Using Process and Realist Evaluation to Explore Components of an Arts-based Program Intervention in an Acute Care Hospital Setting

The Artists on the Wards (AOW) program, introduced over 20 years ago, offers free arts sessions (music, visual, and literary) to patients and healthcare staff at the University of Alberta Hospital and Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute. The program, run by compassionate artists, aims to improve well-being through attentive and responsive arts engagement. While participants report enhanced well-being, a formal evaluation of the program’s processes and impact is yet to be done.
A planned evaluation will use case studies and an “action learning” approach to develop a logic model, providing a visual overview of the program’s goals, components, and impacts. This will help assess the program’s implementation and identify areas for improvement. The evaluation will also explore the specific contexts and mechanisms through which the program benefits participants. Findings will inform ongoing program improvements and may guide similar arts-based initiatives in other hospitals.

Faculty Supervisor:

Pamela Brett-MacLean

Student:

Partner:

University Hospital Foundation

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

University of Alberta

Program: