It’s in place, but is it effective?
Methods for evaluation set in advance
Part of the planning stage for the inpatient diabetes program at York Health System is to build an evaluation system into the program to make sure the teaching is effective. "We have been working on how to evaluate the program to ensure its success," says Donette Lasher, MAT, patient education coordinator at York (PA) Health System.
Their first step was to set up five goals that encompass all areas of the program. Once goals were set, patient educators determined ways to measure them. The goals and methods for evaluation include:
1. 100% of all hospitalized diabetics receive at least a minimal intervention. This is accomplished by giving them a short quiz to assess their knowledge of diabetes. Chart audits will determine whether or not the goal is being accomplished.
2. 100% of all noncompliant or new diabetics are seen by the inpatient diabetes educator. Chart audits will reveal if nurses are contacting the educator.
3. 100% of all patients seen by the diabetes educator are referred to the outpatient program. Referrals to the outpatient area will be tracked to ensure that all appropriate patients are referred.
4. Patient satisfaction with diabetes teaching is improved. A survey will be created to measure patient satisfaction.
5. Patient’s knowledge of survival skills is improved. Currently, not much teaching takes place because floor nurses lack the time and expertise to teach. The patient satisfaction survey will include questions to measure patient knowledge as well.
The committee developing the goals and methods of evaluation hasn’t yet determined how the survey will be administered. "Some times it is easier to mail or call the patients than have them fill it out before they leave the hospital. We might have the diabetes educator call them," says Lasher.
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