Three commonly used indices of cost-effectiveness are compared for their usefulness to health care professionals. The methods are the cost-benefit ratio, the cost-effectiveness ratio, and the net benefit methods. The net benefit is considered the preferred index of cost-effectiveness. (TJH)

The new quality assurance system for nursing homes implemented by the New York State Department of Health in 1981 was compared to the previous system. The new system devoted more resources to on-site activities and identified more patient-care deficiencies and more repeat deficiencies. (SLD)

Some guidelines are offered for interpreting and evaluating meta-analytic reviews of research. The choice of unit of analysis, the issue of fixed versus random effects, the meaning of heterogeneity, the determination of appropriate contrasts, and the choice of measures of central tendency are discussed. (SLD)

Observations, supervisor reports, and self-reports were compared as measures of the use of hearing protection by blue-collar workers. Results with samples ranging from 48 to 318 workers support self-report as an appropriate method that may be the best choice when time and money restrict measurement. (SLD)

It is argued that there is a benefit to applying techniques of exploratory data analysis (EDA) to program evaluation. The evaluation of a rehabilitation program for people with rheumatoid arthritis (20 subjects and 21 comparisons) through EDA supports the argument, indicating outcomes more precisely than conventional analysis of variance. (SLD)

A comparative design for the evaluation of educational programs employing both quantitative and qualitative methods gathers information about program characteristics and consequences. The dual-track design provides separate results that are compared and produce a complete evaluation effort. (Author/CM)

Process and impact evaluations are compared, and a framework is provided to determine the nature and potential variability of the costs associated with each technical step of each type of evaluation. Recommendations to help in the choice of evaluation option are provided. (SLD)

Seventeen medical students in a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum reported that on average they spent twice as much time preparing for step 1 of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination as did 52 students in the traditional lecture-based curriculum at the same school. Different learning approaches were also employed. (SLD)

A comparison of changes in traditional pre/post self-assessment ratings with changes in retrospective pre/post self-assessment ratings for 29 medical faculty members indicated that retrospective pre/post ratings may provide a more sensitive and valid measure of the effects of faculty development efforts. (SLD)

The meta-analytic techniques of G. V. Glass were used to statistically integrate findings from 47 comparative studies on computer-based instruction (CBI) in health professions education. A clear majority of the studies favored CBI over conventional methods of instruction. Results show higher-order applications of computers to be especially…