Issues in the evaluation of small-scale adult day care programs

Evaluation of health care programs is a complex process which presents many challenges. A case study of a small-scale adult day care program evaluation is presented to illustrate these issues. The rationale for developing the program and the findings from the evaluation study are discussed. Several evaluation issues including the use of multiple methods, levels of analysis, characteristics of the sponsoring agency, political influences, methodological issues and influences on utilization of findings are addressed.