Core Opsis Research LLC

EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS AT OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY

• 2013. Led development and implementation of data collection and CQI plans for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV).

 

• 2011-2012: Chair of Oregon Home Visiting System Outcomes Work Group. Worked with state- and local-level representatives of home visiting programs throughout the state to select shared outcome measures.

 

• 2011-2012. Chair of Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) Benchmarks Work Group. Group selected measures for the 35 federally-required benchmark constructs. The measures must be acceptable to the diverse home visiting programs funded by MIECHV and must have the potential for measuring improvement within a 3-year period.

 

• 2010-2011: Home Visiting Needs Assessment. The assessment was used to inform a statewide planning effort for a coordinated home visiting system involving all of the major providers of home visiting services. In addition, the assessment was used to meet the requirements of applying for new funding made available by the federal Affordable Care Act. The assessment includes estimates of the numbers of pregnant women and children potentially in need of home visiting and a comparison with the numbers currently being served, as well as the number that programs have the capacity to serve. The assessment also includes an analysis of inequities by race/ethnicity, poverty, and urban/rural residence. In addition, large-scale, statewide surveys of pregnant women/parents of young children and home visitors provide measures of the specific needs and ease/difficulty of receiving services for each need.

 

• 2009-2010: Federally-required 5-year needs assessment for the federal Maternal and Child Health Services Title V Block Grant Program. The assessment included focus groups of service consumers, a statewide survey of service providers and community leaders, and compilation of health indicators for 6 maternal and child health populations (women before and between pregnancies, pregnant women, mothers and infants, young children, older children and adolescents, and children with special health needs). An advisory group used information from the focus groups, survey and data compilation to prioritize needs for the 6 populations. The prioritization was conducted through use of an online survey tool that allowed participants to rate needs along 4 dimensions. Results of the needs assessment were used to develop new Title V state performance measures.

 

EXAMPLES OF PROJECTS AT HORIZON RESEARCH SERVICES, INC. (HRS)

Needs Assessment and Program Evaluation Research

• 2004: Multi-faceted needs assessment for a Hospice House facility in central Missouri.  This study was conducted for a health care provider.  Individuals from in-state and out-of-state Hospice Programs were interviewed.  Population estimates from a variety of sources were collected and projections made of the number of individuals who might need to use a Hospice House in the future. 

 

• 2003: Needs assessment and evaluation of WIC among Hispanics.  The study was conducted for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.  Horizon Research Services (HRS) carried out data collection, data analysis, and preliminary report writing as a subcontract to the University of Missouri-Columbia.  The study consisted of focus groups and surveys of Hispanic participants and non-participants in the WIC program in 10 counties in Missouri.

 

• 1998-2003: HRS conducted management and program evaluations of local social service agencies funded by the City of Columbia Office of Community Services.  HRS developed a self-study instrument that addresses aspects of the agency’s programs and management.  After completion of the questionnaire, HRS conducted on-site interviews with agency officials and organized a focus group or in-person interviews with service agency patrons for additional input. For several selected agencies, HRS developed, in cooperation with the agency, a tool for use in outcomes based evaluations.

 

• 2000: Assessment of child care resources and needs in Boone County.  The study was conducted by HRS for the Community Child Care Consortium in Boone County (now Boone Early Childhood Partners).  HRS conducted a survey of 340 parents of pre-school children to gather information on their opinions of availability, affordability, and quality of child care in Boone County.  Respondents were asked about their current arrangements for child care, cost, type of provider, and distance of the provider.  Parents were also asked questions pertaining to factors used in their choice of current care, their satisfaction with this care, and ease of finding different types of child care.  In addition, respondents were asked about employer assistance with child care needs.  Results were used to develop strategic plans for child care in the county.

 

• 1996 to 1997: HRS conducted a comprehensive educational needs assessment for a community college.  A series of focus groups with key business and industry leaders in four geographic areas were held.  Telephone surveys of business and industry in the region, and a telephone survey of households in the target area were conducted.  Projections on the technical education needs and interest were made to guide the planning process.

 

Epidemiology Studies

• 2001 and 2002: Data analysis for Behavioral Health Concepts, Inc. (BHC) as part of its evaluation of Medicaid managed care in Missouri.  Analyses were conducted on the CAHPS survey, which measures patient satisfaction, and on the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance Survey (BRFS), which measures the prevalence of various self-reported risk factors and health status indicators.  Analyses examined changes across time in several factors, as well as differences among groups by type of Medicaid program.  Statistical procedures included frequencies, chi square, analysis of variance, and multiple regression.  SPSS and SUDAAN software packages were used for the analyses.

 

• 1993 to 1994: Compilation and analysis of information and data, and preparation of information packets for use in the national American Stop Smoking Intervention Study for Cancer Prevention (ASSIST) State of Missouri program.  A variety of sources tapped for material:  internal documentation of the state division, ASSIST materials, library resources, state of Missouri BRFS survey data for the years 1989-1993, state of Missouri SCBA survey data for the years 1989-1992, state of Missouri SAMMEC data for the years 1990-1992, National Cancer Institute and American Cancer Society publications, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services-Center for Disease Control WONDER (on-line access).  The material was presented in an easy-to-read format for use by ASSIST program coalitions, which used the material for presentations, conferences, seminars, and mass media.

 

Public Policy Research

• 2004: HRS assisted the Missouri Primary Care Association in assessing barriers to Medicaid and MC+ enrollment.  In cooperation with MPCA, HRS designed the survey and outlined data collection methodology.  HRS administered onsite surveys to almost 400 clients in 8 Federally Qualified Health Centers around the state.  Analysis and reporting included frequencies, percentages, means, and subgroup analyses.   HRS prepared a Power Point presentation highlighting the results for the MPCA Board.

 

• 2003-2004: This project was conducted for the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, Office of Grants and Contracts.  The office wished to gain information about the interest in the region in a concept called 3-Share.  In 3-Share programs, three entities (government, employers, and employees) share the cost of health insurance for employees of small businesses which had been unable to afford insurance.  HRS designed, conducted, analyzed and reported results of surveys of businesses and employees to assist in planning for possible grant-writing for this program.  Such a program would cover some uninsured individuals in the 9-county area.

 

• 1997: Women’s Health Project.  This project was conducted for the Missouri Department of Health, Bureau of Family Health.  The contractor was University of Missouri and HRS was the subcontractor for data collection, analysis, reporting, and recommendations.  The project focused on an assessment of the status of women’s health needs in Missouri.  For the assessment, HRS conducted secondary research that included examination of state and federal data.  HRS conducted and analyzed focus groups and surveys of rural and urban, African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian women between the ages of 18 and 65.  HRS also conducted key informant interviews and surveys of service providers and Missouri state agency administrators.  In addition to the assessment of women’s health, HRS provided recommendations for the establishment and design of a state Office of Women’s Health.

 

• 1996: Domestic Violence Project, Missouri Department of Social Services, Division of Family Services.  Designed research protocols and conducted a study of domestic violence and other barriers to employment for women receiving AFDC.  Three focus groups were conducted: two groups of victims of domestic violence and one group of social workers.   Also, a self-report paper-and-pencil survey of applicants and re-applicants for AFDC was conducted.

 

Awareness and Image Research

• 2005: Series of focus groups for a health care provider.  The focus groups explored perceptions of hospital services and physician groups in the geographic region.  HRS had previously conducted numerous focus groups for this provider.  Focus group topics included opinions of specific services, image and awareness, and pre-tests of advertising concepts.

 

• 2005: Awareness and Perception Study for a private college with multiple locations.  Designed, conducted, analyzed, and reported a telephone survey of residents in three market areas to assess awareness and perceptions of the college.

 

• 1998: Project for a large continuing education and outreach arm of a major university.   Designed, conducted, analyzed, and reported qualitative research, including focus groups on continuing education, with marketing professionals, consumers, and human resources managers.  This resulted in a name change and new marketing materials for this provider.

 

Customer Satisfaction and Strategic Planning Projects

• 1997 to 2007:  Strategic Planning and Customer Satisfaction Projects.  HRS conducted, analyzed, and reported annual customer satisfaction and internal corporate culture (employee satisfaction) studies for a statewide insurance company which is the largest provider of workers compensation insurance in Missouri.  The insurance company used the results of the surveys to set target goals for improving customer and employee satisfaction.  The surveys assisted in identifying strengths and weaknesses within the company from the customer and employee perspectives. Customer groups that were surveyed included independent insurance agents, employers, and injured workers.  HRS conducted 4 to 6 extensive phone and Web-based surveys each year to assist in the company-wide strategic planning effort.