VA Medical Center Staff Survey
In response to a request to provide consulting support to the Clinical Application Requirements Group (CARG), Macro conducted a survey of house staff at all VA medical centers. The purpose of the inquiry was to assist the CARG in developing an automated patient record for its Decentralized Hospital Computer Program (DHCP) and to assess the functioning of the current system. Macro designed a survey of resident perceptions of DHCP and conducted a comparative view of clinical data systems employed in other settings. The survey collected background demographic and experiential data on the residents and assessed the systems' various functional areas. The survey also evaluated aspects of daily operations—like ease of access, reliability, response time, and intuitiveness. We provided the client with an analytic report on comparative ratings by resident and facility characteristics.

Evaluation of Disabled Veterans' Survivor Benefits
In 2000, Macro took a major role in the Evaluation of Benefits for Survivors of Veterans with Service-Connected Disabilities for the Department. We designed the component surveys, developed the data collection instruments, and conducted the actual surveys. The evaluation required surveys of beneficiaries (spouses, children under 18, children over 18 who are in school, and helpless children); veterans who both participated in and abstained from the available insurance plans; and dependents who were beneficiaries of the life insurance programs. The surveys were meant to assess the extent to which the programs met statutory expectations and the needs of surviving family members. Macro used a nationally representative sample of 5,500 respondents from the Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Department of Defense administrative files. At completion of the survey, Macro provided assistance and recommendations in the analysis and data utilization process.