| Sumario: | This study involved the development of a computerized vocational rehabilitation needs assessment instrument and an appraisal of the factors influencing its implementation. In the first part of the project, the Automated Rehabilitation Need and Independent Living Evaluation (ARNIE) was developed using Microsoft Access 97TM. Selection of the items and development of goals for the application was based on a survey of vocational rehabilitation counselors at Veterans Affairs Regional Offices. The predominant goals of the application included the reduction of typing/dictation by the counselor, increasing the use of support staff to acquire basic information, and generating output which satisfies Agency documentation requirements. The application made use of branching, look-up files, and preformatted responses to reduce the need for extensive typing by the client and to minimize potential input errors.The second part of the project involved the use of a second survey to assess the attitudes of counselors regarding the use of an automated application as well as other factors influencing implementation of the application. Although both surveys reflected counselor acceptance of an automated system, widespread implementation has been problematic.It was concluded that implementation of a Computer Assisted Self Survey requires more than computer access by staff. Clients must also have adequate access to computers and to the application. Additionally, there must be acceptance by both staff and clients of the items as relevant to the rehabilitation process. The study also indicated that counselors generally endorse the use of automated applications for basic data gathering and report generation, but a significant number did not accept the use of the Computer Assisted Self Survey alone to determine need for rehabilitation services.
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