We´ll
continue today with a second part of the blog post about Assisted Animal
Therapy and this time let's talk about first evaluation program and second play
over the designs for research, as the method used in our therapies has to be
the scientific method.
EVALUATION.
In this assessment we will have few questions:
-Utility:
Does evaluation serve to the needs of
the audience?
-Feasibility:
is it viable economically?
-Fitness:
is it suited to the people affected?
-Reliability:
is the evaluation process systematic and technically correct?
These
questions would be the centerpiece of our evaluation work, lack an adequate
answer to one or to several of them, should that we must redefine our program. Is
it worth to have a perfect idea if you
do not have the budget to make it work, or if users are not happy with it?
Areas of
evaluation.
Now that
I know what questions can lead the prcess... where can I ask these questions?
There are
a few areas that entire program to be evaluated, and these are:
-Mission:
it is the goal of the program. To assess whether there is a clear relationship
between the mission and the activities of the AAT.
-Enviroment:
you should be willing to facilitate activities. What if it rains, or cold, or
excessive heat?
-Users:
the ultimate aim of our AAT program is the improvement of the quality of life
of these.
-Animals:
depending on the characteristics of users and the program. A test of conduct
for those animal species where applicable, and it´s absolutely necessary.
-Volunteers:
it is essential to provide for drop-outs. So what
we must seek will be volunteers with experience, who know how to get involved
in the program and know how to work as a team. Don't forget your training and
encourage their motivation.
-Staff:
therapists will work with the staff of AAT and volunteers to decide the goals
and strategies appropriate to each patient. You have to know that the goals of
therapy are individual.
-Curriculum:
it is the content of the AAT. It must conform to each user in particular.
-Cost-benefit:
we talked about this point in the first post about this topic. It will be,
especially at the beginning, this is battle horse.
-Results:
this is the progress of users.
-Long
term impact: it is a little difficult to measure, since it is based on the
tracking of users who have left the institution (longitudinal study). We want
to know if the effects of therapies are maintained at the time.
RESEARCH
DESIGNS.
Since the
method we use is the scientist, we must follow a few sequential steps, where
you can dig deeper into the following link: http://www.uv.es/pitarque/TRANSPARENCIAS.pdf,
because I believe that the explanation would exceed the limits of this entry,
which is intended to be only informative. Therefore confine myself only to
state what types of research designs.
Research
in statistical designs.
- T Student
test: contrast media for two independent samples. The second Hypothesis is that
significant difference between two groups there is no. An example of hypothesis
would be that those who have dog more linked in the parks.
-Chi
square test: to test the relationship or association between two variables. As
an example, we can test the study of the relationship between survival after an
operation and ownership of a pet.
-Regression
analysis: studying the functional relationship between variables. Study
variances that explain a problem.
Single subject design.
In this
type of design differences in the subject are not deformed by the average
required in statistical design (Sidman, 1960). The objective is to demonstrate
the functional relationship (cause and effect) between an event and a target
behavior.
The
single subject term does not refer exclusively to a patient; It means that data
from each individual can be evaluated independently and they are not presented
as an average.
- AB Design:
This design, also called time series, is the simplest of experimental
strategies and allows only tentative conclusions about the influence of the
treatment. It consists of a phase in which are carried out assessments (phase
A) and another that applies the treatment (phase B). The subject has to sign a
conduct until the baseline is stabilized and, subsequently, and after entering
the intervention, continue taking measures in continuous mode until a
particular pattern of execution. Analysis does not provide any information of
the natural course of conduct would have been if we had not entered treatment.
It should be reduced to those cases that do not make possible a more extensive
experimentation.
-Design
of reversal: this form of design is the simplest strategies of experimental
analysis in which the treatment variable is introduced and subsequently
withdrawn. It is first introduced the line base (phase A), then applies the
treatment (phase B) and, finally, so the behavior back to the initial state
(phase A) withdraws the same (e.g., Hersen, Eisler, Alford and Agras, 1973).
This design allows one greater degree of certainty that the treatment variable
is responsible for the observed changes in the conducta-problema. Presents
ethical problems derived from that the design ends up a baseline phase, which
refuses in part the patient benefits of treatment. They have a certain
limitation in the generalization to the clinical field.
-Design
base multiple: these designs operate like the reversal, making and testing
predictions. The logic inherent in them is to start simultaneously all lines
bases and sequentially enter the intervention. A number of behaviors are
assessed over a period of time to get the base of each of these lines. Once
established the same does apply the variable treatment to one of the conduits,
which possibly bring a change in it, while the others will continue with the
pattern that had up to that point in time. Then enters a second behavior
intervention and there is the same with respect to the other base lines where
still not entered treatment. Continue with the process of sequential mode until
we apply it to all behaviour starting.
-Design of multiple
elements. The design of concurrent program, consists of a first stage of observation
of the conduct giving rise to the establishment of the base line. Then apply
two or more interventions simultaneously, under the same conditions (e.g.,
place, time, absence or not of other subjects) than those used during the made
records to make the base line.
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