The response readiness tool: An instrument to measure knowledge, skills, and attitude after taking a stop the Bleed® course.

Stop the Bleed® is an emergency response course that offers a certificate of completion but no ending assessment. The purpose of this educational study was to develop and test the Response Readiness Tool (RRT) that measures learning of participants after taking Stop the Bleed®. The study used a pre-/post-test design to measure knowledge and attitudes, and a post-test only for skills. Participants were recruited from existing Stop the Bleed® courses. Knowledge was measured with a 10-item questionnaire, attitude was measured with five Likert-style questions, and skills were measured by observing simulated tourniquet placement. Ninety-five participants were recruited over two semesters. There was a significant difference in the knowledge and attitude scores indicating participants' improvement in learning and attitude toward responding. Internal consistency reliability of scores showed moderate reliability with Cronbach's Alpha of 0.73 and McDonald's Omega of 0.75. A positive correlation was found between expected proficiency and pre-test indicating the tool had construct validity. RRT provides Stop the Bleed® instructors with an instrument to measure knowledge, skills, and attitude of participants after taking Stop the Bleed®. Statistics show moderate reliability and validity; however, larger samples are needed for full psychometric testing. This publication presents the revised tool after the completion of this study.

What is your research question? A mixed methods evaluation of an academic statistical consulting center.

Academic consulting centers on research and statistics are the bridge between applied researchers and statisticians and thus at the core of university-wide research. The client-centered evaluation focused on investigating the perspective of the clients in university research and statistical consulting center. A mixed-methods methodology was used in this study, specifically a concurrent triangulation design was implemented to have multiple data sources collected and analyzed simultaneously in order to identify areas of overlapping information. The Research Consulting Scale (RCS) instrument was developed and analyzed using an exploratory factor analysis with 129 participants and resulted in two factors: consulting experience, and consulting facilities. The internal consistency reliability of the scores for these two factors was 0.89 and .86 respectively. These results support the RCS has strong internal consistency. Additionally, client interviews were conducted sampling from those who had responded to the survey in order to gather additional data. Thematic analysis was performed to interview data and resulted in two major themes: consultant expertise and consultancy skills. The results provide a survey instrument and key themes for university consulting centers to focus and assess their efficiency through client's perspectives.

Evaluating the Impact of Multidimensionality on Type I and Type II Error Rates using the Q-Index Item Fit Statistic for the Rasch Model.

To understand the role of fit statistics in Rasch measurement is simple: applied researchers can only benefit from the desirable properties of the Rasch model when the data fit the model. The purpose of the current study was to assess the Q-Index robustness (Ostini and Nering, 2006), and its performance was compared to the current popular fit statistics known as MSQ Infit, MSQ Outfit, and standardized Infit and Outfit (ZSTDs) under varying conditions of test length, sample size, item difficulty (normal and uniform), and dimensionality utilizing a Monte Carlo simulation. The Type I and Type II error rates are also examined across fit indices. This study provides applied researchers guidelines the robustness and appropriateness of the use of the Q-Index, which is an alternative to the currently available item fit statistics. The Q-Index was slightly more sensitive to the levels of multidimensionality set in the study while MSQ Infit, Outfit, and standardized Infit and Outfit (ZSTDs) failed to identify the multidimensional conditions. The Type I error rate of the Q-Index was lower than the rest of the fit indices; however, the Type II error rate was higher than the anticipated beta = .20 across all fit indices.

Evaluation of a New Helicopter Crew Transport Fatigue Assessment.

Fatigue in air ambulance crews leads to decrements in performance and situational awareness that may contribute to aircraft accidents and patient care mistakes. Fatigue assessments completed by flight crews can give early warning when fatigue is accumulating. Countermeasures can then be implemented to improve performance and increase safety. No validated air ambulance fatigue assessment currently exists that incorporates transport-specific factors. The objective of this study was to validate a flight fatigue assessment that accounts for air transport-specific factors. Flight crewmembers from multiple air ambulance programs participated and completed assessments. Results were analyzed to determine if the assessment captured or predicted fatigue levels of crewmembers. When used to measure crewmember fatigue, the assessment was shown to consistently and reliably confirm accumulating fatigue and correlated with crew-reported levels of fatigue. A predicted fatigue scale was created to help crewmembers objectively identify their fatigue level. Used consistently, the transport fatigue assessment should increase awareness of accumulating fatigue. With awareness, crewmembers are better equipped to justify and take advantage of opportunities to mitigate their fatigue, increase crew coordination, enhance safety, and improve patient care.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Revised Current Statistics Self-efficacy (CSSE-26) in a Graduate Student Population using Rasch Analysis.

The Current Statistics Self-Efficacy (CSSE) scale, developed by Finney and Schraw (2003), is a 14-item instrument to assess students' statistics self-efficacy. No previous research has used the Rasch measurement models to evaluate the psychometric structure of its scores at the item level, and only a few of them have applied the CSSE in a graduate school setting. A modified 30-item CSSE scale was tested on a graduate student population (N = 179). The Rasch rating scale analysis identified 26 items forming a unidimensional measure. Assumptions of sample-free and test-free measurement were confirmed, showing scores from the CSSE-26 are reliable and valid to assess graduate students' level of statistics self-efficacy. Findings suggest the CSSE-26 could help facilitate professors' understanding and enhancement of students' statistics self-efficacy.

Formative evaluation: Developing measures for online family mental health recovery education.

Families facing mental health challenges have very limited access to ongoing support. A formative evaluation of Families Healing Together (FHT), a new online family mental health recovery program was conducted using five waves (N=108) of data. Exploratory factor analysis of the measures identified as important to the program theory found strong reliability evidence (α=.77-.86) for 6 constructs. A poor response rate (25%) did not allow for valid pre and postoutcome evaluation, however we did have enough information to assess the psychometric properties of the new measures. The new evaluation tool accounted for 34% of the variance in Capacity to Support Family Member, and nearly 50% of the variance in Hopefulness toward Recovery. New programs without existing measures require formative evaluation strategies that accurately describe program activities in order to develop outcome measures sensitive to novel aspects of program components. Most outcome measures are developed for individuals with mental health challenges not family members. These new measures may be beneficial to effectively evaluate programs that promote family recovery and wellness.