Evaluation in Healthcare Education

Evaluation in Healthcare Education

• Healthcare education evaluations aim to determine if educational activities are effective, efficient, and valuable for learners, teachers, and sponsors.
• Evaluations are crucial for guiding future interventions in planning and execution.

Impact Evaluation

• Purpose: To determine the effects of education on institutions or communities.
• Scope: Broad, complex, sophisticated (long-term), infrequent.

Total Program Evaluation

• Purpose: To measure the success of a total program relative to its long-term aims.
• Scope: Broad, long-term/strategic; lengthy, therefore infrequently conducted.

Designing the Evaluation

• A vital inquiry in evaluation design: How rigorous should the evaluation be?
• All evaluations must be meticulously planned and structured before execution. Evaluations should be systematic. Evaluation design can be based on a research approach.
• Key questions when designing evaluations:
  • What types of data will be collected? (e.g., people, program, environment)
  • Who will collect the data? (e.g., learners, educators, evaluators, trained data collectors)
  • How, when, and where data will be collected? (e.g., observation, interviews, questionnaires, tests, record reviews, secondary analysis)
• The evaluation design should be aligned with the evaluation's objectives.

Evaluation Barriers

• Lack of Clarity:
  • Resolve by clearly defining evaluation components and operationally defining terms.
• Lack of Ability:
  • Resolve by ensuring necessary resources are available and/or seeking support from experts.
• Fear of Punishment or Loss of Self-Esteem:
  • Resolve by acknowledging fear among those being evaluated.
  • Focus on results to avoid personalizing or blaming.
  • Highlight accomplishments.
  • Encourage ongoing improvement.
  • Effective communication is crucial.

Selecting an Evaluation Instrument

• Identify existing instruments via literature reviews and past evaluation studies.
• Critically assess potential instruments for factors like:
  • Alignment with measured aspects
  • Reliability and validity, especially for a similar population.
  • Appropriateness for those being evaluated.
  • Affordability and feasibility.

Conducting an Evaluation

• Pilot testing is essential to assess:
  • Feasibility of the full evaluation.
  • Reliability and validity of the instruments.
  • Allocate extra time for unexpected issues.
  • Maintain a positive attitude and be prepared for delays.

Data Analysis and Interpretation

• Data analysis is twofold:
  • Organize data to produce insightful information (tables, graphs).
  • Answer specific evaluation questions (numerical or observational).
• Data might be quantitative and/or qualitative.

Reporting and Using Evaluation Results

• Adapt reporting to the audience.

• Ensure alignment with the evaluation's purpose.

• Use data appropriately.

  • Reporting should be audience-focused, starting with a concise one-page executive summary.
  • Use formats and language appropriate to the audience.
  • Present results in both person-to-person and written forms
  • Offer specific recommendations.

• Evaluation questions that should be asked:

  • For which audience will the evaluation be conducted?
  • What is the purpose of the evaluation?
  • What questions should be asked?
  • What is the scope of the evaluation?
  • What resources are needed for the evaluation?

RSA Evaluation Model

• This model presents 5 evaluation types (simple process to complex impact), concisely summarizing all 4 assessment levels. The model showcases the relationship between time/cost and evaluation frequency.

Process (Formative) Evaluation

• Audience: Individual educators
• Purpose: Make on-the-fly adjustments during the educational process.
• Question: What aspects enhance learning effectiveness?
• Scope: Limited to specific training events; frequent and concurrent with learning activities.
• Resources: Inexpensive and readily available.

Content Evaluation

• Audience: Educators or teams
• Purpose: Assess learning post-instruction.
• Question: How well did learners meet learning objectives and gain knowledge/skills?
• Scope: Focused on specific learning activities and objectives; immediately following training.
• Resources: Relatively inexpensive and readily accessible.

Outcome (Summative) Evaluation

• Audience: Educators, education teams, or funding bodies
• Purpose: To ascertain actual effects of a given training.
• Question: Are objectives and desired behavior changes achieved?
• Scope: Comprehensive, spans a wider timeframe; less frequent than content evaluation.
• Resources: Potentially expensive and require expert support.

Impact Evaluation

• Audience: Institution administrators, funding agencies, community members
• Purpose: To determine the overall impact of an education initiative on institutions or communities; worth of the costs.
• Question: What is the impact of the education on long-term changes?
• Scope: Broad, complex, long-term, infrequent.
• Resources: Extensive, resource-intensive.

Total Program Evaluation

• Audience: Educational departments, administrators, funding agencies, and communities
• Purpose: To determine if the overall program meets its long-term goals.
• Question: To what extent do program activities meet annual goals?
• Scope: Comprehensive, long-term/strategic and lengthy therefore infrequent.
• Resources: Extensive and resource-intensive.