U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Elder Abuse Decision Support System - Field Test Outcomes, Abuse Measure Validation, and Lessons Learned

NCJ Number
252082
Journal
Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect Volume: 29 Issue: 2-3 Dated: April 2017 Pages: 134-156
Author(s)
Kendon J. Conrad; Madelyn Iris; Pi-ju Liu
Date Published
April 2017
Length
23 pages
Annotation

This article reports on a field test of the Elder Abuse Decision Support System, which is designed to meet the critical need for improved methods for assessment and substantiation of elder mistreatment, using a web-based system with standardized measures.

Abstract

The field test in six Illinois agencies involved a 1-year pre/post analyses that assessed substantiation results, using Illinois' standard investigation procedure as a comparison. Pre/post acceptability was assessed with caseworkers in focus groups with adult protective service staff. The validity of measures was assessed using Cronbach's alpha and receiver operator characteristic curve analyses with final substantiation decision as a criterion. Increased substantiation of abuse was found. Regarding acceptability, the two systems were found to have differing strengths and weaknesses. Outcome measures had high validity estimates, and focus groups indicated directions for improvement. This study was a successful proof of concept that data collected in the field would be useful for clinical purposes as well as for research. (Publisher abstract modified)