Qualitative Methods
As a part of the mixed method approach, consideration of staff and client perceptions are essential.
A combination of surveys and focus groups will be utilized to determine client and staff perceptions as well as behaviour outcomes. By combining staff and client perceptions with quantitative measures, it is the intention of the evaluation team to ensure the best data collection for maximum evaluation use by the stakeholders.
Several samples of client surveys are included here to demonstrate the type of evidence based tools that will be used for evaluation data collection. These include the SDSCA, the EQ-5D-3L, and the PAID-1 Scale.
A combination of surveys and focus groups will be utilized to determine client and staff perceptions as well as behaviour outcomes. By combining staff and client perceptions with quantitative measures, it is the intention of the evaluation team to ensure the best data collection for maximum evaluation use by the stakeholders.
Several samples of client surveys are included here to demonstrate the type of evidence based tools that will be used for evaluation data collection. These include the SDSCA, the EQ-5D-3L, and the PAID-1 Scale.
Focus Groups
The use of focus groups, consisting of ten to twelve people is an ideal way for families and clients receiving diabetes education to freely express ideas, concerns and attitudes about the learning process and the program. The focus group allows the evaluator as facilitator to pose questions to the group and learn about their feelings, facts, perspectives, motives, present and past behaviours and conscious reasons for certain actions or feelings. This approach to information gathering is conducted with participants simultaneously, to discuss diabetes education. The evaluator as facilitator can assist the families and clients in interpreting concerns around education, instructional materials, cultural and language concerns and mastering of diabetes skills.
This type of information gathering in the evaluation will enable the evaluator to ensure that findings in the evaluation report will reflect the perspectives of the intended users.
The evaluator will ensure that privacy and confidentiality is maintained in order that families and clients can freely and candidly discuss any issues and concerns without fear of reprisals from program staff. The evaluator will be culturally sensitive as well as competent and refrain from reinforcing any cultural stereotypes and prejudices.
The use of focus groups can garner contextual information about clients' feelings of empowerment, education attained as well as areas of the program that families and clients feel is beneficial as well as areas that the program is unsatisfactory in meeting diabetes education.
The use of focus groups, consisting of ten to twelve people is an ideal way for families and clients receiving diabetes education to freely express ideas, concerns and attitudes about the learning process and the program. The focus group allows the evaluator as facilitator to pose questions to the group and learn about their feelings, facts, perspectives, motives, present and past behaviours and conscious reasons for certain actions or feelings. This approach to information gathering is conducted with participants simultaneously, to discuss diabetes education. The evaluator as facilitator can assist the families and clients in interpreting concerns around education, instructional materials, cultural and language concerns and mastering of diabetes skills.
This type of information gathering in the evaluation will enable the evaluator to ensure that findings in the evaluation report will reflect the perspectives of the intended users.
The evaluator will ensure that privacy and confidentiality is maintained in order that families and clients can freely and candidly discuss any issues and concerns without fear of reprisals from program staff. The evaluator will be culturally sensitive as well as competent and refrain from reinforcing any cultural stereotypes and prejudices.
The use of focus groups can garner contextual information about clients' feelings of empowerment, education attained as well as areas of the program that families and clients feel is beneficial as well as areas that the program is unsatisfactory in meeting diabetes education.