The Center for Evaluation and Applied Research (CEAR), led by Linda Weiss, PhD, conducts program evaluations, research applicable to the development and implementation of policies and practice, and evaluation training and technical assistance. With expertise in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, CEAR work focuses on a wide range of health-related topics, concentrating primarily on issues—and solutions—relevant to racial and ethnic disparity and low-income populations. Recent projects have addressed nutrition and physical activity, diabetes prevention and management, asthma, aging, access to care for immigrant populations, disaster recovery and resilience, and assessment of community health needs. CEAR conducts its work in collaboration with diverse institutions looking to improve health and well-being, including community-based organizations, health care providers, academic institutions, government organizations, and foundations.

Global Research Initiative on Diabetic Retinopathy

CEAR and the Center for Health Innovation are collaborating with the International Federation on Ageing (IFA), International Diabetes Federation (IDF), and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IABP) on a multi-country study focused on assessing the global awareness, treatment, and implications of diabetic retinopathy, a common and serious complication of diabetes. Across the course of the Barometer Project, evidence on knowledge, policies, standards of care, and supportive services for retinopathy are being gathered across 41 countries in order to inform global advocacy and policy development to improve the prevention and management of this disease.

Values and Evidence: Public Input for Hospital Planning to Improve Community Health

With funding from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), this project is focused on promoting informed public health decision-making. Conducted as a collaborative effort with Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, the project engages community members in deliberative processes intended to assist Maimonides in the selection of health programming for its diverse service community. The research examines the impact of these deliberative processes on participant knowledge and perceptions, as well as the outcomes of the deliberations and their value to Maimonides and its partners.

Language Access in New York Pharmacies: An Evaluation of City and State Policy Change

Linguistically accessible prescription medication instructions are an essential component of quality health care for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP), particularly given the significant portion of medication errors attributed to inadequate comprehension of instructions. This study follows previous CEAR work that was instrumental in New York State and NYC legislation requiring chain pharmacies to provide medication instructions in the four most common immigrant languages in New York State. The current study, with funding from the Peter and Carmen Lucia Buck Foundation and in partnership with Make the Road New York, assesses compliance with the laws and change in the provision of services among chain pharmacies.

Diabetes Prevention Evaluations

In 2014, CEAR staff authored seven peer-reviewed publications, including multiple works on past evaluations of diabetes prevention programs. Findings from CEAR’s evaluation of the New York State YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program (Y-DPP), working in collaboration with staff from the New York State Department of Health and the New York State Health Foundation, that were published in the journal Preventing Chronic Disease. Results suggest that the DPP can be effectively implemented in community-based settings but special efforts may need to be made to engage men and ethnically diverse populations. Additionally, findings from CEAR’s evaluation of “Fine, Fit and Fabulous,” a faith-based and faith-infused diabetes prevention program of Bronx Health REACH focused on reducing racial and ethnic disparities, were published in the journal Diabetes Educator. The study demonstrates the potential of faith-based health interventions to address obesity and diabetes risk in high-need communities of color.

Bozack A, Millstein S, Martinez Garcel J, Kelly K, Ruberto R, Weiss L. Implementation and outcomes of the New York State YMCA Diabetes Prevention Program: A multisite community-based translation. Preventing Chronic Disease, 2014; 11: E115.

Gutierrez J, Devia, C, Weiss L, Chantarat T, Ruddock C, Linnell J, Golub M, Godfrey L, Rosen R, Calman N. “Health, Community and Spirituality: Evaluation of a Multicultural Faith-based Diabetes Prevention Program.  Diabetes Educator, 2014:40(20):214-222. PMID:24518138.