ASSESSING OUTCOMES OF MEDICAL CARE - SOME LESSONS FOR CRIMINAL OFFENDER REHABILITATION (FROM REHABILITATION OF CRIMINAL OFFENDERS - PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS, 1979, BY LEE SECHREST ET AL - SEE NCJ-62370)

• NCJ Number: 62371
• Author(s): A R DAVIES
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 12 pages
• Corporate Author: National Acad of Sciences
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN EVALUATION METHOD FOR MEDICAL CARE BASED ON INFORMATION ABOUT PATIENT OUTCOMES IS OUTLINED AS REPLICABLE FOR OFFENDER REHABILITATION PROGRAMS.

Abstract

THE MEDICAL CARE EVALUATION METHOD PRESENTED CONSISTS OF DEFINING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES (CRITERIA AND STANDARD SETTING), MEASUREMENT OF OUTCOMES, COMPARISON OF ACTUAL TO EXPECTED OUTCOMES, AND VALUE JUDGMENTS ABOUT THE RESULTS OF THAT COMPARISON. SEVERAL ASPECTS OF THE METHOD MAY MAKE IT PARTICULARLY USEFUL IN EVALUATING OFFENDER REHABILITATION PROGRAMS INCLUDING, USING MULTIPLE OUTCOME CRITERIA TO EVALUATE A PROGRAM, MAKING EXPECTED STANDARDS OF PROGRAM ACHIEVEMENT EXPLICIT, CONSIDERING THE SENSITIVITY AND SPECIFICITY OF OUTCOME VARIABLES MEASURED THROUGH SELECTION OF MEASUREMENT TIMES, AND MAKING PROGRAM OUTCOMES EXPLICIT AND CONSONANT WITH THOSE HELD BY THE PUBLIC. THE LATTER CHARACTERISTIC OF THE EVALUATION DESIGN IS IMPORTANT FOR OFFENDER REHABILITATION PROGRAMS BECAUSE IF THE PROFESSIONALS SETTING PROGRAM STANDARDS DO NOT SHARE THE PUBLIC'S VALUES, QUALITY ASSURANCE BASED ON SUCH STANDARDS WILL NOT BE PERCEIVED BY THE PUBLIC AS COST-BENEFICIAL. REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)