sakai, Hironori; Suzuki, Yuriko; Tajima, Miyuki; Tanaka, Eriko; Uda, Hidenori; Yonemoto, Naohiro; Yotsumoto, Toshihiko; Watanabe, Naoki

2008-09-15

To respond to the rapid surge in the incidence of suicide in Japan, which appears to be an ongoing trend, the Japanese Multimodal Intervention Trials for Suicide Prevention (J-MISP) have launched a multimodal community-based suicide prevention program, NOCOMIT-J. The primary aim of this study is to examine whether NOCOMIT-J is effective in reducing suicidal behavior in the community. This study is a community intervention trial involving seven intervention regions with accompanying control regions, all with populations of statistically sufficient size. The program focuses on building social support networks in the public health system for suicide prevention and mental health promotion, intending to reinforce human relationships in the community. The intervention program components includes a primary prevention measures of awareness campaign for the public and key personnel, secondary prevention measures for screening of, and assisting, high-risk individuals, after-care for individuals bereaved by suicide, and other measures. The intervention started in July 2006, and will continue for 3.5 years. Participants are Japanese and foreign residents living in the intervention and control regions (a total of population of 2,120,000 individuals). The present study is designed to evaluate the effectiveness of the community-based suicide prevention program in the seven participating areas. UMIN Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR) UMIN000000460.

Effectiveness of the Civil Aviation Security Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-04-05

diversions. Perhaps the best evidence of the effectiveness of airline and airport security measures is the number of hijackings and related crimes prevented...airports. Consideration is being given to include a provision in the airport security regulation which would prohibit the introduction of...Security Program. A complete revision of the regulation that established basic airport security requirements is currently underway. One of the more

Is Energy Conservation Education Effective? An Evaluation of the Powersave Schools Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DiMatteo, Julie; Radnitz, Cynthia; Zibulsky, Jamie; Brown, Jeffrey; Deleasa, Courtney; Jacobs, Stephanie

2014-01-01

To strengthen energy conservation knowledge and behaviors in youth, the PowerSave Schools Program (PSP) instructs students using hands-on projects. However, there is a lack of empirical support for the PSP. The present study is the first to use a repeated measures design to assess its effectiveness in two school districts. In District 1, there was…

The Effects of a Literature Program of Realistic Fiction on the Attitudes of Fifth Grade Pupils toward the Aged.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schneider, Phyllis L.

Three-hundred sixty students in 14 fifth grade classrooms participated in a study to determine if a planned literature program could effect a change in children's attitudes toward the aged. Following a pilot study that gathered information on children's attitudes toward the aged, four measurement instruments were developed and administered to all…

The Effectiveness of the Houghton-Mifflin Reading and Language Arts Program on Third-Grade Reading Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Mary L.

2012-01-01

Students reading below grade proficiency have been a concern for educators. Students who attended third grade at this Title 1 intermediate school have demonstrated a lack of early literacy skills as measured using a variety of assessments. An early literacy reading program was initiated in 2008; however, the effectiveness of the instructional…

Is a Web Survey as Effective as a Mail Survey? A Field Experiment Among Computer Users

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kiernan, Nancy; Kiernan, Michaela; Oyler, Mary; Gilles, Carolyn

2005-01-01

With the exponential increase in Web access, program evaluators need to understand the methodological benefits and barriers of using the Web to collect survey data from program participants. In this experimental study, the authors examined whether a Web survey can be as effective as the more established mail survey on three measures of survey…

Effectiveness of a Standard Parenting-Skills Program in Reducing Stealing and Lying in Two Boys.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Venning, Helen B.; Blampied, Neville M.; France, Karyn G.

2003-01-01

Examines the effectiveness of a standard parent-training program in reducing stealing and lying in two boys, and measures changes in their mothers' adjustment and perceptions of child and family functioning. Parent suspicions of stealing and lying by their sons decreased during the intervention and were absent at a 10-week follow-up. (Contains 30…

Far from Home: An Experimental Evaluation of the Mother-Child Home Program in Bermuda.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scarr, Sandra; McCartney, Kathleen

1988-01-01

Effects of the Mother-Child Home Program (MCHP) were evaluated with a broad range of measures on cognition, social behavior, and emotion. Findings indicated that children in Bermuda scored above U.S. norms on cognitive tests and were functioning well in the preschool period. The MCHP had few demonstrable effects on any segment of the sample. (RH)

The Marginal Effects of High School Visits: A Step toward an Empirically Driven Marketing Program. AIR 2002 Forum Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aguilar, Lore; Gillespie, Donald A.

Admissions officers devote substantial resources to high school visits and other recruiting events. Economic theory indicates that the best measure of effectiveness is marginal productivity. Subjects in this study were applicants to a large, Catholic, urban university and all students who participated in recruiting programs in fall 2002.…

Validation of Satellite Aerosol Retrievals from AERONET Ground-Based Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holben, Brent; Remer, Lorraine; Torres, Omar; Zhao, Tom; Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Accurate and comprehensive assessment of the parameters that control key atmospheric and biospheric processes including assessment of anthropogenic effects on climate change is a fundamental measurement objective of NASA's EOS program (King and Greenstone, 1999). Satellite assessment programs and associated global climate models require validation and additional parameterization with frequent reliable ground-based observations. A critical and highly uncertain element of the measurement program is characterization of tropospheric aerosols requiring basic observations of aerosols optical and microphysical properties. Unfortunately as yet we do not know the aerosol burden man is contributing to the atmosphere and thus we will have no definitive measure of change for the future. This lack of aerosol assessment is the impetus for some of the EOS measurement activities (Kaufman et al., 1997; King et al., 1999) and the formation of the AERONET program (Holben et al., 1998). The goals of the AERONET program are to develop long term monitoring at globally distributed sites providing critical data for multiannual trend changes in aerosol loading and optical properties with the specific goal of providing a data base for validation of satellite derived aerosol optical properties. The AERONET program has evolved into an international federated network of approximately 100 ground-based remote sensing monitoring stations to characterize the optical and microphysical properties of aerosols.

[Prognostic prediction of the functional capacity and effectiveness of functional improvement program of the musculoskeletal system among users of preventive care service under long-term care insurance].

PubMed

Sone, Toshimasa; Nakaya, Naoki; Tomata, Yasutake; Aida, Jun; Okubo, Ichiro; Ohara, Satoko; Obuchi, Shuichi; Sugiyama, Michiko; Yasumura, Seiji; Suzuki, Takao; Tsuji, Ichiro

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Functional Improvement Program of the Musculoskeletal System among users of Preventive Care Service under Long-Term Care Insurance. A total of 3,073 subjects were analyzed. We used the prediction formula to estimate the predicted value of the Kihon Checklist after one year, and calculated the measured value minus the predicted value. The subjects were divided into two groups according to the measured value minus predicted value tertiles: the lowest and middle tertile (good-to-fair measured value) and the highest tertile (poor measured value). We used a multiple logistic regression model to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of the good-to-fair measured values of the Kihon Checklist after one year, according to the Functional Improvement Program of the Musculoskeletal System. In potentially dependent elderly, the multivariate adjusted ORs (95% CI) of the good-to-fair measured values were 2.4 (1.3-4.4) for those who attended the program eight times or more in a month (vs those who attended it three times or less in a month), 1.3 (1.0-1.8) for those who engaged in strength training using machines (vs those who did not train), and 1.4 (1.0-1.9) for those who engaged in endurance training. In this study, among potentially dependent elderly, those who attended the program eight times or more in a month and those who engaged in strength training using machines or endurance training showed a significant improvement of their functional capacity.

Evaluating Fatigue in Operational Settings: The NASA Ames Fatigue Countermeasures Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosekind, Mark R.; Gregory, Kevin; Miller, Donna; Webbon, Lissa; Oyung, Ray

1996-01-01

In response to a 1980 Congressional request, NASA Ames initiated a program to examine fatigue in flight operations. The Program objectives are to examine fatigue, sleep loss, and circadian disruption in flight operations, determine the effects of these factors on flight crew performance, and the development of fatigue countermeasures. The NASA Ames Fatigue Countermeasures Program conducts controlled laboratory experiments, full-mission flight simulations, and field studies. A range of subjective, behavioral, performance, physiological, and environmental measures are used depending on study objectives. The Program has developed substantial expertise in gathering data during actual flight operations and in other work settings. This has required the development of ambulatory and other measures that can be carried throughout the world and used at 41,000 feet in aircraft cockpits. The NASA Ames Fatigue Countermeasures Program has examined fatigue in shorthaul, longhaul, overnight cargo, and helicopter operations. A recent study of planned cockpit rest periods demonstrated the effectiveness of a brief inflight nap to improve pilot performance and alertness. This study involved inflight reaction time/vigilance performance testing and EEG/EOG measures of physiological alertness. The NASA Ames Fatigue Countermeasures Program has applied scientific findings to the development of education and training materials on fatigue countermeasures, input to federal regulatory activities on pilot flight, duty, and rest requirements, and support of National Transportation Safety Board accident investigations. Current activities are examining fatigue in nonaugmented longhaul flights, regional/commuter flight operations, corporate/business aviation, and psychophysiological variables related to performance.

Methodology for the evaluation of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program.

PubMed

Gibbs, L; Staiger, P K; Townsend, M; Macfarlane, S; Gold, L; Block, K; Johnson, B; Kulas, J; Waters, E

2013-04-01

Community and school cooking and gardening programs have recently increased internationally. However, despite promising indications, there is limited evidence of their effectiveness. This paper presents the evaluation framework and methods negotiated and developed to meet the information needs of all stakeholders for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden (SAKG) program, a combined cooking and gardening program implemented in selectively funded primary schools across Australia. The evaluation used multiple aligned theoretical frameworks and models, including a public health ecological approach, principles of effective health promotion and models of experiential learning. The evaluation is a non-randomised comparison of six schools receiving the program (intervention) and six comparison schools (all government-funded primary schools) in urban and rural areas of Victoria, Australia. A mixed-methods approach was used, relying on qualitative measures to understand changes in school cultures and the experiential impacts on children, families, teachers, parents and volunteers, and quantitative measures at baseline and 1 year follow up to provide supporting information regarding patterns of change. The evaluation study design addressed the limitations of many existing evaluation studies of cooking or garden programs. The multistrand approach to the mixed methodology maintained the rigour of the respective methods and provided an opportunity to explore complexity in the findings. Limited sensitivity of some of the quantitative measures was identified, as well as the potential for bias in the coding of the open-ended questions. The SAKG evaluation methodology will address the need for appropriate evaluation approaches for school-based kitchen garden programs. It demonstrates the feasibility of a meaningful, comprehensive evaluation of school-based programs and also demonstrates the central role qualitative methods can have in a mixed-method evaluation. So what? This paper contributes to debate about appropriate evaluation approaches to meet the information needs of all stakeholders and will support the sharing of measures and potential comparisons between program outcomes for comparable population groups and settings.

Beating the Odds. An Educational Program Relating Safety Belt Use to Health Lifestyles for High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Transportation, Washington, DC. National Highway Safety Bureau.

This program module is designed to encourage the use of safety measures in driving, emphasizing the use of seat belts. The learning activities focus upon: (1) the importance of the use of safety belts as the most effective preventive measure in a safe and healthy lifestyle; (2) the reasons people cite for not wearing safety belts and the accuracy…

Carryover effect of hip and knee exercises program on functional performance in individuals with patellofemoral pain syndrome

PubMed Central

Ahmed Hamada, Hamada; Hussein Draz, Amira; Koura, Ghada Mohamed; Saab, Ibtissam M.

2017-01-01

[Purpose] This study was carried out to investigate the carryover effect of hip and knee exercises program on functional performance (single legged hop test as functional performance test and Kujala score for functional activities). [Subjects and Methods] Thirty patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome were randomly assigned into two equal groups. Group (A) consisted of 15 patients undergoing hip strengthening exercises for four weeks then measuring all variables followed by additional four weeks of knee exercises program then measuring all variables again. Group (B): consisted of 15 patients undergoing knee exercises program for four weeks then measuring all variables followed by additional four weeks of hip strengthening exercises then measuring all variables. Functional abilities and knee muscles performance were assessed using Kujala questionnaire and single legged hop test respectively pre and after the completion of the first 4 weeks then after 8 weeks for both groups. [Results] Significantly increase in Kujala questionnaire in group A compared with group B was observed. While, there were significant increase in single legged hop performance test in group B compared with group A. [Conclusion] Starting with hip exercises improve the performance of subjects more than functional activities while starting with knee exercises improve the functional activities of subjects more than performance. PMID:28878459

Carryover effect of hip and knee exercises program on functional performance in individuals with patellofemoral pain syndrome.

PubMed

Ahmed Hamada, Hamada; Hussein Draz, Amira; Koura, Ghada Mohamed; Saab, Ibtissam M

2017-08-01

[Purpose] This study was carried out to investigate the carryover effect of hip and knee exercises program on functional performance (single legged hop test as functional performance test and Kujala score for functional activities). [Subjects and Methods] Thirty patients with patellofemoral pain syndrome were randomly assigned into two equal groups. Group (A) consisted of 15 patients undergoing hip strengthening exercises for four weeks then measuring all variables followed by additional four weeks of knee exercises program then measuring all variables again. Group (B): consisted of 15 patients undergoing knee exercises program for four weeks then measuring all variables followed by additional four weeks of hip strengthening exercises then measuring all variables. Functional abilities and knee muscles performance were assessed using Kujala questionnaire and single legged hop test respectively pre and after the completion of the first 4 weeks then after 8 weeks for both groups. [Results] Significantly increase in Kujala questionnaire in group A compared with group B was observed. While, there were significant increase in single legged hop performance test in group B compared with group A. [Conclusion] Starting with hip exercises improve the performance of subjects more than functional activities while starting with knee exercises improve the functional activities of subjects more than performance.

Effectiveness of virtual reality using video gaming technology in elderly adults with diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Lee, Sunwoo; Shin, Sungrae

2013-06-01

Diabetes in elderly adults is associated with an increased risk of fall. The aim of study was to determine whether a virtual reality exercise (VRE) program would improve balance, strength, gait, and falls efficacy in elderly adults with diabetes. Fifty-five subjects with diabetes mellitus over 65 years of age were randomly assigned to a VRE group (VREG) (n=27) and a control group (CG) (n=28). The VREG received the VRE program and diabetes education, whereas the CG received only the diabetes education. The VRE program used video gaming (PlayStation(®) 2; Sony, Tokyo, Japan) and was conducted for 50 min twice a week for 10 weeks. Balance, muscle strength, gait, and falls efficacy were measured at baseline and after intervention. Measurements were taken using a clinical tests (the one-leg-standing test, the Berg Balance Scale, the functional reach test, the timed up-and-go test, and the sit-to-stand test), and gait analysis. A self-administered questionnaire was used to measure falls efficacy. After training, the VREG showed significantly improved balance, decreased sit-to-stand times, and increased gait speed, cadence, and falls efficacy. The VRE program was to maximize the effects of exercise by triggering players was to be fully immersed into the games and enhanced major influential factors on the falls of subject. This study suggests VRE programs are feasible and effective for reduced the risk of falls in elderly adults with type 2 diabetes.

Guidelines for measuring the physical, chemical, and biological condition of wilderness ecosystems

Treesearch

Douglas G Fox; J. Christopher Bernabo; Betsy Hood

1987-01-01

Guidelines include a large number of specific measures to characterize the existing condition of wilderness resources. Measures involve the atmospheric environment, water chemistry and biology, geology and soils, and flora. Where possible, measures are coordinated with existing long-term monitoring programs. Application of the measures will allow more effective...

Evaluation of a sexual assault education/prevention program for male U.S. Navy personnel.

PubMed

Rau, Terri J; Merrill, Lex L; McWhorter, Stephanie K; Stander, Valerie A; Thomsen, Cynthia J; Dyslin, Christopher W; Crouch, Julie L; Rabenhorst, Mandy M; Milner, Joel S

2010-06-01

A randomized clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the Navy Sexual Assault Intervention Training (SAIT) program for men. A four-group Solomon design was used to control for possible pretest sensitization effects. Male Navy personnel (N = 1,505) were assessed for rape knowledge, rape myth acceptance (two scales), and rape empathy after participating in the SAIT program or viewing an educational video about HIV/AIDS (comparison condition). The SAIT program was found to be effective in increasing rape knowledge, reducing rape myth acceptance, and increasing empathy for rape victims. As expected, men who had exhibited previous coercive sexual behavior, compared with those who had not, reported lower levels of knowledge, higher levels of rape myth acceptance, and less rape empathy. However, the SAIT program was generally effective in changing men's knowledge, beliefs, and feelings on the key measures, regardless of participants' histories of coercive sexual behavior.

Problem Space Matters: Evaluation of a German Enrichment Program for Gifted Children.

PubMed

Welter, Marisete M; Jaarsveld, Saskia; Lachmann, Thomas

2018-01-01

We studied the development of cognitive abilities related to intelligence and creativity ( N = 48, 6-10 years old), using a longitudinal design (over one school year), in order to evaluate an Enrichment Program for gifted primary school children initiated by the government of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate ( Entdeckertag Rheinland Pfalz , Germany; ET; Day of Discoverers). A group of German primary school children ( N = 24), identified earlier as intellectually gifted and selected to join the ET program was compared to a gender-, class- and IQ- matched group of control children that did not participate in this program. All participants performed the Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) test, which measures intelligence in well-defined problem space; the Creative Reasoning Task (CRT), which measures intelligence in ill-defined problem space; and the test of creative thinking-drawing production (TCT-DP), which measures creativity, also in ill-defined problem space. Results revealed that problem space matters: the ET program is effective only for the improvement of intelligence operating in well-defined problem space. An effect was found for intelligence as measured by SPM only, but neither for intelligence operating in ill-defined problem space (CRT) nor for creativity (TCT-DP). This suggests that, depending on the type of problem spaces presented, different cognitive abilities are elicited in the same child. Therefore, enrichment programs for gifted, but also for children attending traditional schools, should provide opportunities to develop cognitive abilities related to intelligence, operating in both well- and ill-defined problem spaces, and to creativity in a parallel, using an interactive approach.

Problem Space Matters: Evaluation of a German Enrichment Program for Gifted Children

PubMed Central

Welter, Marisete M.; Jaarsveld, Saskia; Lachmann, Thomas

2018-01-01

We studied the development of cognitive abilities related to intelligence and creativity (N = 48, 6–10 years old), using a longitudinal design (over one school year), in order to evaluate an Enrichment Program for gifted primary school children initiated by the government of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate (Entdeckertag Rheinland Pfalz, Germany; ET; Day of Discoverers). A group of German primary school children (N = 24), identified earlier as intellectually gifted and selected to join the ET program was compared to a gender-, class- and IQ- matched group of control children that did not participate in this program. All participants performed the Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) test, which measures intelligence in well-defined problem space; the Creative Reasoning Task (CRT), which measures intelligence in ill-defined problem space; and the test of creative thinking-drawing production (TCT-DP), which measures creativity, also in ill-defined problem space. Results revealed that problem space matters: the ET program is effective only for the improvement of intelligence operating in well-defined problem space. An effect was found for intelligence as measured by SPM only, but neither for intelligence operating in ill-defined problem space (CRT) nor for creativity (TCT-DP). This suggests that, depending on the type of problem spaces presented, different cognitive abilities are elicited in the same child. Therefore, enrichment programs for gifted, but also for children attending traditional schools, should provide opportunities to develop cognitive abilities related to intelligence, operating in both well- and ill-defined problem spaces, and to creativity in a parallel, using an interactive approach. PMID:29740367

Survey of university programs in remote sensing funded under grants from the NASA University-Space Applications program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Madigan, J. A.; Earhart, R. W.

1978-01-01

NASA's Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications (OSTA) is currently assessing approaches to transferring NASA technology to both the public and private sectors. As part of this assessment, NASA is evaluating the effectiveness of an ongoing program in remote sensing technology transfer conducted by 20 university contractors/grantees, each supported totally or partially by NASA funds. The University-Space Applications program has as its objective the demonstration of practical benefits from the use of remote sensing technology to a broad spectrum of new users, principally in state and local governments. To evaluate the University-Space Applications program, NASA has a near-term requirement for data on each university effort including total funding, funding sources, length of program, program description, and effectiveness measures.

Projected health impact and cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination among children <5 years of age in China.

PubMed

Liu, Na; Yen, Catherine; Fang, Zhao-yin; Tate, Jacqueline E; Jiang, Baoming; Parashar, Umesh D; Zeng, Guang; Duan, Zhao-jun

2012-11-06

Two rotavirus vaccines have been licensed globally since 2006. In China, only a lamb rotavirus vaccine is licensed and several new rotavirus vaccines are in development. Data regarding the projected health impact and cost-effectiveness of vaccination of children in China against rotavirus will assist policy makers in developing recommendations for vaccination. Using a Microsoft Excel model, we compared the national health and economic burden of rotavirus disease in China with and without a vaccination program. Model inputs included 2007 data on burden and cost of rotavirus outcomes (deaths, hospitalizations, outpatient visits), projected vaccine efficacy, coverage, and cost. Cost-effectiveness was measured in US dollars per disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) and US dollars per life saved. A 2-dose rotavirus vaccination program could annually avert 3013 (62%) deaths, 194,794 (59%) hospitalizations and 1,333,356 (51%) outpatient visits associated with rotavirus disease in China. The medical break-even price of the vaccine is $1.19 per dose. From a societal perspective, a vaccination program would be highly cost-effective in China at the vaccine price of $2.50 to $5 per dose, and be cost-effective at the price of $10 to $20 per dose. A national rotavirus vaccination program could be a cost-effective measure to effectively reduce deaths, hospitalizations, and outpatient visits due to rotavirus disease in China. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differential Item Functioning on a Measure of Perceptions of Preparation for Teachers, Teacher Candidates, and Program Personnel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donovan, Courtney; Green, Kathy E.; Seidel, Kent

2017-01-01

Core competencies essential for effective teaching were identified via a literature review and a review of standards for teacher education, and vetted by state groups with interests in teacher education. Survey items based on these competencies asked teacher candidates, graduates, and teacher education program faculty how well the program prepared…

Implementing and Evaluating School-Based Primary Prevention Programs and the Importance of Differential Effects on Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussey, David L.; Flannery, Daniel J.

2007-01-01

In 2004, Second Step (Committee for Children, 2002), a violence prevention program, was implemented in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights school district for 1,416 K through second grade students. Both process and outcome measures were used to evaluate program impact and examine issues related to the implementation and evaluation of…

Effects of a Program for Developing Creative Thinking Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rabanos, Natalia Larraz; Torres, Pedro Allueva

2012-01-01

Introduction: The aim of this study is to present an intervention program for creative skills development applied to a group of students of lower Secondary Education. Method: This program was applied in a school in Zaragoza (Spain) during the 2008-09 academic year. The study used a repeated-measures, quasi-experimental design with non-equivalent…

Assessing the Performance of the "Counterfactual as Self-Estimated by Program Participants": Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mueller, Christoph Emanuel; Gaus, Hansjoerg

2015-01-01

In this article, we test an alternative approach to creating a counterfactual basis for estimating individual and average treatment effects. Instead of using control/comparison groups or before-measures, the so-called Counterfactual as Self-Estimated by Program Participants (CSEPP) relies on program participants' self-estimations of their own…

Initial Validation of a Knowledge-Based Measure of Social Information Processing and Anger Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leff, Stephen S.; Cassano, Michael; MacEvoy, Julie Paquette; Costigan, Tracy

2010-01-01

Over the past fifteen years many schools have utilized aggression prevention programs. Despite these apparent advances, many programs are not examined systematically to determine the areas in which they are most effective. One reason for this is that many programs, especially those in urban under-resourced areas, do not utilize outcome measures…

The Effects of Participation in School Instrumental Music Programs on Student Academic Achievement and School Attendance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davenport, Kevin O.

2010-01-01

This study examined whether or not students that participated in a school sponsored instrumental music program had higher academic achievement and attendance than students that did not participate in a school sponsor instrumental music program. Units of measurement included standardized test scores and attendance, without taking into consideration…

Annual Evaluation: Elementary and Secondary Act of 1965 - Title I, Maine, FY 1970.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maine State Dept. of Education, Augusta.

This evaluation attempts to measure the extent and effectiveness of ESEA Title I programs designed to meet the needs of disadvantaged children and apprizes the public and the legislature of program outcomes. In keeping with USOE requirements for evaluating Title I programs, this document is constructed of (1) responses to USOE probes by…

The Scientific Stature of Counseling Psychology Training Programs: A Still Picture of a Shifting Scene.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanish, Christine; And Others

1995-01-01

Previous attempts to rank doctoral programs in counseling psychology suffered from methodological flaws, such as the "Matthew effect." To offset such defects, this study examines citations in two data bases for 488 counseling psychology faculty. The authors list leading programs on the basis of 11 adjusted and unadjusted measures of scientific…

Effectiveness of an occupational health intervention program to reduce whole body vibration exposure: an evaluation study with a controlled pretest-post-test design.

PubMed

Tiemessen, Ivo J H; Hulshof, Carel T J; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W

2009-12-01

An effective intervention program aiming to reduce whole body vibration (WBV) exposure at work will reduce the number of low back complaints in the near future. An evaluation study with a controlled pretest-post-test design. Nine companies and 126 drivers were included in the study. Cluster randomization on company level divided the drivers and their employers in an intervention group and a "care-as-usual" group. At baseline (T0) and intervention program was implemented and evaluated after 7 months (T1). The main outcome measure was WBV exposure. Process measures included knowledge, attitude, and (intended) behavior towards reduction of WBV exposure for the drivers and knowledge and WBV policy for the employers. At T1, no significant reduction was found in WBV exposure within both groups compared with T0. Probably due to poor to moderate compliance, the intervention program was not effective in reducing the WBV exposure on group level but small reductions in WBV exposure are possible when intervention compliance is high. Copyright 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

The Effects of an Online Mind-Body Training Program on Stress, Coping Strategies, Emotional Intelligence, Resilience and Psychological State

PubMed Central

Jung, Ye-Ha; Ha, Tae Min; Oh, Chang Young; Lee, UI Soon; Jang, Joon Hwan; Kim, Jungwon; Park, Jae-Oh; Kang, Do-Hyung

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of an online mind-body training (MBT) program on participants’ stress, anger, coping strategies, emotional intelligence, resilience, and positive and negative affect. Forty-two healthy women participated in an online MBT program for approximately 8–10 minutes a day for 8 weeks; a control group of 45 healthy women did not participate in the program. Self-report psychological questionnaires were administered before the beginning of the program and at 4 and 8 weeks following its onset. Data from the MBT group and the control group were compared using repeated measures ANOVA and Student’s t-tests. Significant time x group interaction effects were found with respect to stress, coping strategies, anger, emotional intelligence, negative affect and resilience. These results demonstrate beneficial effects of the online MBT program and significant improvements in the psychological capabilities of participants compared with the control group. The effects of online MBT program were similar with those of the previous offline MBT in psychological aspects, suggesting further studies for neuroscientific evidence related stress and emotion of online MBT effects. PMID:27479499

The Effects of an Online Mind-Body Training Program on Stress, Coping Strategies, Emotional Intelligence, Resilience and Psychological State.

PubMed

Jung, Ye-Ha; Ha, Tae Min; Oh, Chang Young; Lee, Ui Soon; Jang, Joon Hwan; Kim, Jungwon; Park, Jae-Oh; Kang, Do-Hyung

2016-01-01

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of an online mind-body training (MBT) program on participants' stress, anger, coping strategies, emotional intelligence, resilience, and positive and negative affect. Forty-two healthy women participated in an online MBT program for approximately 8-10 minutes a day for 8 weeks; a control group of 45 healthy women did not participate in the program. Self-report psychological questionnaires were administered before the beginning of the program and at 4 and 8 weeks following its onset. Data from the MBT group and the control group were compared using repeated measures ANOVA and Student's t-tests. Significant time x group interaction effects were found with respect to stress, coping strategies, anger, emotional intelligence, negative affect and resilience. These results demonstrate beneficial effects of the online MBT program and significant improvements in the psychological capabilities of participants compared with the control group. The effects of online MBT program were similar with those of the previous offline MBT in psychological aspects, suggesting further studies for neuroscientific evidence related stress and emotion of online MBT effects.

Influence of Organizational Functioning on Client Engagement in Treatment

PubMed Central

Greener, Jack M.; Joe, George W.; Simpson, D. Dwayne; Rowan-Szal, Grace A.; Lehman, Wayne E. K.

2007-01-01

The present study focused on the relationship between organizational functioning factors measured in a staff survey using the TCU Organizational Readiness for Change (ORC) assessment and client-level engagement measured by the TCU Client Evaluation of Self and Treatment (CEST) in drug treatment programs. The sample consisted of 531 clinical and counseling staff and 3475 clients from 163 substance abuse treatment programs located in 9 states from three regional Addiction Technology Transfer Centers (ATTC). Measures of client engagement in treatment (rapport, satisfaction, and participation) were shown to be higher in programs with more positive staff ratings of organizational functioning. In particular, these programs had fewer agency needs and more favorable ratings for their resources, staff attributes, and climate. These findings help establish the importance of addressing organizational factors as part of an overall strategy for improving treatment effectiveness. PMID:17433863

Measuring the Impact of Programs that Challenge the Public Stigma of Mental Illness

PubMed Central

Corrigan, Patrick W.; Shapiro, Jenessa R.

2010-01-01

Public stigma robs people with mental illnesses from rightful opportunities related to work and other important life goals. Advocates have developed anti-stigma programs meant to address the prejudice and discrimination associated with these conditions. Evidence is now needed to make sense of program impact; this paper looks at measurement issues related to stigma change. Community based participatory research is central to this research and includes the involvement of a diverse collection of stakeholders in all phases of evaluation. Investigators should be cautious about measures vis-à-vis social desirability effects and should directed by social validity of targeted audiences. Conceptual domains with some research support that correspond with assessments include behavior, penetration, psychological perspective, knowledge, and physiological/information processes. These issues are summarized as ten recommendations for evaluation of anti-stigma programs. PMID:20674114

Biomedical and Human Factors Requirements for a Manned Earth-Orbiting Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reynolds, J. B.

1963-01-01

The study reported here has presented a measurement data pool for the determination of biomedical and behavioral effects of long-term exposure to weightlessness. This includes measures, techniques, equipment, and requirements in terms of weight, power, volume, time, crew activities, subsystem interfaces and experimental programs and designs, and confidence ratings for their effectiveness for determining weightlessness effects.

Aboriginal Children and Their Caregivers Living with Low Income: Outcomes from a Two-Generation Preschool Program.

PubMed

Benzies, Karen; Tough, Suzanne; Edwards, Nancy; Mychasiuk, Richelle; Donnelly, Carlene

2011-06-01

The development of preschool children of Aboriginal heritage is jeopardized by the inter-generational transmission of risk that has created, and continues to create, social disadvantage. Early intervention programs are intended to mitigate the impact of social disadvantage. Yet, evidence of the effectiveness of these programs for children of Aboriginal heritage is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a two-generation, multi-cultural preschool program on 45 children of Aboriginal heritage and their caregivers. We used a single-group, pretest (program intake)/posttest (program exit) design with follow-up when the children were 7 years old. We used an observational measure of child receptive language (Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III) and caregiver-reported measures of child development (Nipissing District Developmental Screen), risk for child maltreatment (Adult-Adolescent Parenting Inventory; AAPI), parenting stress (Parenting Stress Index; PSI), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale; RSE), and life skills (Community Life Skills scale; CLS). Using paired t-tests we found statistically significant increases in child receptive language scores between intake and exit, and repeated-measures ANOVA showed that these improvements were maintained up to age 7 years. For caregivers, Pearson's correlations demonstrated that risk for child maltreatment, parenting stress, self-esteem, and life skills were stable over time. Results of this study suggest that children of Aboriginal heritage can benefit from participation in a two-generation, multi-cultural preschool program. Their caregivers may have received greater benefit if issues of intergenerational transmission of the negative influences of residential schools were addressed as part of programming.

76 FR 76023 - National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, 2011

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-06

... enforcement measures and effective substance abuse prevention programs. During National Impaired Driving... legislation, and support successful, evidence-based prevention programs. These ongoing initiatives are... National Impaired Driving Prevention Month, 2011 By the President of the United States of America A...

Developing and implementing an assessment method to evaluate a virtual canine anatomy program.

PubMed

Linton, Andrea; Schoenfeld-Tacher, Regina; Whalen, L Ray

2005-01-01

A computer-based anatomy program, Virtual Canine Anatomy: The Head, was incorporated into a first-year veterinary dissection laboratory two years ago to address challenges inherent in the traditional pedagogical approach. The program uses specimen photographs, QuickTime Virtual Reality, and interactive features to help students study the dissection, osteology, and radiology of the canine head. Photographs of each phase of dissection are displayed in the program, along with dissection instructions. Students can click on anatomical structures in each photograph to highlight the selected structure and display a complete description of it. Related structures and views are accessible through hyperlinks. This study was designed to measure student and faculty attitudes toward the instructional software, to gauge its effect on student achievement, and to propose evaluation methodology and instrumentation for similar projects. Observations, interviews, focus groups, surveys, and test results were used for this assessment. Results suggest positive student and faculty attitudes toward the program. Students felt the program met their needs, increased their confidence and efficiency, and was easy to use. Both students and instructors felt the program was beneficial during dissection. There was no significant change in student achievement on course tests. Future research will measure the program's effect on student-instructor interactions.

The effectiveness of a back school program in lowerlimb amputees: a randomized controlled study.

PubMed

Anaforoğlu, Bahar; Erbahçeci, Fatih; Aksekili, Mehmet Atıf Erol

2016-06-23

A few studies have been carried out in lower limb amputees (LLAs) and they examined the incidence of and reasons for low back pain. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a back school program in LLAs with mechanical low back pain (MLBP). Forty male unilateral transfemoral amputees with MLBP were randomly allocated into two groups. A back school program was applied to Group 1 over 2 weeks. A booklet for home use was given to each participant in Group 2. Pain was assessed using a visual analogue scale. Spinal flexibility measurements were obtained. For the assessment of back pain-related disability, the Oswestry Disability Index was used. Patients were assessed at baseline, at month 1, and at month 3. At the month 1 assessment, a reduction in pain intensity and disability, and increase in spinal flexibility measurements were detected in Group 1 only (P < 0.05). At the month 3 assessment, there were improvements in all measured parameters in both groups(P < 0.05). Group 1 had better results in all parameters compared with Group 2. The back school program, combined with an exercise program, decreased pain and disability and improved the spinal flexibility significantly in LLAs with MLBP.

Relative Effectiveness of Reading Intervention Programs for Adults with Low Literacy.

PubMed

Sabatini, John P; Shore, Jane; Holtzman, Steven; Scarborough, Hollis S

2011-01-01

To compare the efficacy of instructional programs for adult learners with basic reading skills below the seventh grade level, 300 adults were randomly assigned to one of three supplementary tutoring programs designed to strengthen decoding and fluency skills, and gains were examined for the 148 adult students who completed the program. The three intervention programs were based on or adapted from instructional programs that have been shown to benefit children with reading levels similar to those of the adult sample. Each program varied in its relative emphasis on basic decoding versus reading fluency instruction. A repeated measures MANOVA confirmed small to moderate reading gains from pre- to post-testing across a battery of targeted reading measures, but no significant relative differences across interventions. An additional 152 participants who failed to complete the intervention differed initially from those who persisted. Implications for future research and adult literacy instruction are discussed.

Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on quality of life and positive reappraisal coping among parents of children with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

Rayan, Ahmad; Ahmad, Muayyad

2016-08-01

Previous research has supported mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) to enhance quality of life (QOL) in different populations, but no studies have been found to examine the effectiveness of MBIs on QOL among parents of children with ASD. The purpose of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of brief MBI on perceived QOL and positive stress reappraisal (PSR) among parents of children with ASD. A quasi-experimental, with nonequivalent control group design was used. One hundred and four parents of children with ASD were equally assigned to the intervention and control groups. The study groups were matched on measures of their gender and age, and level of severity of ASD in children. The intervention group participated in MBI program for 5 weeks, while the control group had not attended the program. After the intervention program, results of paired samples t-test indicated that parents in the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in measures of psychological health domain of QOL, social health domain of QOL, mindfulness, and positive stress reappraisal with medium to large effect size (P<0.01). The control group demonstrated improvement in measures of the dependent variables with small effect size. MBI is culturally adaptable, acceptable, and effective method to improve QOL and PSR in parents of children with ASD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Response to depression treatment in the Aging Brain Care Medical Home model.

PubMed

LaMantia, Michael A; Perkins, Anthony J; Gao, Sujuan; Austrom, Mary G; Alder, Cathy A; French, Dustin D; Litzelman, Debra K; Cottingham, Ann H; Boustani, Malaz A

2016-01-01

To evaluate the effect of the Aging Brain Care (ABC) Medical Home program's depression module on patients' depression severity measurement over time. Retrospective chart review. Public hospital system. Patients enrolled in the ABC Medical Home program between October 1, 2012 and March 31, 2014. The response of 773 enrolled patients who had multiple patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores recorded in the ABC Medical Home program's depression care protocol was evaluated. Repeatedly measured PHQ-9 change scores were the dependent variables in the mixed effects models, and demographic and comorbid medical conditions were tested as potential independent variables while including random effects for time and intercept. Among those patients with baseline PHQ-9 scores >10, there was a significant decrease in PHQ-9 scores over time ( P <0.001); however, the effect differed by gender ( P =0.015). On average, women's scores (4.5 point drop at 1 month) improved faster than men's scores (1 point drop at 1 month). Moreover, both men and women had a predicted drop of 7 points (>50% decline from baseline) on the PHQ-9 at 6 months. These analyses demonstrate evidence for the sustained effectiveness of the ABC Medical Home program at inducing depression remission outcomes while employing clinical staff who required less formal training than earlier clinical trials.

45 CFR 305.31 - Amount of incentive payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... PROGRAM PERFORMANCE MEASURES, STANDARDS, FINANCIAL INCENTIVES, AND PENALTIES § 305.31 Amount of incentive... establishment, support order, and current collections performance measures and 75 percent of the State's collections base for the fiscal year for the arrearage collections and cost-effectiveness performance measures...

Interventions aimed at reducing obesity in early childhood: a meta-analysis of programs that involve parents.

PubMed

Yavuz, H Melis; van Ijzendoorn, Marinus H; Mesman, Judi; van der Veek, Shelley

2015-06-01

Obesity is a growing problem even in very young childhood, resulting in high costs for individuals and society. As a response, numerous obesity prevention and intervention programs have been developed. Previous research has shown that early intervention programs are more effective when parents are involved, but the effectiveness of specific aspects of programs with parental involvement has not been investigated. This meta-analysis aims to investigate the features related to the effectiveness of different types of obesity intervention programs involving parents and targeting young children (0-6-year-olds). The Web of Science, PubMed, PsycInfo, CINAHL, and ERIC databases were searched for childhood obesity prevention and intervention programs involving parents. Data were analyzed using the Comprehensive Meta-analysis (CMA) software. Fifty studies with effect sizes measured at short-term follow-up (within 3 months from the end of the intervention) and 26 studies with effect sizes measured at long-term follow-up (all reported in a total of 49 publications) were identified. The combined effect size of interventions was small but significant at short-term follow-up (d = .08, p < .01). The results suggested the presence of a potential publication bias in studies providing results at long-term follow-up, with a nonsignificant adjusted effect size (d = .02), which indicated that obesity interventions were not effective at long-term follow-up. Multivariate meta-regression analyses showed that interventions were more effective when including either interactive sessions or educational materials as opposed to those including both interactive sessions and noninteractive educational materials. No other moderators regarding sample characteristics, study design, or methodological quality were significant. Interventions targeting young children that require parental involvement are effective at short-term follow-up, specifically when interventions include one mode of intervention rather than two. However, results were not retained in the long run. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Understanding Cost-Effectiveness of Energy Efficiency Programs

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Discusses the five standard tests used to assess the cost-effectiveness of energy efficiency, how states are using these tests, and how the tests can be used to determine the cost-effectiveness of energy efficiency measures.

Evaluation of the TEAM Train-the-Trainer program

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1992-05-22

Author's abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Train-the-Trainer workshops. Effectiveness was measured in terms of the success facility representatives had, after...

Emergency Food Assistance in Northern Syria: An Evaluation of Transfer Programs in Idleb Governorate.

PubMed

Doocy, Shannon; Tappis, Hannah; Lyles, Emily; Witiw, Joseph; Aken, Vicki

2017-06-01

The war in Syria has left millions struggling to survive amidst violent conflict, pervasive unemployment, and food insecurity. Although international assistance funding is also at an all-time high, it is insufficient to meet the needs of conflict-affected populations, and there is increasing pressure on humanitarian stakeholders to find more efficient, effective ways to provide assistance. To evaluate 3 different assistance programs (in-kind food commodities, food vouchers, and unrestricted vouchers) in Idleb Governorate of Syria from December 2014 and March 2015. The evaluation used repeated survey data from beneficiary households to determine whether assistance was successful in maintaining food security at the household level. Shopkeeper surveys and program monitoring data were used to assess the impact on markets at the district/governorate levels and compare the cost-efficiency and cost-effectiveness of transfer modalities. Both in-kind food assistance and voucher programs showed positive effects on household food security and economic measures in Idleb; however, no intervention was successful in improving all outcomes measured. Food transfers were more likely to improve food access and food security than vouchers and unrestricted vouchers. Voucher programs were found to be more cost-efficient than in-kind food assistance, and more cost-effective for increasing household food consumption. Continuation of multiple types of transfer programs, including both in-kind assistance and vouchers, will allow humanitarian actors to remain responsive to evolving access and security considerations, local needs, and market dynamics.

Biomedical and Human Factors Requirements for a Manned Earth Orbiting Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Helvey, W.; Martell, C.; Peters, J.; Rosenthal, G.; Benjamin, F.; Albright, G.

1964-01-01

The primary objective of this study is to determine which biomedical and human factors measurements must be made aboard a space station to assure adequate evaluation of the astronaut's health and performance during prolonged space flights. The study has employed, where possible, a medical and engineering systems analysis to define the pertinent life sciences and space station design parameters and their influence on a measurement program. The major areas requiring evaluation in meeting the study objectives include a definition of the space environment, man's response to the environment, selection of measurement and data management techniques, experimental program, space station design requirements, and a trade-off analysis with final recommendations. The space environment factors that are believed to have a significant effect on man were evaluated. This includes those factors characteristic of the space environment (e. g. weightlessness, radiation) as well as those created within the space station (e. g. toxic contaminants, capsule atmosphere). After establishing the general features of the environment, an appraisal was made of the anticipated response of the astronaut to each of these factors. For thoroughness, the major organ systems and functions of the body were delineated, and a determination was made of their anticipated response to each of the environmental categories. A judgment was then made on the medical significance or importance of each response, which enabled a determination of which physiological and psychological effects should be monitored. Concurrently, an extensive list of measurement techniques and methods of data management was evaluated for applicability to the space station program. The various space station configurations and design parameters were defined in terms of the biomedical and human factors requirements to provide the measurements program. Research design of experimental programs for various station configurations, mission durations, and crew sizes were prepared, and, finally, a trade-off analysis of the critical variables in the station planning was completed with recommendations to enhance the confidence in the measurement program.

A randomized controlled trial of a supported employment program for persons with long-term mental illness in Hong Kong.

PubMed

Kin Wong, Kenny; Chiu, Rose; Tang, Betty; Mak, Donald; Liu, Joanne; Chiu, Siu Ning

2008-01-01

Supported employment is an evidence-based practice that has proved to be consistently more effective than conventional vocational rehabilitation in helping people with severe mental illness find and sustain competitive employment. Most research on the effectiveness of supported employment comes from the United States. This study examined the effectiveness and applicability of a supported employment program based on the individual placement and support model in a Hong Kong setting. Ninety-two unemployed individuals with long-term mental illness who desired competitive employment were randomly assigned to either a supported employment program or a conventional vocational rehabilitation program and followed up for 18 months. Both vocational and nonvocational outcomes were measured. Over the 18-month study period, compared with participants in the conventional vocational rehabilitation program, those in the supported employment group were more likely to work competitively (70% versus 29%; odds ratio=5.63, 95% confidence interval=2.28-13.84), held a greater number of competitive jobs, earned more income, worked more days, and sustained longer job tenures. Repeated-measures analysis of variance found no substantive differences between participants in the two groups and no significant change from baseline over time for psychiatric symptoms and self-perceived quality of life. Consistent with previous research findings in the United States, the supported employment program was more effective than the conventional vocational rehabilitation program in helping individuals with long-term mental illness find and sustain competitive employment in a Hong Kong setting. The supported employment program based on the individual placement and support model can thus be recommended for wider use in local mental health practice.

Systematic evidence-based quality measurement life-cycle approach to measure retirement in CHIPRA.

PubMed

Dougherty, Denise; Mistry, Kamila B; Lindly, Olivia; Desoto, Maushami; LLanos, Karen; Chesley, Francis

2014-01-01

In 2009, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) publicly released an initial child core set (CCS) of health care quality measures for voluntary reporting by state Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) programs. CMS is responsible for implementing the reporting program and for updating the CCS annually. We assessed selected CCS measures for potential retirement. We identified a 23-member external advisory group to provide relevant expertise. We worked with the group to identify 4 major criteria with multiple subcomponents for assessing the measures. We provided information corresponding to each criterion and subcriterion, using a variety of sources such as the 2009 Medicaid Analytic eXtract (MAX), state-level Medicaid and CHIP data submitted to the CMS, and summaries of published literature on clinical and quality improvement effectiveness related to the CCS topics. Using this information, the group: 1) used a modified Delphi process to score the measures in 2 anonymous scoring rounds (on a scale of 1 to 9 in each round); 2) voted on whether each measure should be retired; and 3) provided narrative explanations of their choices (which formed the basis of our qualitative findings). Recommendations were reviewed by CMS before promulgation to state programs. The Subcommittee of the National Advisory Council on Healthcare Research and Quality (SNAC) recommended that the 4 major criteria be importance, scientific acceptability, feasibility, and usability. The SNAC recommended 3 measures for retirement: access to primary care; testing for strep before recommending antibiotics for pharyngitis; and annual HbA1c testing of children with diabetes. Explanations for suggesting retirement of the measures included: views that the well-visit measures were a better measure of access than the primary care measure; a likely ceiling effect (pharyngitis); and the paucity of clinical evidence and low prevalence (both for HbA1c). CMS recommended that state Medicaid and CHIP programs retire 2 of the recommended measures from the CCS, but retained the access to primary care measure. Periodic reassessment of the value of health care quality measures can reduce reporting burden and allow measure users to focus on measures with higher likelihood of leading to improvements in quality of care and child health outcomes. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Measuring changes in lipid and blood glucose values in the health and wellness program of Prudential Financial, Inc.

PubMed

Short, Meghan E; Goetzel, Ron Z; Young, Jared S; Kowlessar, Niranjana M; Liss-Levinson, Rivka C; Tabrizi, Maryam J; Roemer, Enid Chung; Sabatelli, Adriano A; Winick, Keith; Montes, Myrtho; Crighton, K Andrew

2010-08-01

To determine the effect of health promotion programs of Prudential Financial, Inc on biometric measures of blood lipids and glucose. Using actual biometric and self-reported measures of blood lipids and glucose values for the employees of Prudential Financial, Inc, we examined 1) the extent to which self-reported lipid and blood glucose values correlate to laboratory data, 2) whether self-reported and measured lipid values differ for physically active and sedentary employees, and 3) whether participation in a disease management program affects employees' lipid measures. We found significant differences in self-reported and measured total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein values, although these differences and those for all lipid and blood glucose values were not clinically meaningful. Supporting previous clinical studies, high-density lipoprotein values were significantly higher for fitness center users compared with sedentary employees. Finally, disease management participants showed a significant reduction in total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein during a 3-year period compared with nonparticipants. On average, the employees of Prudential Financial, Inc were aware of and accurately reported their lipid and blood glucose levels. Results from this study support the value of evaluating corporate health promotion programs, using measured biometric outcomes.

Computer analysis of digital well logs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Scott, James H.

1984-01-01

A comprehensive system of computer programs has been developed by the U.S. Geological Survey for analyzing digital well logs. The programs are operational on a minicomputer in a research well-logging truck, making it possible to analyze and replot the logs while at the field site. The minicomputer also serves as a controller of digitizers, counters, and recorders during acquisition of well logs. The analytical programs are coordinated with the data acquisition programs in a flexible system that allows the operator to make changes quickly and easily in program variables such as calibration coefficients, measurement units, and plotting scales. The programs are designed to analyze the following well-logging measurements: natural gamma-ray, neutron-neutron, dual-detector density with caliper, magnetic susceptibility, single-point resistance, self potential, resistivity (normal and Wenner configurations), induced polarization, temperature, sonic delta-t, and sonic amplitude. The computer programs are designed to make basic corrections for depth displacements, tool response characteristics, hole diameter, and borehole fluid effects (when applicable). Corrected well-log measurements are output to magnetic tape or plotter with measurement units transformed to petrophysical and chemical units of interest, such as grade of uranium mineralization in percent eU3O8, neutron porosity index in percent, and sonic velocity in kilometers per second.

Out-of-School-Time Academic Programs to Improve School Achievement: A Community Guide Health Equity Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Knopf, John A.; Hahn, Robert A.; Proia, Krista K.; Truman, Benedict I.; Johnson, Robert L.; Muntaner, Carles; Fielding, Jonathan E.; Jones, Camara Phyllis; Fullilove, Mindy T.; Hunt, Pete C.; Qu, Shuli; Chattopadhyay, Sajal K.; Milstein, Bobby

2015-01-01

Context Low-income and minority status in the United States are associated with poor educational outcomes, which, in turn, reduce the long-term health benefits of education. Objective This systematic review assessed the extent to which out-of-school-time academic (OSTA) programs for at-risk students, most of whom are from low-income and racial/ethnic minority families, can improve academic achievement. Because most OSTA programs serve low-income and ethnic/racial minority students, programs may improve health equity. Design Methods of the Guide to Community Preventive Services were used. An existing systematic review assessing the effects of OSTA programs on academic outcomes (Lauer et al 2006; search period 1985–2003) was supplemented with a Community Guide update (search period 2003–2011). Main Outcome Measure Standardized mean difference. Results Thirty-two studies from the existing review and 25 studies from the update were combined and stratified by program focus (ie, reading-focused, math-focused, general academic programs, and programs with minimal academic focus). Focused programs were more effective than general or minimal academic programs. Reading-focused programs were effective only for students in grades K-3. There was insufficient evidence to determine effectiveness on behavioral outcomes and longer-term academic outcomes. Conclusions OSTA programs, particularly focused programs, are effective in increasing academic achievement for at-risk students. Ongoing school and social environments that support learning and development may be essential to ensure the longer-term benefits of OSTA programs. PMID:26062096

Performance measurement: A tool for program control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abell, Nancy

1994-01-01

Performance measurement is a management tool for planning, monitoring, and controlling as aspects of program and project management--cost, schedule, and technical requirements. It is a means (concept and approach) to a desired end (effective program planning and control). To reach the desired end, however, performance measurement must be applied and used appropriately, with full knowledge and recognition of its power and of its limitations--what it can and cannot do for the project manager. What is the potential of this management tool? What does performance measurement do that a traditional plan vs. actual technique cannot do? Performance measurement provides an improvement over the customary comparison of how much money was spent (actual cost) vs. how much was planned to be spent based on a schedule of activities (work planned). This commonly used plan vs. actual comparison does not allow one to know from the numerical data if the actual cost incurred was for work intended to be done.

Attitudes and lifestyle changes following Jog your Mind: results from a multi-factorial community-based program promoting cognitive vitality among seniors

PubMed Central

Laforest, Sophie; Lorthios-Guilledroit, Agathe; Nour, Kareen; Parisien, Manon; Fournier, Michel; Ellemberg, Dave; Guay, Danielle; Desgagn�s-Cyr, Charles-�mile; Bier, Nathalie

2017-01-01

Abstract This study examined the effects on attitudes and lifestyle behavior of Jog your Mind, a multi-factorial community-based program promoting cognitive vitality among seniors with no known cognitive impairment. A quasi-experimental study was conducted. Twenty-three community organizations were assigned either to the experimental group (offering the program) or to the control group (creating a waiting list). They recruited 294 community-dwelling seniors. The aims of the study were to verify the effects of the program on attitudes and behaviors related to cognitive vitality and to explore its effects on cognitive vitality. Data was collected at baseline and after the program. Regression analyses revealed that, following their participation in the program, experimental group participants reported: (i) in terms of attitudes, having a greater feeling of control concerning their cognitive capacities, (ii) in terms of behaviors, using significantly more memory strategies and practicing more physical activity and stimulating activities than control group participants. However, the program had no significant effects on measures of cognitive vitality. This study supports the fact that a multi-factorial community-based program can have significant effects on seniors’ attitudes and lifestyle behaviors related to cognitive vitality but at short term, no effects on cognitive vitality it-self were found. PMID:28334988

WIC program participation--a marketing approach.

PubMed Central

Buechner, J S; Scott, H D; Smith, J L; Humphrey, A B

1991-01-01

Recent evaluation studies have described the benefits accruing to low-income women and children who participate in the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). However, participation is not uniform among all groups of eligible persons. This study examines the geographic variation in WIC participation rates of eligible pregnant women in Rhode Island to determine whether the program is effective in reaching the neediest segments of the population. Eight groups of small geographic areas in Rhode Island (census tracts) were formed on the basis of need for maternal and child health services, as determined from a statistical method employing factor and cluster analysis of existing health and sociodemographic data. Among these eight groups, participation rates in WIC during 1983-84 ranged from 46 percent to more than 100 percent of estimated eligible pregnant women. The rates were positively correlated with measures of need, strongly (r = 0.92) with an index of maternal risk, and less strongly (r = 0.79) with an index of birth outcomes. The results of this study have enabled the Rhode Island WIC Program to direct its outreach efforts more specifically to geographic areas where the need for the program's assistance is greatest. The procedures described in this report comprise a technique that can be generally applied to measure program effectiveness in marketing and outreach where relevant data are available by small geographic areas. The data requirements are (a) population-based estimates of program need and (b) program utilization measures. If these data can be aggregated to a common set of small geographic areas, the use of marketing analysis techniques becomes possible, and program benefits in the area of outreach and recruitment can be realized. PMID:1910189

Bullying prevention in schools by targeting cognitions, emotions, and behavior: Evaluating the effectiveness of the REBE-ViSC program.

PubMed

Trip, Simona; Bora, Carmen; Sipos-Gug, Sebastian; Tocai, Ioana; Gradinger, Petra; Yanagida, Takuya; Strohmeier, Dagmar

2015-10-01

The effectiveness of a class-based antibullying prevention program on cognitions, emotions, and behaviors was investigated. The program consists of a cognitive-behavioral (Rational Emotive Behavioral Education; REBE) and a behavioral (Viennese Social Competence; ViSC) component. The REBE program is based on rational emotive behavioral theory and contains 9 student lessons. The ViSC program is based on social learning theory and comprises 10 student lessons. The order of the programs was experimentally manipulated. The REBE-ViSC program was implemented in 5 schools (14 classes), the ViSC-REBE program was implemented in 3 schools (9 classes), and 3 schools (11 classes) served as an untreated control group. Data were collected during 1 school year at pretest, midpoint, and posttest. Emotions (overt and internalizing anger), cognitions (learning and entitlement), and behaviors (bullying perpetration and bullying victimization) were measured with self-assessments. To examine the effectiveness of the REBE-ViSC/ViSC-REBE program, multilevel growth models were applied (time points at Level 1, individuals at Level 2, and classes at Level 3). The analyses revealed that the program effects differed depending on the order of the programs. The REBE-ViSC condition was more effective in changing negative emotions than the ViSC-REBE condition; both experimental conditions were effective in reducing dysfunctional cognitions, whereas no behavioral change was found in the 2 experimental groups when compared with the control group. To improve program effectiveness regarding behavioral changes, a multilevel whole-school approach including a teacher component is recommended. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Effect of Transcendental Meditation on Employee Stress, Depression, and Burnout: A Randomized Controlled Study

PubMed Central

Elder, Charles; Nidich, Sanford; Moriarty, Francis; Nidich, Randi

2014-01-01

Context: Workplace stress and burnout are pervasive problems, affecting employee performance and personal health. Objective: To evaluate the effects of the Transcendental Meditation program on psychological distress and burnout among staff at a residential therapeutic school for students with severe behavioral problems. Design: A total of 40 secondary schoolteachers and support staff at the Bennington School in Vermont, a therapeutic school for children with behavioral problems, were randomly assigned to either practice of the Transcendental Meditation program or a wait-list control group. The Transcendental Meditation course was provided by certified instructors. Main Outcome Measures: Outcome measures were assessed at baseline and at four months, and included perceived stress, depression, and burnout. A multivariate analysis of covariance was used to determine overall effects. Results: Analysis of the 4-month intervention data indicated a significant improvement in the main outcomes of the study resulting from practice of the Transcendental Meditation program compared with controls (Wilks Λ [3,28] = 0.695; p = 0.019). Results of univariate F tests indicated a significant reduction of all main outcome measures: perceived stress (F[1,32] = 13.42; p = < 0.001); depression (F[1,32] = 6.92; p = 0.013); and overall teacher burnout (F[1,32] = 6.18; p = 0.018). Effect sizes ranged from 0.40 to 0.94. Conclusions: The Transcendental Meditation program was effective in reducing psychological distress in teachers and support staff working in a therapeutic school for students with behavioral problems. These findings have important implications for employees’ job performance as well as their mental and physical health. PMID:24626068

Effects of a Nintendo Wii exercise program on spasticity and static standing balance in spastic cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Gatica-Rojas, Valeska; Cartes-Velásquez, Ricardo; Méndez-Rebolledo, Guillermo; Guzman-Muñoz, Eduardo; Lizama, L Eduardo Cofré

2017-08-01

This study sought to evaluate the effects of a Nintendo Wii Balance Board (NWBB) intervention on ankle spasticity and static standing balance in young people with spastic cerebral palsy (SCP). Ten children and adolescents (aged 72-204 months) with SCP participated in an exercise program with NWBB. The intervention lasted 6 weeks, 3 sessions per week, 25 minutes for each session. Ankle spasticity was assessed using the Modified Modified Ashworth Scale (MMAS), and static standing balance was quantified using posturographic measures (center-of-pressure [CoP] measures). Pre- and post-intervention measures were compared. Significant decreases of spasticity in the ankle plantar flexor muscles (p < 0.01). There was also a significant reduction in the CoP sway area (p = 0.04), CoP mediolateral velocity (p =0.03), and CoP anterior-posterior velocity (p = 0.03). A 6-session NWBB program reduces the spasticity at the ankle plantar flexors and improves the static standing balance in young people with SCP.

Effects of Group-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Coaching Program on Depressive Symptoms in a Sample of Inmates in a Nigerian Prison.

PubMed

Eseadi, Chiedu; Obidoa, Mabel A; Ogbuabor, Shulamite E; Ikechukwu-Ilomuanya, Amaka B

2018-05-01

This study investigated the effects that a group-focused cognitive-behavioral coaching program had on depressive symptoms of a sample of inmates from Nsukka Prisons, Enugu State, Nigeria. The design of the study was pretest-posttest control group . The participants were 30 male inmates, experiencing high levels of depressive symptoms, and randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. The primary outcome measure was depression symptoms as measured using Beck's Depression Inventory. Repeated-measures ANOVA and the Mann-Whitney U Test were used for data analysis. Results show that exposing inmates to the group-focused cognitive-behavioral coaching program significantly reduced the depressive symptoms of inmates in the treatment group compared with those in the control group. Our results support the use of cognitive-behavioral coaching interventions designed to assist the severely depressed inmates in Nigeria. Further studies should be conducted both in other states of Nigeria and in other countries.

Networking Matters: A Social Network Analysis of the Association of Program Directors of Internal Medicine.

PubMed

Warm, Eric; Arora, Vineet M; Chaudhry, Saima; Halvorsen, Andrew; Schauer, Daniel; Thomas, Kris; McDonald, Furman S

2018-03-22

Networking has positive effects on career development; however, personal characteristics of group members such as gender or diversity may foster or hinder member connectedness. Social network analysis explores interrelationships between people in groups by measuring the strength of connection between all possible pairs in a given network. Social network analysis has rarely been used to examine network connections among members in an academic medical society. This study seeks to ascertain the strength of connection between program directors in the Association of Program Directors in Internal Medicine (APDIM) and its Education Innovations Project subgroup and to examine possible associations between connectedness and characteristics of program directors and programs. We hypothesize that connectedness will be measurable within a large academic medical society and will vary significantly for program directors with certain measurable characteristics (e.g., age, gender, rank, location, burnout levels, desire to resign). APDIM program directors described levels of connectedness to one another on the 2012 APDIM survey. Using social network analysis, we ascertained program director connectedness by measuring out-degree centrality, in-degree centrality, and eigenvector centrality, all common measures of connectedness. Higher centrality was associated with completion of the APDIM survey, being in a university-based program, Educational Innovations Project participation, and higher academic rank. Centrality did not vary by gender; international medical graduate status; previous chief resident status; program region; or levels of reported program director burnout, callousness, or desire to resign. In this social network analysis of program directors within a large academic medical society, we found that connectedness was related to higher academic rank and certain program characteristics but not to other program director characteristics like gender or international medical graduate status. Further research is needed to optimize our understanding of connection in organizations such as these and to determine which strategies promote valuable connections.

Building capacity for change: evaluation of an organisation-wide leadership development program.

PubMed

Schultz, Tim; Shoobridge, Jodie; Harvey, Gill; Carter, Libby; Kitson, Alison

2018-05-23

Objective. This study evaluated Leading 4 Change, a change leadership development program designed to support healthcare middle managers through a period of significant organisational change and enhance workplace resilience. Methods. A mixed methods evaluation was conducted within the program's framework of a quality improvement activity. Quantitative measures were participant responses (n=160) to online questionnaires, which were compared before and after the program, using an uncontrolled pre-post study design. Four questionnaires were used: Resilience @ Work, General Self-Efficacy, the 11-item Learning Organization Survey and organisational climate. Differences between the pre- and post-program periods were compared using linear mixed-effects models, incorporating repeated measures between 'pre' and 'post' periods. Qualitative data were obtained by interviewing four participants on three occasions during the program, and through text responses provided by participants during a presentation session after the program finished. Both interview data and textual data were subjected to thematic analysis. Results. Integration of data from quantitative and qualitative analyses generated three main findings: (1) participants were satisfied and engaged with the program, which met their learning objectives; (2) the program led to increased workplace resilience, in particular the ability to manage stress and self-efficacy for individuals; and (3) organisational learning perceptions were unchanged. Conclusion. Although conducted during a period of intense internal and external pressure, Leading 4 Change led to demonstrable effects. It effectively engaged middle managers across a health system. However, there was no evidence that the effect of the program extended beyond individual participants to their perceptions of their work environment as a learning organisation. What is known about the topic? Although much has been written about change management and change leadership within healthcare, the failure to manage the 'people' element and engage employees hampers the success of that change. However, how to engage employees and enhance their resilience and self-efficacy (self-belief to proactively manage) during change has been little explored. Further, the concept of a learning organisation has been developed in private, non-healthcare fields and there is little known about it in other areas, such as healthcare, particularly during change. What does this paper add? The paper describes the evaluation of a 16-week change leadership development program (Leading 4 Change) for middle managers of a public health system undergoing significant reform. It assesses how the program engaged employees, and how and to what extent their workplace resilience, self-efficacy and perceptions of their workplace as a learning organisation changed after the program. Based on the present study, individual development of staff does not necessarily translate directly to better staff perceptions of organisational outcomes. What are the implications for practitioners? Despite being clearly engaged with Leading 4 Change, quantitative and qualitative measures suggested mixed effects of the program on participants. Participants' self-rated workplace resilience, ability to manage stress and self-efficacy increased after the program. However, there was no evidence that the effect of the program improved staff perceptions of their work as a learning organisation. For complex public sector healthcare organisations to become learning organisations, other organisational factors, in addition to staff development and training, require consideration.

Stream Flow Prediction by Remote Sensing and Genetic Programming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, Ni-Bin

2009-01-01

A genetic programming (GP)-based, nonlinear modeling structure relates soil moisture with synthetic-aperture-radar (SAR) images to present representative soil moisture estimates at the watershed scale. Surface soil moisture measurement is difficult to obtain over a large area due to a variety of soil permeability values and soil textures. Point measurements can be used on a small-scale area, but it is impossible to acquire such information effectively in large-scale watersheds. This model exhibits the capacity to assimilate SAR images and relevant geoenvironmental parameters to measure soil moisture.

A portable battery for objective, non-obstrusive measures of human performances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, R. S.

1984-01-01

The need for a standardized battery of human performance tests to measure the effects of various treatments is pointed out. Progress in such a program is reported. Three batteries are available which differ in length and the number of tests in the battery. All tests are implemented on a portable, lap held, briefcase size microprocessor. Performances measured include: information processing, memory, visual perception, reasoning, and motor skills, programs to determine norms, reliabilities, stabilities, factor structure of tests, comparisons with marker tests, apparatus suitability. Rationale for the battery is provided.

Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a self-management group program to improve social participation in patients with neuromuscular disease and chronic fatigue: protocol of the Energetic study.

PubMed

Veenhuizen, Yvonne; Cup, Edith H C; Groothuis, Jan T; Hendriks, Jan C M; Adang, Eddy M M; van Engelen, Baziel G M; Geurts, Alexander C H

2015-04-19

Chronic fatigue is present in more than 60% of the patients with a neuromuscular disease and can be their most disabling symptom. In combination with other impairments, fatigue often results in low levels of physical activity and decreased social participation, leading to high societal costs. 'Energetic' is a self-management group program aimed at improving social participation, physical endurance and alleviating fatigue in these patients. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Energetic program. A multicentered, assessor-blinded, two-armed randomized controlled trial is conducted with evaluations at inclusion and four, seven and fifteen months later. The study includes patients with a neuromuscular disease and chronic fatigue and, when present, their caregivers. The participants are randomized (ratio 1:1) to either an intervention group, receiving the Energetic program, or a control group, receiving usual care (i.e., no specific intervention). The Energetic program covers four months and includes four modules: 1) individually tailored aerobic exercise training; 2) education about aerobic exercise; 3) self-management training in applying energy conservation strategies; and 4) implementation and relapse prevention in daily life. Two months after cessation of the program a booster session is provided. The primary outcome is the perceived performance score of the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). Secondary outcomes include the COPM-satisfaction score, and measures of fatigue, physical endurance, activity engagement, mood, and self-efficacy. Caregiver burden is also evaluated as a secondary outcome. Health-related quality of life and medical and societal costs are assessed to estimate cost-effectiveness of the program. The Energetic study is the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a combined physical and self-management group training program for improving social participation, physical endurance and alleviating fatigue in patients with neuromuscular diseases. It will generate new insights in (cost-)effective rehabilitation strategies for these incurable conditions. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT02208687 .

Effects of Embedded and Direct Language Strategies on Prekindergarten Students' Cognitive and Social Emotional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dominy, Matthew L.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to measure the effect of a standard of care embedded language strategies program utilized in combination with direct language strategy instruction on the measured expressive language, cognitive development, social emotional development, and language development of prekindergarten students attending three neighborhood…

Curricular Integration and Measurement of Cultural Competence Development in a Group of Physical Therapy Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palombaro, Kerstin M.; Dole, Robin L.; Black, Jill D.

2015-01-01

Introduction and Background: The link between cultural competence and effective physical therapy encounters is established. Physical therapist educational programs face the challenge of fostering the cultural competence of students in effective and meaningful ways within the curriculum. They also face the challenge of measuring the development of…

Effect of a 6-Week Weighted Baseball Throwing Program on Pitch Velocity, Pitching Arm Biomechanics, Passive Range of Motion, and Injury Rates.

PubMed

Reinold, Michael M; Macrina, Leonard C; Fleisig, Glenn S; Aune, Kyle; Andrews, James R

Emphasis on enhancing baseball pitch velocity has become popular, especially through weighted-ball throwing. However, little is known about the physical effects or safety of these programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of training with weighted baseballs on pitch velocity, passive range of motion (PROM), muscle strength, elbow torque, and injury rates. A 6-week weighted ball training program would result in a change in pitching biomechanical and physical characteristics. Randomized controlled trial. Level 1. During the baseball offseason, 38 healthy baseball pitchers were randomized into a control group and an experimental group. Pitch velocity, shoulder and elbow PROM, shoulder strength, elbow varus torque, and shoulder internal rotation velocity were measured in both groups. The experimental group then performed a 6-week weighted ball throwing program 3 times per week using balls ranging from 2 to 32 ounces while the control group only used a 5-ounce regulation baseball. Both groups performed a strength training program. Measurements were then repeated after the 6-week period. Injuries were tracked over the 6-week training program and the subsequent baseball season. The effect of training with a weighted ball program was assessed using 2-way repeated-measures analysis of variance at an a priori significance level of P < 0.05. Mean age, height, mass, and pretesting throwing velocity were 15.3 ± 1.2 years (range, 13-18 years), 1.73 ± 0.28 m, 68.3 ± 11 kg, and 30.3 ± 0.7 m/s, respectively. Pitch velocity showed a statistically significant increase (3.3%) in the experimental group ( P < 0.001). There was a statistically significant increase of 4.3° of shoulder external rotation in the experimental group. The overall injury rate was 24% in the experimental group. Four participants in the experimental group suffered elbow injuries, 2 during the training program and 2 in the season after training. No pitchers in the control group were injured at any time during the study. Performing a 6-week weighted ball throwing program increased pitch velocity. However, the program resulted in increased shoulder external rotation PROM and increased injury rate. Although weighted-ball training may increase pitch velocity, caution is warranted because of the notable increase in injuries and physical changes observed in this cohort.

Measuring Security Effectiveness and Efficiency at U.S. Commercial Airports

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

formative program evaluation and policy analysis to investigate current airport security programs. It identifies innovative public administration and...policy-analysis tools that could provide potential benefits to airport security . These tools will complement the System Based Risk Management framework if

FMCSA safety program effectiveness measurement : Intervention Model in fiscal year 2007

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-04-01

This report presents results from FMCSAs Roadside Intervention Model for fiscal year 2007. The model estimates the number of crashes avoided, as well as injuries avoided and lives saved, as a result of the Agencys roadside inspection program. T...

Project UCARE : Uniform Commuter Assistance Reporting and Evaluation for transportation demand management programs.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-09-01

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) places emphasis upon results and better management of programs for effective and efficient service delivery. With an increased focus on measuring performance, the transportation demand manage...

Effects of a Structured Discharge Planning Program on Perceived Functional Status, Cardiac Self-efficacy, Patient Satisfaction, and Unexpected Hospital Revisits Among Filipino Cardiac Patients: A Randomized Controlled Study.

PubMed

Cajanding, Ruff Joseph

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among Filipinos and are responsible for a very large number of hospital readmissions. Comprehensive discharge planning programs have demonstrated positive benefits among various populations of patients with cardiovascular disease, but the clinical and psychosocial effects of such intervention among Filipino patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have not been studied. In this study we aimed to determine the effectiveness of a nurse-led structured discharge planning program on perceived functional status, cardiac self-efficacy, patient satisfaction, and unexpected hospital revisits among Filipino patients with AMI. A true experimental (randomized control) 2-group design with repeated measures and data collected before and after intervention and at 1-month follow-up was used in this study. Participants were assigned to either the control (n = 68) or the intervention group (n = 75). Intervention participants underwent a 3-day structured discharge planning program implemented by a cardiovascular nurse practitioner, which is comprised of a series of individualized lecture-discussion, provision of feedback, integrative problem solving, goal setting, and action planning. Control participants received standard routine care. Measures of functional status, cardiac self-efficacy, and patient satisfaction were measured at baseline; cardiac self-efficacy and patient satisfaction scores were measured prior to discharge, and perceived functional status and number of revisits were measured 1 month after discharge. Participants in the intervention group had significant improvement in functional status, cardiac self-efficacy, and patient satisfaction scores at baseline and at follow-up compared with the control participants. Furthermore, participants in the intervention group had significantly fewer hospital revisits compared with those who received only standard care. The results demonstrate that a nurse-led structured discharge planning program is an effective intervention in improving perceived functional health status, cardiac self-efficacy, and patient satisfaction, while reducing the number of unexpected hospital revisits, among Filipino patients with AMI. It is recommended that this intervention be incorporated in the optimal care of patients being discharged with an AMI.

Modeling an economic evaluation of a salt fluoridation program in Peru.

PubMed

Mariño, Rodrigo J; Fajardo, Jorge; Arana, Ana; Garcia, Carlos; Pachas, Flor

2011-01-01

This article models the cost-effectiveness, from a societal viewpoint, of a dental caries prevention program using salt fluoridation for children 12 years of age, compared with non-intervention (or status quo) in Arequipa, Peru. Standard cost-effectiveness analysis methods were used. The costs associated with implementing and operating the salt-fluoridation program were identified and measured using 2009 prices. Health outcomes were measured as dental caries averted over a 6-year period. Clinical effectiveness data was taken from published data. Costs were measured as direct treatment costs, programs costs and costs of productivity losses as a result of dental treatments. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was calculated. A hypothetical population of 25,000 12-year-olds living in Arequipa, Peru was used in this analysis. Two-way sensitivity analyses were conducted over a range of values for key parameters. Our primary analysis estimated that if a dental caries prevention program using salt-fluoridation was available for 25,000 6-year-old children for 6 years, the net saving from a societal perspective would total S/. 11.95 [1 US$ = S/. (2009) 3.01] per diseased tooth averted when compared with the status quo group. That is, after 6 years, an investment of S/.0.32 per annum per child would result in a net saving of S/.11.95 per decayed/missing/filled teeth prevented. While the analysis has inherent limitations as a result of its reliance on a range of assumptions, the findings indicate that for the situations prevailing in Peru, there are significant health and economic benefits to be gained from the use of salt fluoridation.

Effect of neurolinguistic programming training on self-actualization as measured by the Personal Orientation Inventory.

PubMed

Duncan, R C; Konefal, J; Spechler, M M

1990-06-01

Neurolinguistic programming training is based on principles that should enable the trainee to be more "present"-oriented, inner-directed, flexible, self-aware, and responsive to others, that is, more self-actualized. This study reports within-person changes on self-actualization measures of the Personal Orientation Inventory following a 24-day residential training in neurolinguistic programming. Significant positive mean changes were found for 18 master practitioners on nine of the 12 scales and for 36 practitioners on 10 of the 12 scales. Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that training increases individual self-actualization scores.

Structured Problem Solving and the Basic Graphic Methods within a Total Quality Leadership Setting: Case Study

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-02-01

develop,, and maintains computer programs for the Department of the Navy. It provides life cycle support for over 50 computer programs installed at over...the computer programs . Table 4 presents a list of possible product or output measures of functionality for ACDS Block 0 programs . Examples of output...were identified as important "causes" of process performance. Functionality of the computer programs was the result or "effect" of the combination of

Continuous Evaluation in Ethics Education: A Case Study.

PubMed

McIntosh, Tristan; Higgs, Cory; Mumford, Michael; Connelly, Shane; DuBois, James

2018-04-01

A great need for systematic evaluation of ethics training programs exists. Those tasked with developing an ethics training program may be quick to dismiss the value of training evaluation in continuous process improvement. In the present effort, we use a case study approach to delineate how to leverage formative and summative evaluation measures to create a high-quality ethics education program. With regard to formative evaluation, information bearing on trainee reactions, qualitative data from the comments of trainees, in addition to empirical findings, can ensure that the training program operates smoothly. Regarding summative evaluation, measures examining trainee cognition, behavior, and organization-level results provide information about how much trainees have changed as a result of taking the ethics training. The implications of effective training program evaluation are discussed.

Teaching self-protection to children using television techniques.

PubMed Central

Poche, C; Yoder, P; Miltenberger, R

1988-01-01

This study compared the effectiveness of a videotape training program with other methods of teaching children self-protection to prevent child abduction. Subjects were kindergarten and first-grade students. Four experimental conditions were presented: videotape with behavior rehearsal, videotape only, a standard safety program, and no training. Acquisition of self-protective behaviors was measured at posttraining and follow-up by having confederate adults entice the children near their schools and homes. Results revealed that the videotape program with behavior rehearsal was highly effective in teaching children safe responses to potential abductors. The standard safety program was effective with fewer than half of the children. Three fourths of the children who received no training immediately agreed to go with the confederate suspects. The videotape program can be easily used with groups of young children in a classroom setting. PMID:3198545

Measurement in Physical Education. 5th Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathews, Donald K.

Concepts of measurement in physical education are presented in this college-level text to enable the preservice physical education major to develop skills in determining pupil status, designing effective physical activity programs, and measuring student progress. Emphasis is placed upon discussion of essential statistical methods, test…

Quantifying Error in Survey Measures of School and Classroom Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schweig, Jonathan David

2014-01-01

Developing indicators that reflect important aspects of school and classroom environments has become central in a nationwide effort to develop comprehensive programs that measure teacher quality and effectiveness. Formulating teacher evaluation policy necessitates accurate and reliable methods for measuring these environmental variables. This…

Animal Models and Bone Histomorphometry: Translational Research for the Human Research Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sibonga, Jean D.

2010-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the use of animal models to research and inform bone morphology, in particular relating to human research in bone loss as a result of low gravity environments. Reasons for use of animal models as tools for human research programs include: time-efficient, cost-effective, invasive measures, and predictability as some model are predictive for drug effects.

The Effectiveness of Videotape Programs as a Communication Tool in the Small-Scale Livestock for Rural Farming Women Project, Honduras.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson-Dean, Lynn

This study examines economic development in Third World countries and the use of portable video systems in development projects. The study, conducted in 1985, attempts to measure the level of effectiveness of videotape programs as a communication tool for training rural subsistence women in Honduras in technical aspects of pig-keeping. Classical…

Evidence on the Efficacy of School-Based Incentives for Healthy Living. NBER Working Paper No. 17478

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuffe, Harold E.; Harbaugh, William T.; Lindo, Jason M.; Musto, Giancarlo; Waddell, Glen R.

2011-01-01

We analyze the effects of a school-based incentive program on children's exercise habits. The program offers children an opportunity to win prizes if they walk or bike to school during prize periods. We use daily child-level data and individual fixed effects models to measure the impact of the prizes by comparing behavior during prize periods with…

Research on and Guidelines for Effective Use of Assessment Instruments and Strategies for Adult Learners Enrolled in Adult Basic and Literacy Education Programs. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park. Inst. for the Study of Adult Literacy.

The goal of this research project was to create a guide on the effective use of assessment instruments and methodologies, related resources, and guidelines for measuring adult learners' attainment of basic skills and competencies to document educational gains and demonstrate program quality. The project focused on confirming current use of…

Cognitive stimulation in healthy older adults: a cognitive stimulation program using leisure activities compared to a conventional cognitive stimulation program.

PubMed

Grimaud, Élisabeth; Taconnat, Laurence; Clarys, David

2017-06-01

The aim of this study was to compare two methods of cognitive stimulation for the cognitive functions. The first method used an usual approach, the second used leisure activities in order to assess their benefits on cognitive functions (speed of processing; working memory capacity and executive functions) and psychoaffective measures (memory span and self esteem). 67 participants over 60 years old took part in the experiment. They were divided into three groups: 1 group followed a program of conventional cognitive stimulation, 1 group a program of cognitive stimulation using leisure activities and 1 control group. The different measures have been evaluated before and after the training program. Results show that the cognitive stimulation program using leisure activities is as effective on memory span, updating and memory self-perception as the program using conventional cognitive stimulation, and more effective on self-esteem than the conventional program. There is no difference between the two stimulated groups and the control group on speed of processing. Neither of the two cognitive stimulation programs provides a benefit over shifting and inhibition. These results indicate that it seems to be possible to enhance working memory and to observe far transfer benefits over self-perception (self-esteem and memory self-perception) when using leisure activities as a tool for cognitive stimulation.

Effectiveness of a Core-Competency–based Program on Residents’ Learning and Experience

PubMed Central

Charles, Lesley; Triscott, Jean; Dobbs, Bonnie; Tian, Peter George; Babenko, Oksana

2016-01-01

Background The Care of the Elderly (COE) Diploma Program is a six-to-twelve-month enhanced skills program taken after two years of core residency training in Family Medicine. In 2010, we developed and implemented a core-competency–based COE Diploma program (CC), in lieu of one based on learning objectives (LO). This study assessed the effectiveness of the core-competency–based program on residents’ learning and their training experience as compared to residents trained using learning objectives. Methods The data from the 2007–2013 COE residents were used in the study, with nine and eight residents trained in the LO and CC programs, respectively. Residents’ learning was measured using preceptors’ evaluations of residents’ skills/abilities throughout the program (118 evaluations in total). Residents’ rating of training experience was measured using the Graduate’s Questionnaire which residents completed after graduation. Results For residents’ learning, overall, there was no significant difference between the two programs. However, when examined as a function of the four CanMEDS roles, there were significant increases in the CC residents’ scores for two of the CanMEDS roles: Communicator/Collaborator/Manager and Scholar compared to residents in the LO program. With respect to residents’ training experience, seven out of ten program components were rated by the CC residents higher than by the LO residents. Conclusion The implementation of a COE CC program appears to facilitate resident learning and training experience. PMID:27403213

Ocean Surface Wave Optical Roughness: Analysis of Innovative Measurements

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-16

relationship of MSS to wind speed, and at times has shown a reversal of the Cox-Munk linear relationship. Furthermore, we observe measurable changes in...1985]. The variable speed allocation method has the effect of aliasing (cb) to slower waves, thereby increasing the exponent –m. Our analysis based ...RaDyO) program. The primary research goals of the program are to (1) examine time -dependent oceanic radiance distribution in relation to dynamic

Predicted future forest- and farmland development in western Oregon with and without land use zoning in effect.

Treesearch

Jeffrey D. Kline

2005-01-01

Oregon’s Land Use Planning Program is often cited as an exemplary approach to protecting forest and farm lands from development. In November 2004, Oregon voters approved a ballot measure—Measure 37—to require the state to compensate landowners for any property value losses resulting from land use regulations, including those adopted under the program. Because...

Writing objectives and evaluating learning in the affective domain.

PubMed

Maier-Lorentz, M M

1999-01-01

Staff educators recognize the importance of affective competency for effective nursing practice. Inservice programs must include affective learning with objectives stated in measurable terms. Staff educators often express frustration in developing affective objectives and evaluating the learning outcome because attitudes and feelings are usually inferred from observations. This article presents affective learning objectives for a gerontological nursing inservice program and a rating scale that measures attitudes to evaluate the learning outcome.

The Effects of High Adventure Activities on Adolescent Self-Concept: A Comparison of Situationally Specific Self-Concept Measurements and Global Self-Concept Measurements.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Alan N.

Changes in adolescents' self concept as a result of participation in a camping program were studied. Subjects were 57 males and females, aged 14-18, who spent 9 weeks with the Man and His Land program, travelling on eight camping expeditions. Three hypotheses were tested through pre-, mid-, and posttests: (1) Differences would be shown in pre- and…

Effects of a Modified German Volume Training Program on Muscular Hypertrophy and Strength.

PubMed

Amirthalingam, Theban; Mavros, Yorgi; Wilson, Guy C; Clarke, Jillian L; Mitchell, Lachlan; Hackett, Daniel A

2017-11-01

Amirthalingam, T, Mavros, Y, Wilson, GC, Clarke, JL, Mitchell, L, and Hackett, DA. Effects of a modified German volume training program on muscular hypertrophy and strength. J Strength Cond Res 31(11): 3109-3119, 2017-German Volume Training (GVT), or the 10 sets method, has been used for decades by weightlifters to increase muscle mass. To date, no study has directly examined the training adaptations after GVT. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a modified GVT intervention on muscular hypertrophy and strength. Nineteen healthy men were randomly assign to 6 weeks of 10 or 5 sets of 10 repetitions for specific compound resistance exercises included in a split routine performed 3 times per week. Total and regional lean body mass, muscle thickness, and muscle strength were measured before and after the training program. Across groups, there were significant increases in lean body mass measures, however, greater increases in trunk (p = 0.043; effect size [ES] = -0.21) and arm (p = 0.083; ES = -0.25) lean body mass favored the 5-SET group. No significant increases were found for leg lean body mass or measures of muscle thickness across groups. Significant increases were found across groups for muscular strength, with greater increases in the 5-SET group for bench press (p = 0.014; ES = -0.43) and lat pull-down (p = 0.003; ES = -0.54). It seems that the modified GVT program is no more effective than performing 5 sets per exercise for increasing muscle hypertrophy and strength. To maximize hypertrophic training effects, it is recommended that 4-6 sets per exercise be performed, as it seems gains will plateau beyond this set range and may even regress due to overtraining.

A Mixed-Methods Study Using a Nonclinical Sample to Measure Feasibility of Ostrich Community: A Web-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program for Individuals With Debt and Associated Stress

PubMed Central

Smail, Dawn; Elison, Sarah; Dubrow-Marshall, Linda

2017-01-01

Background There are increasing concerns about the health and well-being of individuals facing financial troubles. For instance, in the United Kingdom, the relationship between debt and mental health difficulties is becoming more evident due to the economic downturn and welfare reform. Access to debt counseling services is limited and individuals may be reluctant to access services due to stigma. In addition, most of these services may not be appropriately resourced to address the psychological impact of debt. This study describes outcomes from an Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) program, Ostrich Community (OC), which was developed to provide support to those struggling with debt and associated psychological distress. Objective The aim of this feasibility study was to assess the suitability and acceptability of the OC program in a nonclinical sample and examine mental health and well-being outcomes from using the program. Methods A total of 15 participants (who were not suffering from severe financial difficulty) were assisted in working through the 8-week ICBT program. Participants rated usability and satisfaction with the program, and after completion 7 participants took part in a semistructured interview to provide further feedback. Before the first session and after the final session all participants completed questionnaires to measure well-being and levels of depression, stress, and anxiety and pre- and postscores were compared. Results Satisfaction was high and themes emerging from the interviews indicate that the program has the potential to promote effective financial behaviors and improve financial and global psychosocial well-being. When postcompletion scores were compared with those taken before the program, significant improvements were identified on psychometric measures of well-being, stress, and anxiety. Conclusions The OC program is the first ICBT program that targets poor mental health associated with financial difficulty. This feasibility study indicates that OC may be an effective intervention for increasing financial resilience, supporting individuals to become financially independent, and promoting positive financial and global well-being. Further work with individuals suffering from debt and associated emotional difficulties will help to examine clinical effectiveness more closely. PMID:28396305

Cost effectiveness and efficiency in assistive technology service delivery.

PubMed

Warren, C G

1993-01-01

In order to develop and maintain a viable service delivery program, the realities of cost effectiveness and cost efficiency in providing assistive technology must be addressed. Cost effectiveness relates to value of the outcome compared to the expenditures. Cost efficiency analyzes how a provider uses available resources to supply goods and services. This paper describes how basic business principles of benefit/cost analysis can be used to determine cost effectiveness. In addition, basic accounting principles are used to illustrate methods of evaluating a program's cost efficiency. Service providers are encouraged to measure their own program's effectiveness and efficiency (and potential viability) in light of current trends. This paper is meant to serve as a catalyst for continued dialogue on this topic.

Effects of Group, Individual, and Home Exercise in Persons With Parkinson Disease: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PubMed

King, Laurie A; Wilhelm, Jennifer; Chen, Yiyi; Blehm, Ron; Nutt, John; Chen, Zunqiu; Serdar, Andrea; Horak, Fay B

2015-10-01

Comparative studies of exercise interventions for people with Parkinson disease (PD) rarely considered how one should deliver the intervention. The objective of this study was to compare the success of exercise when administered by (1) home exercise program, (2) individualized physical therapy, or (3) a group class. We examined if common comorbidities associated with PD impacted success of each intervention. Fifty-eight people (age = 63.9 ± 8 years) with PD participated. People were randomized into (1) home exercise program, (2) individual physical therapy, or (3) group class intervention. All arms were standardized and based on the Agility Boot Camp exercise program for PD, 3 times per week for 4 weeks. The primary outcome measure was the 7-item Physical Performance Test. Other measures of balance, gait, mobility, quality of life, balance confidence, depressions, apathy, self-efficacy and UPDRS-Motor, and activity of daily living scores were included. Only the individual group significantly improved in the Physical Performance Test. The individual exercise showed the most improvements in functional and balance measures, whereas the group class showed the most improvements in gait. The home exercise program improved the least across all outcomes. Several factors effected success, particularly for the home group. An unsupervised, home exercise program is the least effective way to deliver exercise to people with PD, and individual and group exercises have differing benefits. Furthermore, people with PD who also have other comorbidities did better in a program directly supervised by a physical therapist.Video Abstract available for additional insights from the authors (see Video, Supplemental Digital Content 1, http://links.lww.com/JNPT/A112).

A randomized controlled trial of an enhanced interdisciplinary community based group program for people with Parkinson's disease: study rationale and protocol.

PubMed

Peters, Catherine; Currin, Michelle; Tyson, Sara; Rogers, Anthea; Healy, Susan; McPhail, Steven; Brauer, Sandra G; Heathcote, Katharine; Comans, Tracy

2012-01-09

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive, chronic neurodegenerative disorder for which there is no known cure. Physical exercise programs may be used to assist with the physical management of PD. Several studies have demonstrated that community based physical therapy programs are effective in reducing physical aspects of disability among people with PD. While multidisciplinary therapy interventions may have the potential to reduce disability and improve the quality of life of people with PD, there is very limited clinical trial evidence to support or refute the use of a community based multidisciplinary or interdisciplinary programs for people with PD. A two group randomized trial is being undertaken within a community rehabilitation service in Brisbane, Australia. Community dwelling adults with a diagnosis of Idiopathic Parkinson's disease are being recruited. Eligible participants are randomly allocated to a standard exercise rehabilitation group program or an intervention group which incorporates physical, cognitive and speech activities in a multi-tasking framework. Outcomes will be measured at 6-week intervals for a period of six months. Primary outcome measures are the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) cognitive test. Secondary outcomes include changes in health related quality of life, communication, social participation, mobility, strength and balance, and carer burden measures. This study will determine the immediate and long-term effectiveness of a unique multifocal, interdisciplinary, dual-tasking approach to the management of PD as compared to an exercise only program. We anticipate that the results of this study will have implications for the development of cost effective evidence based best practice for the treatment of people with PD living in the community.

Intensive exercise program after spinal cord injury (“Full-On”): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Rehabilitation after spinal cord injury (SCI) has traditionally involved teaching compensatory strategies for identified impairments and deficits in order to improve functional independence. There is some evidence that regular and intensive activity-based therapies, directed at activation of the paralyzed extremities, promotes neurological improvement. The aim of this study is to compare the effects of a 12-week intensive activity-based therapy program for the whole body with a program of upper body exercise. Methods/Design A multicenter, parallel group, assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial will be conducted. One hundred eighty-eight participants with spinal cord injury, who have completed their primary rehabilitation at least 6 months prior, will be recruited from five SCI units in Australia and New Zealand. Participants will be randomized to an experimental or control group. Experimental participants will receive a 12-week program of intensive exercise for the whole body, including locomotor training, trunk exercises and functional electrical stimulation-assisted cycling. Control participants will receive a 12-week intensive upper body exercise program. The primary outcome is the American Spinal Injuries Association (ASIA) Motor Score. Secondary outcomes include measurements of sensation, function, pain, psychological measures, quality of life and cost effectiveness. All outcomes will be measured at baseline, 12 weeks, 6 months and 12 months by blinded assessors. Recruitment commenced in January 2011. Discussion The results of this trial will determine the effectiveness of a 12-week program of intensive exercise for the whole body in improving neurological recovery after spinal cord injury. Trial registration NCT01236976 (10 November 2010), ACTRN12610000498099 (17 June 2010). PMID:24025260

Effects of a tele-prehabilitation program or an in-person prehabilitation program in surgical candidates awaiting total hip or knee arthroplasty: Protocol of a pilot single blind randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Doiron-Cadrin, Patrick; Kairy, Dahlia; Vendittoli, Pascal-André; Lowry, Véronique; Poitras, Stéphane; Desmeules, François

2016-12-15

The accessibility for total joint arthroplasty often comes up against long wait lists, and may lead to deleterious effects for the awaiting patients. This pilot single blind randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the impact of a telerehabilitation prehabilitation program before a hip or knee arthroplasty compared to in-person prehabilitation or to usual wait for surgery. Thirty-six patients on a wait list for a total hip or knee arthroplasty will be recruited and randomly assigned to one of three groups. The in-person prehabilitation group (n = 12) will receive a 12-week rehabilitation program (2 sessions/week) including education, exercises of the lower limb and cardiovascular training. Patients in the tele-prehabilitation group (n = 12) will receive the same intervention using a telecommunication software. The control group (n = 12) will be provided with the hospital's usual documentation before surgery. The Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) will be the primary outcome measure taken at baseline and at 12 weeks. Secondary measures will include self-reported function and quality of life as well as performance tests. A mixed-model, 2-way repeated-measure ANOVA will be used to analyse the effects of the rehabilitation programs. This pilot study is the first to evaluate the feasibility and the impact of a telerehabilitation prehabilitation program for patients awaiting a total joint arthroplasty. The results of this pilot-RCT will set the foundations for further research in the fields of rehabilitation and tele-medicine for patients suffering from lower limb osteoarthritis. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02636751.

Labor productivity, perceived effectiveness, and sustainability of innovative projects.

PubMed

Makai, Peter; Cramm, Jane M; van Grotel, Marloes; Nieboer, Anna P

2014-01-01

To assess labor productivity, perceived effectiveness, and sustainability of a national quality program that sought to stimulate efficiency gains through increased labor productivity while maintaining quality through implementing small-scale innovation projects. Longitudinal measures of labor productivity and quality were collected at baseline and after completion of the innovation projects. Perceived effectiveness and sustainability (measured by routinization) were assessed cross-sectionally after project completion. This study was conducted in The Netherlands. Ninety-eight improvement projects in long-term care organizations. A national quality program to stimulate innovative approaches in long-term care. Labor productivity, perceived effectiveness, and sustainability were the main outcome measures. Labor productivity data were available for only 37 (38%) of the 98 projects, 33 (89%) of which demonstrated significantly improved efficiency. Perceived effectiveness was significantly associated with sustainability (0.29; p < .05), but not labor productivity. To achieve sustainability in long-term care, developers of innovative projects must collect better quality information on efficiency gains in terms of labor productivity and focus more on efficiency improvement. More research is necessary to explore relationships between labor productivity, perceived effectiveness, and sustainability. © 2012 National Association for Healthcare Quality.

Effects of an Integrated Health Care Program for Children

PubMed Central

Kim, Ok Hyun; Park, Jin Kyung

2017-01-01

[Purpose] This study examined the effects of an integrated health care program in elementary school students. [Methods] The integrated program comprised exercises (3–4 times/week) and six sessions on nutritional and psychological education. Anthropometric measurements were recorded before the intervention. Additionally, physical fitness, dietary habits, nutrition knowledge, and psychological changes were assessed before and after the program. [Results] In total, 29% of the subjects were overweight and obese before the intervention (32% boys and 26% girls). There was a significant increase in flexibility, endurance, and cardiovascular endurance after the implementation of the program. Additionally, as a result of the program, participants showed improvement in nutrition knowledge and dietary habits. After the training, children tended to exhibit increased self–efficacy and lower stress, but the findings were not statistically significant. [Conclusion] Implementation of an integrated health care program for the prevention and treatment of obesity could have a positive impact on children’s health. It is hoped that continued research on the long-term effects of such programs is conducted along with the development of various programs. PMID:28712260

What's Working (and What's Not). A Summary of Research on the Economic Impacts of Employment and Training Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Labor, Washington, DC.

The effectiveness of employment and training (E&T) programs in improving labor market outcomes can be assessed by measuring the impact on the future success of participants. The program with the greatest success in reducing dropout rates among at-risk youth is the Quantum Opportunities Project. Comprehensive Employment and Training Act (CETA)…

Urban School District's Preparing New Principals Program 2008-2011: Perceptions of Program Completers, Supervising Principals, and Senior Level School District Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Rosemarye T.; Pelletier, Kelly; Trimble, Todd; Ruiz, Eddie

2014-01-01

The purpose of these three parallel mixed method studies was to measure the effectiveness of an urban school district's 2011 Preparing New Principals Program (PNPP). Results supported the premise that preparing principals for school leadership in 2013 must develop them as instructional leaders who can improve teacher performance and student…

The Effect of Providing Breakfast on Student Performance: Evidence from an In-Class Breakfast Program. NBER Working Paper No. 17720

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Imberman, Scott A.; Kugler, Adriana D.

2012-01-01

In response to low take-up, many public schools have experimented with moving breakfast from the cafeteria to the classroom. We examine whether such a program increases performance as measured by standardized test scores, grades and attendance rates. We exploit quasi-random timing of program implementation that allows for a…

Quality Assurance and Risk Management: A Survey of Dental Schools and Recommendations for Integrated Program Management.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fredekind, Richard E.; Cuny, Eve J.; Nadershahi, Nader A.

2002-01-01

Surveyed U.S. and Canadian dental schools about integration of quality assurance (QA) and risk management (RM) and what mechanisms have been most effective in measuring accomplishments. Main findings included that a majority of schools had a written QA program and committee and many reported significant changes resulting from the program; over…

Analyzing the Effect of Learning Styles and Study Habits of Distance Learners on Learning Performances: A Case of an Introductory Programming Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çakiroglu, Ünal

2014-01-01

This study examined the relationships among learning styles, study habits, and learning performances in an online programming language course. Sixty-two sophomore students who enrolled in an online introductory programming course participated in the study. Kolb's Learning Style Inventory (LSI) was used to measure the students' learning styles.…

Grading School Choice: Evaluating School Choice Programs by the Friedman Gold Standard. School Choice Issues in Depth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enlow, Robert C.

2008-01-01

In 2004, The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice published a report titled "Grading Vouchers: Ranking America's School Choice Programs." Its purpose was to measure every existing school choice program against the gold standard set by Milton and Rose Friedman: that the most effective way to improve K-12 education and thus ensure a stable…

Evaluation of a Crisis-Preparedness Training Program for the Faculty of a Private Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyle, Marybeth N.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a training program for the faculty of a private elementary school on executing the protocols, roles, and responsibilities defined in the institution's crisis-management plan. A formal training program for the faculty had not been developed, and administrators had no measure by which…

Respiratory Protection Program medical clearance for respirator use

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

Background on occupational exposure to various inhalents is discussed including on-site hazard control measures, procedures, physiological effects, and interpretation of results for the medical clearance of employee for use of personal respiratory protection devices. The purpose of the Respiratory Protection Program at LeRC is outlined, and the specifics of the Medical Surveillance Program for Respiratory Protection at LeRC are discussed.

Measures of Student Non-Cognitive Skills and Political Tolerance after Two Years of the Louisiana Scholarship Program. Louisiana Scholarship Program Evaluation Report #2. Technical Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Jonathan N.; Cheng, Albert; Hitt, Collin E.; Wolf, Patrick J.; Greene, Jay P.

2016-01-01

This report examines the short-term effects of the Louisiana Scholarship Program (LSP) on students' non-cognitive skills and civic values. While a growing number of studies have evaluated K-12 school voucher programs along academic dimensions, few have focused on the development of non-cognitive skills and civic values. This study aims to address…

Semiannual Report to Congress on the Effectiveness of the Civil Aviation Security Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-12-31

This report also provides data on the initiatives being implemented as a result of the review of domestic airport security by the Secretary’s Safety...enforcement support for airline and airport security measures. Finally, the passengers-the ultimate beneficiaries of the security program--pay for...of these airports is required to implement a security program which provides a secure operating environment for these air carriers. Airport security programs

A Descriptive Study of Nursing Peer-Review Programs in US Magnet® Hospitals.

PubMed

Roberts, Holli; Cronin, Sherill Nones

2017-04-01

The goal of this study was to assess the types of nursing peer review (NPR) programs in US Magnet® organizations. The 2 most predominant models of NPR programs in the literature are performance evaluation and clinical peer review. The literature on clinical peer review is primarily descriptive, outlining structures and anecdotal outcomes. Participants from hospitals holding Magnet recognition were selected using a stratified random-sampling method. A survey developed by the researchers assessed the presence of NPR. If clinical NPR was in place, program design, evaluation measurements, and barriers were explored. Findings suggest wide variability in NPR models. More than one-third of the respondents conduct peer evaluation as the only mechanism of NPR. Most hospitals with a clinical peer-review program reported a case review structure and process measurements not supported by data. The variations noted in this study suggest more research is needed to measure the effectiveness of NPR models and associated outcomes.

A randomized control trial to investigate the impact of the Lidcombe Program on early stuttering in German-speaking preschoolers.

PubMed

Lattermann, Christina; Euler, Harald A; Neumann, Katrin

2008-03-01

In order to investigate whether the Lidcombe Program effects a short-term reduction of stuttered speech beyond natural recovery, 46 German preschool children were randomly assigned to a wait-contrast group or to an experimental group which received the Lidcombe Program for 16 weeks. The children were between 3;0 and 5;11 years old, their and both of their parents' native language was German, stuttering onset had been at least 6 months before, and their stuttering frequency was higher than 3% stuttered syllables. Spontaneous speech samples were recorded at home and in the clinic prior to treatment and after 4 months. Compared to the wait-contrast group, the treatment group showed a significantly higher decrease in stuttered syllables in home-measurements (6.9%SS vs. 1.6%SS) and clinic-measurements (6.8%SS vs. 3.6%SS), and the same increase in articulation rate. The program is considered an enrichment of currently applied early stuttering interventions in Germany. Readers will discuss and evaluate: (1) the short-term effects of the Lidcombe Program in comparison to natural recovery on stuttering; (2) the impact of the Lidcombe Program on early stuttering in German-speaking preschool children.