Health Decision Makers' Perceptions of Program Evaluation

Abstract

This study investigates alternate reasons for conducting program evaluation in community health care settings and their relationships with information needs. One hundred thirtysix community health care decision makers were used in this survey. Results of a factor analysis indicated three major purposes for conducting program evaluation, listed in order of use: accreditation, true evaluation, and pseudoevaluation. A second analysis on need for information showed little differences in responses. Five factors were identified: descriptive information for validity/credibility, opinions, financial information, action information, and empirical information for validity! credibility. There was no relationship between thefive types of information needs and accreditation, suggesting that accreditation was a symbolic use of evaluation; however, information needs were predictors of true evaluation and pseudolquasi evaluation. Regression analyses indicated that descriptive information providing evidence of validity/credibility was predictive of the purpose of true evaluation whereas empirical and descriptive evidence of validity/credibility were predictors of quasi/pseudo evaluation. Information for decision makers acted as a suppressor variable on the latter.