The Impact Integrated Data System for Quality and Outcomes Tracking of Prevention Programs

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

There has been substantial progress in developing evidence-based prevention programs (EBPPs) for preventing risky behaviors and promoting positive outcomes for youth. Unfortunately, their adoption, quality implementation, long-term sustainability, and scalability in real world service settings continues to lag far behind, resulting in an inability to achieve the intended broad scale public impact. This SBIR Fast Track project will address a key implementation barrier to broad scale adoption and sustained use of EBPPs—the need for ongoing tracking and documentation of how (process data) and to what extent (outcomes data) an EBPP results in intended youth outcomes under real-world conditions. Building on the existing collaboration between 3C Institute and Penn State University Prevention Research Center's EPISCenter, we will develop Impact, an easy to use, cost- and time-efficient technology platform to gather relevant process and outcome data and produce meaningful real-time reports at provider, service setting, and state-wide levels. The proposed project will accomplish five specific aims: Phase I: (1) Create a fully-functional prototype based on feedback gathered from providers and administrators during prior research by 3C and EPISCenter. Previously developed wireframes will be made fully functional and a complete system blueprint will be developed for five of EPISCenter's supported EBPPs. (2) Conduct a feasibility test with providers and agency/state administrators currently implementing one or more EBPPs supported by EPISCenter. Phase II: (3) Develop the full product with stakeholders, including all proposed Impact functionality for five EPISCenter-supported EBPPs, through an iterative development-testing-revision process to ensure the software achieves optimal usability for intended end users. (4) Conduct a field study with EBPP providers to assess the feasibility, usability, and value of process and outcomes tracking. Providers will be assigned to one of two conditions: (a) using EPISCenter's current methods (Excel spreadsheet & asynchronous reporting) and then (b) using Impact. We expect Impact will result in significant improvements in all areas. (5) Prepare Impact for commercialization by conducting focus groups with EBPP providers and administrators to review pilot test results and gather stakeholder feedback to finalize the complete product. Preparation for Phase III commercial launch will also include development of all needed demos, training materials, and resources for end users and integration of e-commerce functions into the website. Impact's technology infrastructure will be able to accommodate a wide array of EBPPs, providing a much needed cost-effective mechanism to support broad-scale dissemination and use in service settings. In addition, administrators will be able to track implementation, thus enhancing accountability and providing on-going quality assurance, while also providing data analytics to quickly and effectively monitor impact and cost-effectiveness, thereby increasing the likelihood a program's core features are adhered to over time and maximizing treatment benefits for youth.