title: Evaluation of formative development in the neighborhood cancer care cooperative.
abstract: The Radiation Oncology Community Outreach Group (ROCOG) and Neighborhood Cancer Care Cooperative (NCCC) were funded by the National Cancer Institute Radiation Research Program Cancer Disparities Research Partnership program in September 2003. ROCOG/NCCC provides customized, community hospital-based initiatives intended to help close the cancer disparities gap. In our two preceding articles in this issue, we have explored contextual and organizational development, described infrastructure and component programs, and outlined early evaluation strategies. This article will conclude the series of publications describing our early development by evaluating the formative implementation phase of the project. Our first 12 months were initially evaluated through a survey designed to assess staff and key stakeholders' perception of progress. An assessment of the level of completion of key project tasks was conducted 6 months after the survey. This combination has allowed ROCOG/NCCC to determine areas of success and also illustrate those in need of improvement. Our evaluation strategy can also serve as an efficient and inexpensive model for other similar community-based start-up programs to replicate.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. khmorg@verizon.net
authors.forename: Keith H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Morgenlander
authors.forename: Hsin-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Larry L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Schenken
authors.forename: Dwight E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Heron
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Klewien
authors.forename: Chyongchiou J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schwaderer
authors.forename: Sibyl L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: McNelly
mesh_terms: D002173:Cancer Care Facilities / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010358:Patient Participation; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D016730:Program Development; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D018787:Radiation Oncology / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012111:Residence Characteristics