CP44 - Readiness to Train Assessment Tool™: Development and Validation of a Tool to Assess Health Center Readiness to Train Health Professionals

Poster Type: Research

Primary Funding Source: HRSA

Category: Workforce

Research Objectives: The study objectives were to develop and validate a survey instrument that: i) can measure and assess health center readiness to engage with and implement health professions training (HPT) programs; ii) is based on organizational readiness theory and experts’ judgement of the most important factors influencing successful HPT program implementation.

Study Design/Methods: The project was conducted by the Community Health Center, Inc. and lasted one year (June 2018 - June 2019). It incorporated the following specific methodological steps to guide the process of developing and validating an instrument for assessing health center readiness to engage with HPT programs: 1) development and validation of a conceptual framework by reviewing literature on organizational readiness for change and conducting focus groups; 2) generation of an initial survey item pool; 3) refinement and validation of the survey items using a modified Delphi process; 4) pilot testing of the survey; 5) psychometric and structural evaluation.

Principal Findings and Quantitative/Qualitative Results: A conceptual framework was developed and validated by twenty experts in two focus groups. The mapped to the framework survey-item pool was refined by thirteen experts in 3 modified Delphi rounds and later evaluated in a nationwide pilot-test with 212 health-center employees.

The final 41-item, 7-subscale structure of the survey was derived through exploratory factor analysis. Cronbach’s alphas (.79 -.97) indicated good to excellent reliability. The survey measures perceived by the health center employees: readiness to engage, evidence strength and quality of the HPT program, relative advantage of the HPT program, financial resources, additional resources, implementation team, and implementation plan.

Conclusions on Impact on Health Centers: The final survey instrument, the Readiness to Train Assessment Tool™ (RTAT™), is a multi-item, multi-subscale, organizational readiness scale that is both valid and reliable. The instrument covers dimensions of health center readiness for engaging with HPT programs deemed critical to evaluate by subject matter experts.

The advantage of the RTAT™ is that it covers organizational readiness dimensions that are relevant to all kinds of health professions training programs and types of health centers. The RTAT™ meets a need at the national level to help health centers address concerns regarding capacity, resources, organizational abilities when launching any health professions training program(s).

Author(s):

Ianita Zlateva, MPH, Doctoral Candidate, Evaluation Specialist and Researcher, Community Health Center Inc.

Amanda Schiessl, MPP, Project Director, National Cooperative Agreement, Community Health Center Inc.

Nashwa Khalid, MA, Project Analyst, National Cooperative Agreement, Community Health Center Inc.

Margaret Flinter, Phd, APRN, SVP/Clinical Director CHCI and Co-PI, NCA, Community Health Center Inc.

Kerry Bamrick, MBA, Director of Postgraduate Residency Training Programs, Community Health Center Inc.