Introduction
Assessment and dissemination of research results are significant steps of any study. They allow measuring the effectiveness of the proposed intervention and appraising the benefits that the research can bring to the existing body of knowledge and evidence. Also, they ensure that the scientific community and other healthcare institutions can employ similar practices if the intervention proves to be effective. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a plan for the evaluation and dissemination of research outcomes.
Evaluation Plan
The data needed for the change project assessment include the information regarding the current fall rate in the institution and the data from two participant groups. To be more precise, it is necessary to measure the baseline falls (and traumatization associated with them) within the hospital. These data will serve as a starting point for carrying out the outcome assessment (Gray, Grove, & Sutherland, 2016). Another type of data is linked to the intervention, which is the provision of increased patient education and regular exercise/physical therapy.
The data on the incidence of falls in the group that was introduced to the fall prevention strategy should be gathered to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed measure. Also, the data from the other group that has received the regular fall prevention approach should be collected to determine the fall rate among patients who did not receive the intervention (Grove, Gray, & Burns, 2014). Therefore, the data from both the intervention and control group will be needed to assess the effectiveness of the change plan. Importantly, randomization will be applied when choosing the participants for the study to ensure that the evidence can be generalized, and it is not affected by uncontrolled variables.
To gather and assess the data, a quantitative method will be used. In particular, nurses will gather patient information using standardized written instruments (for instance, a short patient questionnaire or form). They will mark all the cases of falls in both the intervention and control group and keep track of changes in the well-being of individuals. The researcher will collect the forms from nurse participants for their further comparison and information synthesis. If the juxtaposition of results for the control and intervention samples reveals that the incidence of falls in the intervention group is significantly lower, the change project can be considered successful, and its desired outcomes have been accomplished (Gertler, Martinez, Premand, Rawlings, & Vermeersch, 2016). However, if the results are statistically insignificant, it will be necessary to carry out an analysis of factors, which have led to this negative manifestation.
The change plan should be evaluated at several points. In particular, the first approach is pre- and post-assessment. The data will be assessed at the beginning of the project to set a baseline. Further, this information will be compared to the results achieved at the end of the program after the patients have received the intervention to determine its effect (Oermann & Gaberson, 2013). Also, the change plan should be assessed three months post-intervention. It will be done to contrast the outcomes of the intervention in the control group versus the baseline rate.
Dissemination Plan
Importantly, all stakeholder groups should be included in information dissemination. In terms of the current study, the patients (intervention and control group) and healthcare providers engaged in the project should receive the information regarding the intervention outcomes (Burch & Heinrich, 2015). Patients should be made aware of the way they have proceeded and how well they have improved their muscle strength, balance, and stability. It will help the researcher to encourage these patients to continue exercising regularly to avoid falls in the future. Nurses and hospital administration should receive information regarding the aftermath of the project implementation (fall incidence rate). It will ensure that sustainability is reached, and the institution will continue employing the renewed practices aimed at reducing falls in senior patients. Moreover, external stakeholders such as the scientific community should be included in the dissemination plan (Stufflebeam & Coryn, 2014). They should receive the information regarding the reduced fall rates in the institution so that this evidence can be disseminated to a greater extent, and other organizations can consider this practice as a measure to minimize falls within their settings.
The information can be presented in several steps. The evidence should be discussed with patients and healthcare staff (internal shareholders) to ensure that they comprehend the positive outcomes of the study. Discussion meetings should be initiated with nurses and patients separately since they possess dissimilar knowledge levels. Besides, the evidence and key facts of the study can be presented on the information boards for all staff members to observe (Burch & Heinrich, 2015). Further, after the report on the outcomes has been finalized, it should be presented to the hospital administration during a monthly board meeting. In terms of external shareholders, the report on the findings should be sent to a professional nursing organization or association so that the results can be reviewed by a reputable body and disseminated to other institutions for consideration.
Conclusion
Thus, it can be concluded that the evaluation of outcomes to determine the effectiveness of a change plan is a research phase of paramount importance. The results of the current study should be appraised critically to define whether they have been achieved as intended initially. After the analysis and assessment have been carried out, it is necessary to disseminate the findings to the key stakeholder groups so that they are aware of the effectiveness of the intervention and sustain the change.
References
Burch, P., & Heinrich, C. J. (2015). Mixed methods for policy research and program evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
Gertler, P. J., Martinez, S., Premand, P., Rawlings, L. B., & Vermeersch, C. M. J. (2016). Impact evaluation in practice (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: World Bank Publications.
Gray, J. R., Grove, S. K., & Sutherland, S. (2016). Burns and Grove’s the practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (8th ed.). New York, NY: Elsevier.
Grove, S. K., Gray, J. R., & Burns, N. (2014). Understanding nursing research: Building an evidence-based practice (6th ed.). New York, NY: Elsevier.
Oermann, M. H., & Gaberson, K. B. (2013). Evaluation and testing in nursing education (4th ed.). New York, NY: Springer.
Stufflebeam, D. L., & Coryn, C. L. S. (2014). Evaluation theory, models, and applications (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.