Program Implementation and Evaluation
Program design
The most suitable program design to use for Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs) program for the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA) would be the Observational Design whereby I would employ the use of case studies (Tom Chapel & Prevention, 2016). This design is most suitable given that there will be two separate demonstration camps with the same conditions. However, these two camps have different set of patients. Case study analysis will be effective in applying changes that may be observed in one camp and not the other. Case studies will also enable for community exploration so as to understand how the community is likely to impact the implementation of the program.
Implementation
In the implementation of the program I would involve the following categories of people including the patients aligned care team, primary care providers, registered nurses, registered practice nurses, and medical clerks for successful implementation. The involvement of these groups of people will ensure there’s no conflict of some feeling left out of the program implementation. Implementation will entails activities such as effective performance management in the areas of real time monitoring, evaluation, and program improvement (Frieden, 2014). It will also include the communication of timely and accurate information to the healthcare community and to the public for effective behavioral change.
Evaluation
The evaluation of this program will be based on the effectiveness and the efficiency of the program. The aim of the program is to bring the care provision community together so they can work together to improve health care provision. The evaluation process will be tailored to measure the progress of the program in such things as changes in the team’s attitudes and beliefs. For instance, if the primary care physicians are willing to put their pride aside and trust the registered nurses with their tasks. Evaluation based on the efficiency will look at the ration of usage of the resources to outcomes of the programs (“Program planning, implementation and evaluation tools | Resource Details | National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools”, 2016). If the cost exceeds the benefit then the program will not be viable in the short time.
Program techniques
The techniques that I will use in the evaluation of the program’s progress is the balanced score card. The balanced scorecard works as a tool through which we can align an objective with the progress achieved since the implementation of the program. It can record such things as whether the budgeted resources have been used with efficiency.
(b) Flaws in the implementation
- Lack of communication. The care providers have separated themselves into groups that is, the physicians and nurses. Research shows that the two sets of people have not met in one room to deliberate on how to provide care.
- Lack of trust among care providers. Trust has to do with the physicians relinquishing some control of primary care to the nurses. The physicians feel that the nurses do not have what it takes when in real sense it is the nurses who spend the longest time with the patients. When this trust is not created the implementation of the program will not be a smooth process.
References
Frieden, T. (2014). Six Components Necessary for Effective Public Health Program Implementation. Am J Public Health, 104(1), 17-22. http://dx.doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2013.301608
Program planning, implementation and evaluation tools | Resource Details | National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools. (2016). Nccmt.ca. Retrieved 14 July 2016, from http://www.nccmt.ca/resources/search/71
Tom Chapel, C. & Prevention, C. (2016). Program Evaluation Guide – Step 3 – CDC. Cdc.gov. Retrieved 14 July 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/eval/guide/step3/#deciding