A new method to measure the acoustic surface impedance outdoors.

In the European countries noise pollution is considered to be one of the most important environmental problems. With respect to traffic noise, different researchers are working on the reduction of noise at the source, on the modelling of the acoustic absorption of the road structure and on the effects of the pavement on the propagation. The aim of this paper is to propose a new method to measure the acoustic impedance of surfaces located outdoors, which allows us to further noise propagation models, in order to evaluate exactly the noise exposure.

Designing a system for managing the performance of mental health managed care: an example from New York State's prepaid mental health plan.

The organization, financing, and delivery of publicly funded behavioral health services are undergoing massive changes nationwide. Managed care principles and practices are being implemented widely and are being relied on increasingly to meet the challenges of containing costs and improving service effectiveness. To meet these goals, comprehensive systems are under development for measuring and reporting outcomes experienced by individuals who received services and for assessing the impact of managed care strategies on the service delivery system. This article presents an example from the Prepaid Mental Health Program in New York State. It highlights the development, implementation, and early experiences with the plan's performance management system for public sector managed behavioral health, a basis for continuous quality improvement activities and information reporting products such as report cards. Policy, administrative, and financial implications are illuminated.

Preparing research results for journal submissions.

This article provides a summary of the important factors to consider in preparing a research manuscript for submission to The Journal of the New York State Nurses Association. Sharing research results in a professional journal can be both a demanding and exciting process. Researchers are encouraged to apply the rigor associated with research design and methods to pen and paper when preparing manuscripts for publication. Following the guidelines for outlining a research article, editorial style, and manuscript preparation will help researchers succeed in publishing a good piece of research.

Health decision makers' perceptions of program evaluation. Relationship to purpose and information needs.

This study investigates alternate reasons for conducting program evaluation in community health care settings and their relationships with information needs. One hundred thirty-six community health care decision makers were used in this survey. Results of a factor analysis indicated three major purposes for conducting program evaluation, listed in order of use: accreditation, true evaluation, and pseudo-evaluation. A second analysis on need for information showed little differences in responses. Five factors were identified: descriptive information for validity/credibility, opinions, financial information, action information, and empirical information for validity/credibility. There was no relationship between the five types of information needs and accreditation, suggesting that accreditation was a symbolic use of evaluation; however, information needs were predictors of true evaluation and pseudo/quasi evaluation. Regression analyses indicated that descriptive information providing evidence of validity/credibility was predictive of the purpose of true evaluation whereas empirical and descriptive evidence of validity/credibility were predictors of quasi/pseudo evaluation. Information for decision makers acted as a suppressor variable on the latter.

What is evaluation: nurse decision-makers' perceptions of program evaluation.

This study investigates alternate reasons for conducting program evaluation in community health care settings and their relationship with information needs. One hundred and thirty-six community health nurses representing New York state associations were the decision makers used in the survey. Results indicated that the most frequent reasons cited for conducting program evaluation were accreditation and standard control. These were followed by need for information for formative program changes and aiding decision makers. Participatory and scientific evaluation purposes were rated last. When examining information sources, respondents were unable to differentiate needs on an independent item-by-item basis; all items were considered important. When asked, however, to select the most critical items of these sources, a pattern of needs was established. Decision makers felt that program goals, identification of staff concerns, and presentations of client opinions were the most crucial types of information.

Improving the use of evaluation in health settings: do data support and order of recommendation make a difference?

This study examined two variables associated with nurse decision makers' perceptions of the usefulness of program evaluation. The first variable represented amount of data support for recommendations; the second represented the order of presentation of supporting and nonsupporting recommendations. The sample of New York state nurses reflected two levels of decision makers: Supervised (staff nurses) and supervising (head nurses, supervisors, and directors). Results indicated that experience with decision making and order of presentation affected perceptions of recommendations and sufficiency of information.