Program Evaluation and Action Planning - Pancreatic Cancer Action Network - Assignment Example

? Program Evaluation and Action Planning Affiliation with more information about affiliation, research grants, conflict of interest and how to contact 1. Identifying who will participate in the assessment including a sampling strategy. (Patients, Family Members and Employees) Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is an organization that attempt to create awareness in the public in a broad approach through investigation, patient support, community outreach and support for the pancreatic cancer treatment. The main participants in the Community Outreach Program of Pancreatic Cancer Action Network are a group of patients who suffer from pancreatic cancer. 100 patients who are affected by pancreatic cancer at a high level are taken as the sample population for the study. This number is considered adequate for the effective evaluation of the program by understanding their responses towards the Community Outreach Program. The program has been purposely planned to determine their feedback for improvement in it, where necessary and related to re-sources and services. Besides, it also aims to create better awareness in the patients to enable them to make informed decisions about their concerns and treatment. The programs should be planned in such a way that is easily understandable to the patients. The patients will evaluate the program as: It decreases feelings of separation and desperation amongst patients and caregivers and also develops medical referral plan to lessen delays in treatment for patients with pancreatic cancer. An effective tool that enhances the level of knowledge of patients and healthcare professionals about pancreatic cancer and will provide proper care and treatment opportunities and “encourages all patients to consider clinical trials when exploring their treatment options” (Clinical Trials, 2012, para.1). When healthcare professionals offer information and resources to their patients and install confidence in them to take part in decision-making processes about treatment, they have a feeling of being trusted and cared for. Additionally, this will also buildup the confidence in patients, especially females and those coming from the lower strata of the society that they are receiving support and the community is attempting to provide a better quality of life to them. “The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network offers a number of resources for pancreatic cancer patients and their families through the Patient and Liaison Services (PALS) program” (ASEG and The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Partner to Raise Awareness About Pancreatic Cancer, 2012, para.14). Patients receive adequate care, depending upon the knowledge and skills of their healthcare team and the health care professionals provide them the required resources and support services during the program. 2. Collecting a small sample (e.g., 5-10 surveys) or create mock-up data reflecting stakeholders’ evaluation feedback. Stakeholders are a group, organization or members who influence or can be influenced by the proceedings of the program. By examining and estimating the strategy plans of the program and results on a regular basis, to make sure that the program functions on a proper path and the that objectives are being attained. The evaluation tools that will be applied will present fast and recurrent response to assist and find the ways and means to solve possible problems and effectively guide the program towards its success. The PALS program consists of an evaluation element that concentrates on adopting quality assurance measures. Strategic plans are made to improve and expand these systems in order to make sure that suitable quantitative and qualitative information are created and evaluated. Such evaluation will be carried out on the basis of information collected from surveys, interviews besides discussions with various stakeholders, including patients, healthcare professionals and PALS members. The following surveys could be conducted: Inventory reports and contacts by program members to examine the number and type of contacts received and follow-up actions. The survey can be conducted through post card that will convey each educational packet that is sent to evaluate satisfaction with the supporting PALS members and their responses will assist in recognizing the most useful components of the PALS program. It will also help identifying areas where improvement is most required. Follow-up surveys with stakeholders to verify if and how the present information and resources were essentially applied and contributed to detect defects, and further treatment with care and treatment. Annual surveys and direct personal interviews with the stakeholders to obtain detailed feedback about the program’s results. Written questionnaires and discussion meetings to assess the satisfaction and perceived value of the action. Quarterly surveys and discussion with PALS members will help the stakeholders to collect feedback on their experiences and suggestions for improvement. 3. Drilling down to identify specific problems within the program. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network supports patients in executing community outreach programs to build hope and leadership in the battle against pancreatic cancer. “The goals of the grants program are to build a robust pancreatic cancer research community; to encourage collaboration, information-sharing and innovation; and to expedite scientific and medical breakthroughs for patient benefit” (Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and ACCR Award Research Grants Totaling more Than $3.4 Million, 2012, para.4). During the effective functioning of the program, there are some problems associated within the program which are explained as below: Lack of resources and funds to operate the programs successfully. There is a shortage of resources and funds, which may cause delay in providing treatment to patients. The community does not have a medium for the purpose of sharing ideas, planning strategies, and implementing solutions to the problems that the community encounters. There is a shortage of effective media for the patients to communicate their problems to the program.  There is a lack of human resources for the effective functioning of the program. They need people who can diagnose and treat people with pancreatic cancer. Most of the HR lack adequate knowledge of the disease for appropriate and accurate diagnosis or treatment. Many are not familiar with appropriate medical referrals, and are reluctant to make suitable referrals. The health professionals are not certain about of patient and caregiver resources. There is a lack of effective training to the physicians about the process of the program. The infrastructure available for clinical trials for pancreatic cancer is not up to the standard. When more number of participants attend the program, it becomes difficult for the members to properly attend to them. The other important problem within the program is that the strategies and practices applied by the physicians are not the latest one. Improvement in this area is very essential. 4. Analyzing results and establishing a minimum of five actionable recommendations that would improve the organization based upon your knowledge of the characteristics of successful nonprofits. Recommendations: Increasing training and career growth efforts in pancreatic cancer care and research: Training new researcher and giving confidence to established researchers to concentrate on pancreatic cancer is important to raise the number of investigators focusing on this illness. While National Cancer Institute (NCI) and “National Institutes of Health (NIH)” (Pancreatic Cancer, 2011) presently have various training devices to sustain growth of career in the study of cancer, focused training in the study of pancreatic cancer is an enormous task as multidisciplinary methods are necessary at every level to address the illness. Decide the efficiency of current preparations in pancreatic cancer care and assess new plans for organizing complex treatment: Pancreatic cancer is an aggressive illness that quickly deprives patient’s life expectancy and quality of life. The indications are mainly difficult to treat successfully. In addition, because median life anticipation after judgment is about 6 months or less, important quality of life with this illness takes on special importance. The survivors can give important data about their knowledge that could assist in giving hypothetical suggestions for the study to promote a lot of outlooks of managing pancreatic cancer patients. A planned, coordinated research plans is required that can address approaches of developing quality in the final stages of life. Outcomes study that gives data on these problems is significant to every stages of pancreatic cancer research. Increasing the resources and programs: It is necessary to create resources to give access to a variety of normal human pancreas tests and every type of biomaterials. Researchers require easy admittance to high-class tissue from precursor lesions, normal pancreas and invasive tumors. These sampling have to be assembled and stored according to regular measures. They must be accessible through a storage area, with associated epidemiologic and clinical data. Coordinating and establishing these databases and resources will support efficient and thorough use of these valuable samples and allow researchers to attain necessary data. Increase education resources for healthcare researchers and providers about assessment of pancreatic cancer risk, sample collection and evaluation protocols. Offer training, education and communication devices for providers with education factors and guarantee materials. The present lack of information in identifying these problems significantly restricts the process of growth in pancreatic cancer study. The training, education and communication tools would include communication toolkits for healthcare giver with education elements and collateral resources to allow professionals to extend help and support in decision making of patients, and toolkits that are linguistically and culturally suitable and take into account various literacy stages and knowledge with communication tools and mechanisms to facilitate enhanced interaction between healthcare professional, advocates, providers and funding organizations. Develop infrastructure for medical tests and encourage patient contribution: Clinical trials have been sponsored by National Institutes of Health (NIH), further government groups, educational groups, health industry and organizations. There is a need to create a dedicated web site and other mechanisms for publishing information on clinical trials and pancreatic cancer. The PANC-PRG recommends developments in the communications for clinical tests. They suggest that increasing multidisciplinary clinical tests and clinical trials system can give sufficient support for clinical trials performance. It can also optimize clinical trial plan particular to pancreatic cancer. 5. Proposing a continuous improvement strategy: The main challenges in the task of pancreatic cancer fighting appear to be the lack of responsiveness between people, increasing need of funds for study, giving proper data to healthcare givers and patients. New models are required for examining the cost to conduct medical study in pancreatic cancer, measuring communication efficiency, developing patient decision-making, explaining and summarizing reliable patterns of variables indicative of longer term continued existence of pancreatic cancer, and characterizing value of life and end-of-life strictures for pancreatic cancer patients. “Participants may also undergo novel imaging procedures, be tested for genes associated with hereditary pancreatic cancer and have biological fluids, such as blood and pancreatic juice, collected and analyzed” (Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer, 2012, para.8). Besides the benefit of having screenings executed by skilled doctors and probably profiting from cutting edge analytical tests, it can undoubtedly improve the process of early detection.  In the near future, these investigations should give a wealth of data about who is at threat, what genes are generally included in rising pancreatic cancer and the most excellent approaches for early treatment and diagnosis.  With the continuous study, increased funding and improved technology, investigators forecast that important developments in the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer will be made in the next few years.   6. Detailing a plan for influencing key decision makers. Pancreatic Cancer Action system is a national movement that instills hope in to the public through study, community outreach, patient support and support for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. The program maintains the growth of a complete pancreatic cancer study community, investing on the choice of knowledge essential to create systematic breakthroughs. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Plan should be designed in such a technique that is simply understandable to the patients. Currently, funding chances are presented to assemble the technical needs and rising growths in the pancreatic cancer community. Pancreatic cancer action plan “is to develop a network of advocates and researchers who influence cancer research–from initial concept to patient care delivery— through collaboration, education and mutual support” (Cohen, 2012, pg.4). Established ability to rapidly understand complex issues, respond correctly, and perform detail-orientated tasks under very tight deadlines is essential to tackle the problem. Every Pancreatic Cancer Action Network conference planning committee members, staff members and speakers must reveal any important economic interest or connections with the producers of educational programs and any conflicts of interest must be resolved before conference participation. Reference List ASEG and the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Partner to Raise Awareness about Pancreatic Cancer. (2012). American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Retrieved from < http://www.asge.org/press/press.aspx?id=5890> Clinical Trials. (2012). Pancreatic Cancer Clinical Trials. Retrieved from Cohen, G. (2012). Clinical Trials. Retrieved from Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer. (2012). Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Retrieved from Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and ACCR Award Research Grants Totaling More Than $3.4 Million. (2012). Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. Retrieved from Pancreatic Cancer. (2011). National Institute of Health. Retrieved from Read More