Evaluation Café
Lively discussions, engaging debates, and dynamic presentations about evaluation over the lunch hour. Bring your lunch--freshly brewed coffee and gourmet cookies provided.
Past Events: 2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10
Handouts and/or slides available for most presentations.
Upcoming Events: Fall 2009
All Evaluation Café events take place from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. at The Evaluation Center, 4405 Ellsworth Hall unless otherwise noted.
November 24
Title: Clients' Perceptions of Buprenorphine Versus Methadone Maintenance Treatments
Presenters: Stephen Magura – Director, The Evaluation Center, WMU; Awgu Ezechewcu – Doctoral student, Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation Program, WMU
Abstract: Methadone and buprenorphine are maintenance treatments for opioid-addiction. Unlike methadone, buprenorphine is relatively new and not the primary standard maintenance treatment in the USA and internationally. This study examines clients’ perceptions of methadone versus buprenorphine treatments offered to inmates at the Key Extended Entry Program (KEEP) in the Rikers Island jail, New York City. The method consists of an analysis of structured and semi-structured interviews to investigate (a) clients’ satisfaction with the KEEP program, (b) clients’ satisfaction with methadone versus buprenorphine treatments, and (c) clients’ overall perceptions of methadone versus buprenorphine treatments.
December 1
Title: Evaluative Tools for Assessing Quality in Healthcare Organizations
Presenter: Stephanie Means – Doctoral student, Interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Evaluation Program, WMU
Abstract: Quality in health care is important, and so is measuring it the right way. Accurate, evaluative quality assessment leads to improved healthcare structures, processes, and outcomes. A review of the literature revealed the differences in assessing healthcare quality for the Joint Commission Accreditation of Healthcare Organization and the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award. In recent years, the government, healthcare administrators and personnel, and researchers have realized the need to provide innovative ways to evaluate and quickly disseminate information concerning quality in healthcare organizations. This presentation will identify the appropriate evaluation tools to assess quality at different stages of the healthcare delivery process.