Survey Design, Implementation, and Analysis
At Experion, we combine our extensive experience in health services research and solid understanding of survey methodology to assist our clients to collect the information they need to answer important health and health-policy questions. We work closely with our clients to refine their research questions, identify the best method for conducting the survey (e.g., telephone, mail, email, web-based), design the survey instrument, conduct pilot and pre-tests, collect and analyze survey data, and develop reports, manuscripts and/or presentations based on survey results. Topic areas in which Experion has most recently designed and/or conducted surveys include tobacco cessation, specialty pharmaceuticals, public health informatics, and Medicare reform.
Focus Group Planning, Question Guide Development, and Facilitation
Our staff is experienced in handling all aspects of focus group research, from developing the question guide and recruiting the participants to facilitating the discussion and drafting the final report. Over the years, we have led highly successful focus group projects with diverse groups of participants. Regardless of whether the focus group participants are pregnant women being asked about their prenatal care or senior-level health care executives being asked about their professional practices, at Experion we approach each focus group project with the credentials, professionalism and personal attention to detail that leads to a successful project.
In-Depth and Executive Level Interviewing
In the field of health services research, there is a growing demand for in-depth qualitative data. Whether this more detailed qualitative data is used alone or in combination with more traditional quantitative research methods, in-depth interviews can lead to tremendous insights. At Experion, we are skilled at developing and conducting in-depth interviews with persons from diverse backgrounds and professions. Much of our experience has been in conducting executive-level interviews with professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds. For example, in a recent project Experion conducted dozens of interviews on the topic of childhood obesity and spoke with individuals from a wide variety of organizations and industries, including the federal government, education, media, and academia.
Program Evaluation
At Experion, we have conducted numerous evaluations of public and private health programs. To conduct the most efficient and effective evaluation of a public or private health program, we work closely with our clients and other relevant stakeholders to design a program evaluation that will meet the needs of all those vested in the evaluation results. At Experion, we know that each program and evaluation is unique. While there is no one single way to approach every program evaluation, at Experion our general approach is to gain an understanding of the client’s goals and objectives related to the evaluation (i.e., what does the client want to know about the program, what will be done with the results, etc.), design an evaluation protocol, create any necessary data collection tools, collect the data necessary to answer the evaluation questions, synthesize and/or analyze the data, and present the findings in the format(s) most useful to the client. At Experion, we strive to not only conduct methodologically strong evaluations but also produce useful findings and actionable recommendations.
Health Education and Communication
At Experion, we have extensive experience in the development of health education and health communication materials. Whether we are working with a client to develop condition-specific patient education materials or translating complex research findings into concise fact sheets for a lay audience, we approach the development of health education and communication materials with an understanding of the theoretical and practical underpinnings of successful communication. We also approach each health education and communication project with sensitivity to the issues of health literacy and cultural competency. We address these and other issues by applying our understanding of how to develop health education and communication materials that can be used successfully by a diverse population.
Manuscripts for Peer-reviewed and Professional Journals
Our staff is skilled and experienced in the development of manuscripts for peer-reviewed and professional journals. At Experion, our principal staff has authored dozens of papers that have appeared in peer-reviewed journals. We work with our clients to outline manuscripts, identify appropriate target journals, conduct literature reviews, fully develop the manuscript including text, tables and graphics, and handle all aspects of submitting the manuscript for publication.
White Papers and Issue Briefs
At Experion, we recognize that publishing a manuscript in a peer-reviewed or professional journal is not always the best or most desirable means of disseminating information. Frequently, our clients ask us to develop white papers, position papers and/or issue briefs that can be used to share information or postulate opinions about important issues that affect health and health care. When requested to do so, we use our understanding of health and health care issues to help our clients develop clear and compelling communication pieces designed to meet their needs.
Presentation Development
Experion has extensive experience in developing effective presentations that can be delivered in person, or via conference call, webinar or webcast. Whether we are asked to make a presentation on behalf of our client or asked to produce the presentation for our client to present themselves, we use our expertise and experience to create presentations that are accurate, clear, informative and appealing to the audience.