Program Evaluation of a Pediatric Oncology Camp For Patients and Siblings

and adolescents in the United States are diagnosed with cancer each year.1 As a result of recent medical advances, death rates for childhood cancer have decreased significantly in the past several decades. However, the importance of addressing challenges faced by children with cancer, such as social impairment or elevated levels of distress still remain critical.2 Childhood cancer greatly affects the family members of the child who is diagnosed. For example, siblings of chronically ill children are at an increased risk for developing mental health problems such as anxiety or depression.3 In addition to other psychosocial interventions, one response to the number of children and adolescents affected by chronic illness has been to develop therapeutic recreation camps. The goals of such camps vary from increasing disease-related knowledge to improving self-esteem; however, the majority embrace the basic mission of meeting the medical needs of campers and improving their psychosocial functioning while providing them with a fun, normalizing summer camp experience.4 It is generally accepted anecdotally that therapeutic camps meet stated goals or are beneficial to campers’ overall well-being.5 Despite the perception that camps for chronically ill children and adolescents are an effective intervention, scientific investigation regarding the effectiveness and outcomes of these camps is needed.6 One way of performing such an investigation is by conducting a program evaluation. A program evaluation examines the overall effectiveness of a program by examining the way services are delivered and measuring how successful the program is in meeting desired outcomes.7 Program evaluations differ in design depending on the purpose of the evaluation. For example, evaluations designed to determine whether a program meets a specific goal, such as successfully increasing diseaserelated knowledge, are different from evaluations which aim to determine consumer satisfaction with camp experience.8 Apart from design, as outlined by Roberts and Steele, several Program Evaluation of a Pediatric Oncology Camp For Patients and Siblings