Feedback reporting of survey data to healthcare aides

Abstract

BackgroundThis project occurred during the course of the Translating Research in Elder Care (TREC) program of research. TREC is a multilevel and longitudinal research program being conducted in the three Canadian Prairie Provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. The main purpose of TREC is to increase understanding about the role of organizational context in influencing knowledge use in residential long-term care settings. The purpose of this study was to evaluate healthcare aides’ (HCAs) perceptions of a one-page poster designed to feed back aggregated data (including demographic information and perceptions about influences on best practice) from the TREC survey they had recently completed.MethodsA convenience sample of 7 of the 15 nursing homes participating in the TREC research program in Alberta were invited to participate. Specific facility-level summary data were provided to each facility in the form of a one-page poster report. Two weeks following delivery of the report, a convenience sample of HCAs was surveyed using one-to-one structured interviews.ResultsOne hundred twenty-three HCAs responded to the evaluation survey. Overall, HCAs’ opinions about presentation of the feedback report and the understandability, usability, and usefulness of the content were positive. For each report, analysis of data and production and inspection of the report took up to one hour. Information sessions to introduce and explain the reports averaged 18 minutes. Two feedback reports (minimum) were supplied to each facility at a cost of CAN$2.39 per report, for printing and laminating.ConclusionsThis study highlights not only the feasibility of producing understandable, usable, and useful feedback reports of survey data but also the value and importance of providing feedback to survey respondents. More broadly, the findings suggest that modest strategies may have a positive and desirable effect in participating sites.

Improving Nursing Home Care through Feedback On PerfoRMance Data (INFORM): Protocol for a cluster-randomized trial

“…Using data from the previous phase of TREC (2007–2012) we estimated the following parameters to be entered into the model:

μ = 1.1 (FI mean was 1.32. Standard feedback here is similar to that provided in the previous TREC phase [112–114]. We assumed that this intervention will, at least, have a small effect (increase the FI score by 0.2) compared to no feedback.

Standard deviation of b i  = 0.154 (ICC = 0.445) (FI variability of units, within facilities)

Standard deviation of b ij  = 0.104 (FI variability of units, across waves 1 and 2 in TREC 1.0)

Standard deviation of ε ijt  = 0.192 (variability of the unit FI residual term)

Average cluster size = 3 units per facility

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“…Standard feedback here is similar to that provided in the previous TREC phase [112–114]. We assumed that this intervention will, at least, have a small effect (increase the FI score by 0.2) compared to no feedback.…”

Comparing effects of two higher intensity feedback interventions with simple feedback on improving staff communication in nursing homes – The INFORM cluster-randomized controlled trial

“…The simple feedback group (our control or usual care arm) received tailored feedback reports only 2-3 months after the baseline data collection. We consider simple feedback 'usual care' because all TREC homes receive this kind of feedback after each wave of data collection [28][29][30][31], regardless of whether they participate in an intervention study or any other TREC activity. To deliver the correct intervention to each study group and to monitor correct delity criteria, persons involved in these activities could not be blinded to study arm allocation.…”

“…TREC's mission is to improve quality of care and quality of life for frail, older nursing home residents and quality of work-life for their paid caregivers. Feeding back research data to care teams has always been one of TREC's integral activities [28][29][30][31]. To improve formal communication in interdisciplinary care teams and integrate care aides into these formal communications, we further developed our feedback approach and included two higher intensity feedback interventions based on Goal Setting Theory and compared them to our simple feedback intervention [32], which in this case was our team's usual feedback approach..…”

Making Research Results Relevant and Useable: Presenting Complex Organizational Context Data to Nonresearch Stakeholders in the Nursing Home Setting

“…TREC investigates associations between organizational context (work environment), use of best practices and resident outcomes in a representative cohort of 30 Canadian urban nursing homes. Using various techniques, we engage in feeding back data and results to nursing home stakeholders both during TREC studies and in end of grant knowledge translation (Boström et al, 2012;Cranley, Birdsell, Norton, Morgan, & Estabrooks, 2012;Hutchinson et al, 2012). Most TREC stakeholders are nonresearchers-managerial and policy decisionmakers, service providers, and clinicians.…”