Scheduled for Health Posters, Friday, April 2, 2004, 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM, Convention Center: Exhibit Hall Poster Session


Formative Evaluation of a Stage-Based Behavior-Change Intervention: The University of Kentucky’s Behavioral Health Improvement Program

Kim H. Miller, Karen Y. Bryla and David J. Hoke, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

Introduction: A primary focus in health promotion is prevention of chronic diseases and conditions. Identification of lifestyle factors that can detract from or enhance health among populations is a key function of health promotion. Upon identification of such factors, interventions are created to modify factors to reduce risk for chronic disease. The Behavioral Health Improvement Program (BeHIP) at The University of Kentucky (UK) was developed by the UK Wellness Program to provide primary care physicians in the UK Family Practice Center with behavior-change interventions for their patients. BeHIP program participants are patients identified by UK Family Practice Center physicians as having lifestyle-related medical conditions such as sedentary behavior, tobacco usage, diabetes and hypertension. Once identified, the physician refers the patient to a BeHIP intervention based on individual needs. Critical components of the program include patient identification, physician referral, and stratification of participants according to stage-of-change for specific behaviors. The system of referral, theoretical application, and collaboration between behavior change interventions and the medical community is rarely found in common practice today. Significance: The need for evaluation in programming and interventions is well documented in the literature. Evaluation is fundamental to the process of program planning and implementation. After its first year in existence BeHIP did not have a formal system for evaluation yet problems with the physician referral process could potentially negatively impact its success. Furthermore, patient/participant satisfaction is essential to ensure successful outcomes. Purpose: The purpose of this presentation is to describe the process used by the researchers to conduct a formative evaluation of BeHIP. Evaluation Method: Evaluation was conducted via multiple means including surveying physician and patient/participant perceptions and experiences with BeHIP, assessing potential versus actual referral rates by physicians, and examining the system by which the intervention is delivered. In a cross-sectional design, physicians (n = 47) and patient/participants (n=167) were surveyed. Physicians were queried as to experiences with referral, perceptions of intervention effectiveness, and satisfaction with program delivery. Patient/participants were surveyed regarding experiences with BeHIP interventions and perceptions of the program. Referral rates for each physician were determined from the BeHIP database. Results of this evaluation will be used to identify areas in need of refinement in the delivery of BeHIP interventions. The formative evaluation process described may be useful to others who wish to apply it in improving behavioral interventions.


Keyword(s): health promotion, measurement/evaluation, worksite

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