Page 1 of 1

Appendix I. Patient Advisory Council Evaluation Strategies

Developing a Community-Based Patient Safety Advisory Council

Appendix I. Process Objectives, Measurements, and Evaluation Strategies

The tables below provide examples of objectives that can be adapted for a patient advisory council and ways to measure its success.

A. Create a Patient Advisory Council

Process ObjectivesMeasurement and Evaluation Strategies
  1. One and 1/2 day retreat with persons recruited from focus groups and informant interviews.
  2. Bi-monthly council meetings will be held during the remaining project cycle.
  3. Obtain evaluation from council members on group process and progress at each meeting to be used to improve council process.
  • Number of participants in retreat.
  • Number of council meetings.
  • Number of participants at bi-monthly council meetings (attendance rate = # invited/# attended).
  • Evaluation forms completed by council members after each meeting.

B. Select a Project

Process ObjectivesMeasurement and Evaluation Strategies
  1. Conduct 2 focus groups of patients, providers, and community stakeholder representatives.
  2. Conduct 15-20 key informant interviews with providers and clinic staff.
  3. Conduct 10 "go-and-see" interviews of patients in their homes.
  4. Conduct council meetings to define the scope of the project, identify specific objectives, select intervention strategies for achieving project goals, establish evaluation measures.
  • Number of focus groups.
  • Number of attendees at focus groups (response rate = # invited/# attended).
  • Number of key informant interviews.
  • Number of "go-and-sees."
  • Analysis of focus group transcripts, interview notes, and "go-and-see" records to determine most important barriers and strategies identified.
  • Number of strategies and tools selected by council.

C. Implement Patient and Provider Interventions

Process ObjectivesMeasurement and Evaluation Strategies
  1. Develop, reproduce, and distribute tools directed at patients and community members.
  2. Develop, reproduce, and distribute tools directed at providers.
  3. Provide education and training to patients and community members on the use of patient tools.
  4. Provide education and training to providers on the use of provider tools.
  5. Increase the level of awareness, availability, and acceptance of the tools through a public awareness campaign.
  • Number of patient and community tools distributed.
  • Number of provider tools distributed.
  • Number of community-based educational programs conducted.
  • Number of attendees participating in community-based educational programs.
  • Number of training sessions offered to providers and clinic staff.
  • Number of providers attending training sessions.
  • Number and type of public awareness programs.

D. Measure the Impact of Interventions

Process ObjectivesMeasurement and Evaluation Strategies
  1. Baseline and post-intervention measurements.
  2. Identification of correlations between intervention strategies and outcome measurements.
  • Data collection:
    1. Baseline—at project initiation.
    2. Two post-intervention measures at 6 and 12 months following the implementation of specific strategies.
  • Analysis of data to identify change between baseline to post-intervention results.
  • Analysis of data to identify correlation between patient and provider participation in intervention strategies to post-intervention results.

E. Measure Impact of the Project on Satisfaction of Patients, Providers, and Council Members

Process ObjectivesMeasurement and Evaluation Strategies
  1. Patients: Measure overall satisfaction of patients seen at the project sites during the course of the project.
  • Data collection, patient satisfaction survey:
    1. Baseline—at project initiation.
    2. Post-intervention measure: At 12 months following the implementation of project interventions.
  • Analysis of data to identify change between baseline to post-intervention results.
  1. Providers:
    1. Measure overall staff satisfaction at the project sites during the course of the project.
    2. Measure perceived value of the council and project strategies.
  • Data collection, employee satisfaction survey:
    1. Baseline—at project initiation.
    2. Post-intervention measure: At 12 months following the implementation of project interventions.
  • Analysis of data to identify change between baseline to post-intervention results.
  • Develop and conduct survey of providers evaluating the council and specific project strategies.
  1. Council Members:
    1. Measure council members' satisfaction with the project.
    2. Measure council members' perception of effectiveness of the project to improve patient safety.
  • Evaluation forms completed by council members after each meeting.
  • Overall evaluation of project completed by council members.
  1. Provide access to tools via Internet access.
  2. Replicate patient advisory councils throughout Aurora Health Care in other areas served
  3. Produce publications detailing the project model, implementation strategies and tools developed.
  4. Present the project model, implementation strategies, and tools at conferences and meetings.
  • Number of Web site hits.
  • Number of patient advisory councils that are created within the Aurora Health Care system.
  • Number of publications.
  • Number of presentations by type of group, size of audience, and geographic location.

Return to Contents
Proceed to Next Section

Page last reviewed April 2008
Internet Citation: Appendix I. Patient Advisory Council Evaluation Strategies: Developing a Community-Based Patient Safety Advisory Council. April 2008. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. https://archive.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/patient-safety-resources/resources/patient-safety-advisory-council/appendix-i.html