I NTRODUCTION TO O NLINE D ATA C OLLECTION FOR THE O UTCOME M EASUREMENT S YSTEM (OMS) WITH F LUID S URVEYS Kaitlin Lounsbury, OMS Coordinator Irina Hein, Director of Member Relations & Grants National Children’s Alliance (NCA)

S WITCH TO AN O NLINE S YSTEM - F LUID S URVEYS Starting July 1, 2014 – all CACs participating in OMS nationwide began using the online system, FluidSurveys All NCA members have accounts set up & ready to use. You should have received your log-in address and password from your Chapter (contact your Chapter ASAP if you do not have this info) CACs have access to ongoing technical support from Chapters and NCA’s OMS Coordinator

W HAT MATERIALS SHOULD YOU HAVE ? Log-in information ( address & password) Administrative Guide – Updated July 2014 Copies of updated paper surveys (if needed) 3 Primary Surveys Initial Visit Caregiver Survey (Spanish available) Caregiver Follow-Up Survey (Spanish available) MDT General Survey 2 Optional Surveys MDT Case-Specific Survey Individual Client Needs Assessment Send requests for additional survey items to your Chapter

M ULTIPLE WAYS TO C OLLECT S URVEYS O N -S ITE OPTIONS Tablet / Computer on-site at the CAC Set up a tablet or a computer in a private area Only basic equipment is needed (< $100 – Allowable expense for NCA members; many CACs have devices donated or covered by grants; can use older computers) Scan QR Code on Smart Phone: Caregivers or MDT members can scan custom QR code, complete the survey on-site with their own smart phone. Display on brochures, poster in common area, etc. Pros: Higher response rates compared to after-visit options Very little staff time More anonymous Cost-effective in the long-term Cons: Higher up-front cost (but grants and donations can eliminate this) Center must have Internet access Some staff members may not be tech-savvy Recommend using a variety of methods: All customized, go to one account.

M ULTIPLE WAYS TO C OLLECT S URVEYS Distribute the Link as Part of Take-Home Materials: Customize your link to include CAC name: easier to remember, more personal Send the Survey Link by Ask caregivers for addresses at the initial visit Send with the link after Initial visit or schedule Follow-Up to send 2 months later Especially easy to distribute to MDT this way Track whether the invitation has been viewed and completed Responses remain anonymous, option to send reminder to select groups Post Survey Link on CAC Website: Post in an easy-to-find location on the website Give information to caregivers and/or MDT members for where to find Special settings can ensure only one survey is completed per participant M ULTIPLE WAYS TO C OLLECT S URVEYS L INKS Pros: Fewer requirements for families while on- site Very low cost – only a few minutes of staff time to send the s, print ads No special equipment required at the CAC Cons: Lower response rates than on-site (may not check , easy to ignore) Not accessible for caregivers without Internet access

Phone Calls to Caregivers Staff member enters responses directly into the online survey while conducting the survey over the phone Great task for interns and volunteers (surveys do not include sensitive questions or case-specific information) Phone scripts are available, but you are free to develop your own process depending on what works best for your center M ULTIPLE WAYS TO C OLLECT S URVEYS P HONE C ALLS Pros: More personal May fit into existing follow-up routine No special equipment required at the center Accessible to clients without Internet Cons: Much more staff time May be unable to reach caregivers (phone numbers change, etc.) Much less anonymous – caregivers may be intimidated or hesitate to give true feedback if negative

Paper & Pencil Survey: must request paper surveys from Chapter Collect paper surveys on-site in a private location Have caregivers place surveys in a box to remain anonymous Can also choose to mail surveys (most likely low response rates) Responses should be entered within 2 weeks of survey being completed (at least enter all surveys once a month; please do not wait until the end of a Quarter or 6-month period to enter surveys) Be sure to mark the month/year the survey was actually completed in the appropriate field in the online survey M ULTIPLE WAYS TO C OLLECT S URVEYS P APER S URVEYS Pros: No special equipment required at the CAC May seem more familiar to less tech-savvy staff (but responses still ultimately need to be entered online) May be more appropriate for caregivers who are uncomfortable using technology for cultural or personal reasons Cons: Much more staff time – responses must all be entered in to the online system on a regular basis (ideally no longer than 2 weeks after completion) Delayed results – especially if surveys are not entered in a timely manner Higher long-term costs (staff time, paper/ink, possible mailing costs)

CAC A CCOUNTS IN F LUID S URVEYS Every CAC has their own account Can have separate “collectors” for secondary locations, separate counties/states served by a single center, and other sub-groups. Access results from the surveys in one place in real-time Results are available within seconds of a survey being submitted CACs can customize their surveys with their own logos, CAC name/contact information, and custom links to each survey. CACs can also request to add extra questions, such as questions to fulfill funder requirements. Each CAC has one account – please share the log-in information with all staff at your center who will be working on OMS and need access. Please do not attempt to change your log-in or password without informing your Chapter and having it done on an administrative level by NCA. The resulting mismatch of information could cause errors in the system & will limit our ability to provide the best technical support possible.

W HAT DO THE S URVEYS L OOK L IKE ? The following links lead to surveys in a test account for the fictional “Kaitlin’s House Children’s Advocacy Center.” DO try these at home! Responses will go to a test account and will be deleted, so feel free to try them out, share the links, and submit as many surveys as you like

Q UESTIONS, C OMMENTS, W ANT M ORE I NFORMATION ? For most OMS-related questions, contact your Chapter Especially for state-specific issues or questions about how to best implement OMS at your center All requests for additional survey items should be submitted to your Chapter (items cannot be removed or reworded in most cases, to preserve the integrity of the surveys) For technical problems or questions about the OMS online system – FluidSurveys – or if you have suggestions about how to improve OMS in the future, contact Kaitlin Lounsbury, OMS Coordinator, at (202) Ext. 211