Abstract
Introduction: The integrated and comprehensive elderly care program of the Ministry of Health in the city of Asadabad has been designed to maintain and improve the health of the elderly population. The evaluation of this program using the context, input, process, and product (CIPP) model is essential to determining areas where the program may need modifications or improvements.
Methods: The current descriptive-analytical research focused on evaluating the current elderly care program based on the CIPP evaluation model. The target population includes all employees of healthcare centers in Asadabad county. Data collection tools consisted of a two-part questionnaire, including demographic information and a researcher-developed questionnaire for evaluating the current elderly care program based on the four dimensions of the CIPP evaluation model. Participants meeting the study’s inclusion criteria were selected through a census sampling method. After completing the questionnaires, the data were analyzed using SPSS 24 for further examination and analysis.
Results: The means±standard deviations (SD) of the age of the participants was 34.84±7.31 years, and 140 people (84.3%) were women. The mean±of work experience was 10.75±7.07 years. Based on the results of the field evaluation, the highest average score was related to the item “the need of the target group for the program”, while the lowest average score belonged to “identifying the potential of other influential organizations in the implementation of the program”. In the evaluation of the input field, the highest average score was associated with the item “asking questions of the target group during the implementation of the program to ensure learning”, whereas the lowest average score was attributed to “budget and credit necessary for the program”. In evaluating the scope of the process, the highest average score was related to the “evaluation of the program by the officials and executive personnel”, while the lowest average score belonged to the item “updating the program according to the needs assessment and problems encountered”. Based on output area evaluation, the highest and lowest average scores were associated with items “satisfaction with interest in work and commitment and work conscience” and “responsiveness of the program to the needs of the elderly”, respectively. In the overall evaluation of the program, the highest average score belonged to “necessity of the program” and the lowest average score was related to “quality of program presentation”.
Conclusion: Based on the current study results, the evaluation of the integrated and comprehensive elderly care program of the Ministry of Health using the CIPP model focuses on identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the program, taking into account the opinions of healthcare center staff in Asadabad province. Therefore, policymakers and officials can use these findings to improve the implementation of this program further.