Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver: Pilot Program Evaluation
In 2007, two staged readings were held in Athens of Confessions of a Reluctant Caregiver, a play that deals with the author's experiences as a caregiver to her dying parents. The author of the play, Ms. Merri Biechler and Dr. Tracy Marx, Asst. Professor of Family Medicine at Ohio University’s College of Osteopathic Medicine are employing the play in curriculum they are developing for educating doctors, nurses and other medical professionals who care for the terminally ill. A survey was designed by Biechler and Marx to measure the effectiveness of using theater as an educational tool and to explore audience members' knowledge and attitudes towards care giving and end of life issues.
The Voinovich School served as external evaluator for this project, examining the impact of the play and the effectiveness of the audience survey. School staff facilitated group interviews with audience members to study how the play affected them. Additionally, the survey was evaluated using descriptive statistics to identify areas for improvement. Item analysis was conducted to asses the reliability of the survey as an evaluation tool.
The American Cancer Society and the College of Osteopathic Medicine’s Research and Scholarly Affairs committee provided support for this project. Using the assessment information provided by the Voinovich School, Dr. Marx and Ms. Biechler plan to publish their results and apply for additional funding to further develop the play and curriculum.
Holly Raffle
Building 22, Room 210a
740.597.1710
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