Evaluating program design in the state hospital setting

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Healthcare Management
• Program Evaluation

Background:

• State hospital programs require regular evaluation to ensure they meet intended goals.
• Assessing program effectiveness is crucial for quality improvement in mental healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To benchmark two state hospital-based programs against their intended goals using a goal attainment approach.
• To identify discrepancies in program functioning and provide recommendations for enhancement.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the 1989 version of the Moos Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS) for data collection.
• Employed analysis of variance (ANOVA) and t tests to compare program data with norms and between groups.
• Collected data from both staff and patients within resocialization and admissions programs.

Main Results:

• Analysis of variance indicated significant differences both between and within the evaluated programs.
• T tests showed statistically significant differences between the study sample and the established WAS norms.
• Identified specific areas where program activities deviated from their intended objectives.

Conclusions:

• The study highlights the need for ongoing program evaluation in state hospitals to ensure goal attainment.
• Recommendations for program improvement were developed based on findings and literature review.
• The Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS) proved effective in identifying program-specific differences and areas for enhancement.