ERIC Number: ED197259
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1980-Sep
Pages: 15
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Evaluating Consultation: A Comparison of Measures.
Larsen, Judith K.
The accurate evaluation of consultation is a difficult problem because outcomes can vary according to the perspective and expectations of the respondent. A comparison of several measures for evaluating program-oriented consultations in 39 community mental health centers was based on the following outcome criteria: (1) implementation of consultant suggestions; (2) degree of problem solving; (3) usefulness of the consultant; (4) client satisfaction; (5) influence of consultation on problem solution; and (6) future interest in consultation. The methods used in the data collection included consultee questionnaires, consultant questionnaires, interviews with consultees, and direct observations. Results indicated that actual implementation of the consultant's suggestions was related to the degree of problem solution, but the two were not synonymous. Items measuring consultee satisfaction and plans for future consultations found closer relationships between these variables and implementation of the consultant's suggestions than with problem solution. Consultee judgments of the influence of the consultation were clearly related to implementation and problem solution; consultee judgments of consultation usefulness were not strongly related to these variables. Data suggest that when evaluating a process with as many outcomes as consultation, care must be taken in analyzing and explaining results. (Author/NRB)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Inst. of Mental Health (DHEW), Rockville, MD.
Authoring Institution: American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences, Palo Alto, CA.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association (88th, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, September 1-5, 1980).