Outcomes Measures and Data

There are two forms of disciplined inquiry that examine impacts of training or educational interventions on performance outcomes: Research and Evaluation. Although similar in many practical respects, the purposes of each are quite different. The criteria for designing and implementing controls when examining study outcomes are distinct and much more rigorous for research than they are for evaluation. Evaluation examines outcomes that target specific interventions in specific contexts, the results of which are not intended to be interpreted as broadly generalizable to other contexts. Research leads to conclusions across multiple contexts through the deliberate definition of variables and methodological controls. This chapter will focus on Educational Research associated with performance outcomes in healthcare contexts. Apart from the generalizability requirements, the information and processes presented in the chapter are equally applicable to program evaluation, wherein multi-site data may provide substantive information for meta-analyses. The chapter includes determining the type of research design to implement based on the outcome variables of interest (performance, clinical, financial, etc.) and their relationships to directed interventions. It also addresses identifying and operationalizing the variables of interest for study; optimizing the precision of measurement for outcomes variables; and choosing from several quantitative research designs that examine the relationships between outcomes variables of interest in healthcare education contexts: (1) Quasi-Experiment; (2) Correlational; (3) Meta-Analysis. Example studies are provided for each of the explicated research designs. Detailed methodological attributes, such as sampling, operationalization, statistical analyses, etc. are addressed elsewhere in this book and are not covered in depth.