Raccoon City Primary Care Screening Stakeholders
Police, EMT/EMS, nurses, social workers, people struggling with drug addiction, and people struggling with suicidal ideation.
Purpose of the Program Evaluation
The program evaluation is intended to be applied to determine if the intervention has yielded positive results and has fulfilled its objectives. Thus, three main circumstances will be identified and assessed based on the data collected as a result of project implementation. The first evaluation goal is to determine if the PCC screening program is a cost-effective intervention. This will be exemplified through variables that either support the program’s success or highlight that the resources have not been appropriately allocated. The second evaluation notion is determining whether the PCC screening program has impacted the drug overdose rates in Raccoon city. Moreover, an additional evaluation will be performed in regards to the impact on the suicide rate in Raccoon city.
Cost-Effectiveness
Evaluation question
“Is the PCC screening program cost-effective?”.
Methods
In order for the results to be determined, an analysis will be performed. Namely, data gathered prior to the intervention and post-intervention will be examined accordingly. The type of data that will be applied includes costs and spending on Narcan administrations and ER visits. Moreover, the project implementation cost will be added to determine whether the intervention is cost-effective and generals less spending.
Results
In order for cost-effectiveness to be evaluated, it is essential to point out that each Narcan use is equal to the sum of $200, and ER visits are $2,168. Prior to the intervention, Narcan was used in 35 overdose cases, which means that the costs were $7000. After the intervention, Narcan was required in 25 cases of overdose, which implies a reduction to $5.000. The number of ER visits registered between July and September is 51 visits related to overdoses and 16 related to suicides. Thus, 66 ER visits imply that $143,008 was spent. After the interventions, both overdose ER visits and ones correlating with suicide have reduced (15 and 7 accordingly). 23 visits result in spending of $49,864. The screening process requires an investment of $150,000 yearly. Prior to the intervention, the costs were $150,008, which was reduced to $57,264 over the course of three months. The program implies spending $37,500 on a basis on a three-month period. In this case, program intervention and the costs post-implementation are lower than the costs prior to the screening project.
Impact on Overdose Rates
Evaluation question
“Has the PCC screening program impacted drug overdose rates in Racoon city?”
Method
Data prior to the program implementation and post-intervention will be collected and compared. Namely, it will be determined whether the drug overdose rate has reduced based on the comparison of the two variables.
Results
Prior to the program implementation, there had been 51 ER visits correlating with a drug overdose, which has been reduced to 15 visits during the intervention. There has also been an impact on the police calls related to drug overdoses. Namely, prior to the intervention, 35 police calls were registered compared to the intervention period with only 13 calls. The results highlight a positive dynamic, implying that the program facilitates a reduction in overdoses.
Impact on Suicide Rates
Evaluation Question
‘Has the PCC screening program impacted the suicide rates in Racoon city?’
Method
In order for changes in suicide rate to be determined, the variables obtained before and after program implementation will be compared. The number highlighting the rate between July and September will be compared to the same variable for October-December.
Results
The program was successful in minimizing the suicide rate. Researchers mention outcome evaluation as measuring the impact on the chosen demographic (National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools, 2010). Thus, the current findings exemplify the positive impact of the screening intervention. Prior to program implementation, there have been 16 suicide attempts and 12 deaths as a result of suicide between July and September. The program has facilitated the rates to be minimized, with 7 attempts and 6 deaths recorded between October and December.
Summary
The findings highlight that the PCC screening program has positively impacted Racoon city regarding suicide and overdose prevention. Moreover, the program has been evaluated from a financial perspective, highlighting the cost-effectiveness of the implementation. As a result, it is certain that the evaluation highlights the program as working to reduce suicide and drug overdoses. However, the group of people who are missed in the screening is teenagers, as they are a vulnerable demographic (Cha et al., 2017). When it comes to adults, it is certain that the program is effective in addressing suicide and drug use and linking the two variables as data shows a correlation.
Recommendation
The positive implications of the program can be maximized if adolescents are included in screening for suicide. Moreover, another potential addition would consist of screening the individuals who have completed the referred program to assess long-term effects. Thus, people with suicide attempts or substance abuse issues can be examined a year from program completion to determine whether the project has long-term effects or requires alterations.
References
Cha, C. B., Franz, P. J., M. Guzmán, E., Glenn, C. R., Kleiman, E. M., & Nock, M. K. (2017). Annual research review: Suicide among youth – epidemiology, (potential) etiology, and treatment. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 59(4), 460-482. doi:10.1111/jcpp.12831
National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (2010). Program evaluation toolkit. Hamilton, ON: McMaster University. Web.