Measurement in Correctional Health Research: Unique Challenges and Strategies for Enhanced Rigor. (July 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Prost, Stephanie Grace; Kennedy, Stephanie; Peck, Jennifer; Bouchaud, Mary T.; Shelton, Deborah
• Is Part Of: Journal of correctional health care. Volume 25:Number 3(2019)
• Page Start: 238
• Page End: 252
• Publication Date: 2019-07
• Subjects: corrections -- health -- measurement -- research -- practice; Prisoners -- Health and hygiene -- United States -- Periodicals; Prisoners -- Medical care -- United States -- Periodicals; 365.667
• DOI: 10.1177/1078345819854216
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1078-3458

Abstract

It is essential to identify valid and reliable measurement strategies to enhance accurate, comprehensive, and meaningful health assessment and evaluation to improve health outcomes among justice-involved and incarcerated populations. This article identifies and describes three primary challenges related to measurement in correctional health care and makes four recommendations for enhanced measurement rigor from a social justice perspective. First, incorporate incarcerated persons into the measurement research process; second, enhance psychometric investigation in correctional health settings; third, increase the collection of individual-level, health-related data from incarcerated populations; and fourth, create and maintain centralized databases and comprehensive codebooks to promote data sharing.