When a program is started, it is important to evaluate it after some time in order to determine the performance. By evaluating a program, those who are in charge are able to determine whether the program is implemented well and what changes should be made.
The Center for Disease and Control (CDC) has been launching several programs to eradicate various diseases from the public. One of the major diseases that CDC has put efforts to stop is diabetes. Subsequently, CDC has also carried out several evaluations of the diabetes eradication program in order to determine its effectiveness (Centers for Disease Control, 2008, p. 5).
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) chose the qualitative method to evaluate the programs used to stop diabetes. It is worth noting that diabetes is a lifestyle related disease and the programs aimed to stop it should emphasize how to encourage people to change their lifestyles in order to be healthier (Centers for Disease Control, 2008, p. 6).
In most cases, quantitative methods are used to evaluate programs whereby the outcome of the programs can be represented in terms of figures. However, in this case, diabetes eradication program evaluation was done using qualitative method in order to give the true picture of what was happening on the ground as far as the disease was concerned (Posavac, 2010, p. 44).
Interviews were greatly used during the evaluation of the program whereby the diabetes patients, program facilitators, medical practitioners and the general public members were asked for their views about the success of the program. Generally, all parties involved in the running program were engaged in direct interviews for being able to collect reliable information about the achievement made by CDC in order to eradicate diabetes.
Unlike in the quantitative method, whereby the outcome is given in figures, qualitative method gives more details that represent the actual environment of the issues that have been evaluated. One of the major reasons why CDC decided to use qualitative program evaluation method is the thematic insights associated with qualitative program evaluation (Boulmetis & Dutwin, 2012, p. 18).
The interviews enabled the CDC to collect actual and the emotional information from both patients and other stakeholders involved in the running program. The program is supposed to change the social life of the people and it was essential to hear what those who were involved in the implementation of the program felt about it.
Additionally, collecting the actual information about what people feel about the program is more accurate than having figures recorded down (Centers for Disease Control, 2008, p. 3).
Information collected during qualitative program evaluation is more accurate in decision making than the one collected using quantitative methods.
Those compiling and sorting data using quantitative program evaluation method sometimes make mistakes that are reflected in the information used in the decision making process (Boulmetis & Dutwin, 2012).
The qualitative method gives accurate and quality information about the program being evaluated because it normally includes first hand information that contains the reactions and feeling of the respondents.
Generally, the CDC chose to use qualitative methods in order to obtain quality and accurate information about the diabetes eradication program.
References
Boulmetis, J., & Dutwin. P., ( 2012), The Abcs Of Evaluation: Timeless Techniques For Program And Project Managers, KY, United States: Cengage Learning.
Centers for Disease Control., ( 2008). Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health, the eradication of diabetes. Atlanta, Georgia 30360
Posavac, E. J., ( 2010). Program Evaluation: Methods and Case Studies , Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.