Integrative Touch's Program Evaluation Team

To fulfill our mission to end social isolation in illness through togetherness, our Program Evaluation Team collects data in support of program efficacy and improvement in our Telehealth programs.

The Program Evaluator team is trying to solve the problem of knowing how effective our healthcare interventions are. Without taking pre and post program surveys from all program participants, InTouch would be unaware of how effective our programs are, or how to change and improve them.

The problem our Telehealth programs are attempting to solve is the overwhelming issue of social isolation in illness. This issue affects millions across the country, as 1 in 5 children in the United States have a special health care need (National Survey of Children’s Health, 2011). Social isolation due to medical challenges has only become more of a challenge for families in recent years with the onset of COVID-19. Social isolation leads to consequences to both the physical and mental health, according to the CDC. From depression, to an increased risk of premature death, social isolation puts millions of Americans at risk. If you already have a medical condition, it only exacerbates complications. The goal of our Telehealth programs, TeleFriend and TeleWellness, is to tackle social isolation for those who are experiencing pain, trauma, and illness, and provide health and wellness education, as well as healthy coping strategies, that create resilience in our program participants.

Our solution is to collect surveys and data so that we know how effective the Integrative Touch programs are or are not, and how we could improve them. The program’s themselves are designed to create easy and accessible methods to create meaningful human connection to those going through challenging medical circumstances. Our Program Evaluator Team’s solution is to collect info and data on the effectiveness of our Telehealth services, which are delivered through 10-week programs provided via Zoom. The Program Evaluator team uses other technology and databases to safely store this information in HIPAA protected places.

The team of Program Evaluators provide essential work in data and survey collection which is used to validate program efficacy, and drive program improvement.

Our Telehealth programs, which our Program Evaluator team supports, impact hundreds of people each year, providing transformative health and wellness services. More than 70% of the families served are low-income or from underserved populations; with the majority on Medicaid. Two thirds identify with a racial or ethnic minority group. Additionally, half of the served population is Hispanic or a refugee. Our programs are free, or almost no cost, to the public and offer services that are easy to access from anywhere across the nation. The accessibility of our programs allow us to reach those who would otherwise go without assistance, and suffer alone and in silence. Our Telehealth programs allow those in need the opportunity to seek health and wellness for their children, their family, and themselves without the overwhelming thought of an added medical expense. This fact, along with the ability to access the Telehealth programs from anywhere in the country, create a safe and welcoming space where families have someone they know cares about their wellness holistically, and are skilled in how to service them. 

The Program Evaluator team collects the data necessary to ensure the Telehealth programs are meeting the needs of the program participants. Without the work the Program Evaluator team does, Integrative Touch would not know how effective its programs are, how much they relieve pain and anxiety of program participants, and how best to improve programs to better serve kids, adults, and families in the future.

Integrative Touch has been a leader in pediatric integrative medicine for over 15 years. We created the largest pediatric IM retreats in the country and developed a comprehensive, evidence based pediatric hospital IM program through Banner Children’s Hospital. With the challenges faced by COVID-19, Integrative Touch launched the Telehealth platform to deliver curated wellness content and social support. The team consists of young professionals and college students serving as Program Evaluation Interns, who’s goals consist of collecting data from our program participants and facilitating program sessions. The majority of this team are public health majors, with some of them on the doctoral path. This team is advised by professionals with backgrounds in management, integrative medicine, information technology, science, behavioral healthcare, and different healing modalities such as reiki, guided imagery, massage, and more. The team is passionate about the health and wellness of our program participants, as a majority of them are in graduate school studying related fields. Their passion and education, combined with seasoned professionals advising them, creates a space that is compassionate and creative when it comes to providing unique and curated telehealth care through our programs. 

As an organization we have taken many steps to understand the needs of the population we serve. A major part of this process is our Research and Evaluation Committee, which is composed of seasoned professionals in health and wellness. The committee reviews data collected, by our Program Evaluation Interns, from each and every program series. That data is analyzed to better understand how effective our programs are and why. We also use this information to make continuous improvements to our processes and programs to better serve the community. We have also held numerous open forum community meetings to garner feedback from all the communities we serve. We design our programs with direct input from those communities to ensure they're needs, and voices are represented in the care they will receive.  InTouch partners with various organizations to provide services to those who need it most. Tu Nidito, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Arizona Chapter, and Southern AZ Autism Society are a few examples.  Through these partnerships, we’re able to reach those who benefit greatly from our programs. Additionally, our organization has an established team of directors with over hundred years of cumulative experience relative to business operations, health and wellness, and integrative medicine.

Integrative Touch's Telehealth programs are unique because they focus on the individual holistically and provide wellness that is community centric and connected. The Program Evaluator team are innovative because the work they do makes InTouch’s goal of continuous program improvement possible. We intend for these programs to have broad reaching, long-lasting effects that empower patients, caregivers, and family members to increase their quality of life. Our surveys suggest improvements across the board because the program lowers stress levels, improves sleep quality, creates a social environment in which communities can thrive, and provides a unique wellness support system that is customized to patients' needs. Surveys indicate that pain levels decrease and anxiety is reduced for populations served.

• Educate the community about integrative health services; providing and enabling them to have resources for support.

• Improve the quality of life for those with complex medical conditions by reducing their pain and stress levels. (The program aims to increase comfort and facilitate self-healing.)

• Creating positive word of mouth to support the growth of the healing center in 2023. (This will be a space to serve additional populations with unique medical needs in-person.)

• Improve access to our Telehealth services across the nation. The accessibility of Telehealth allows us to reach outside of Tucson, AZ, and we hope to expand to more in need in the coming year. 

• Addressing caregiver fatigue as well as patient loneliness, by creating an inclusive, accessible environment via audio, video, or other learning resources depending on the needs of the audience. 

• Continuing to improve the Telehealth programs and their outcomes based on data and surveys our Program Evaluation Team collects.

Our Telehealth programs utilize the Zoom platform. Additional videos and digital wellness resources are created in house by a care team of professionals with knowledge of integrative medicine and wellness strategies. 

Integrative Touch Telehealth programs currently serve 200 people each year. These individuals directly receive over 4500 combined hours of transformative services. 

Integrative Touch is a 501c3 nonprofit that relies upon grants for its services. The demand for the Telehealth program is growing rapidly and there is a strong need to continue expanding services in addition to securing funding sources throughout the year. Within the last year, we have increased our budget for our Telehealth programs by 30%. In addition to funding, we also have barriers regarding marketing. We want to reach more people with these national programs, however it is difficult to reach many of the people who are in need of our services because they are unaware of our programs.  

Integrative Touch serves pediatric populations that struggle with disability, chronic illness, and complex medical challenges. Several of the children served are battling conditions such as cancer, genetic conditions, cerebral palsy, and autism.  Integrative Touch partners with Tu Nidito, Southern AZ Autism Society, and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Arizona Chapter. By partnering with each of these companies, Integrative Touch can widen its scope of impact and improve the lives of those with specific medical needs such as autism or cystic fibrosis. The partnerships allow for open communication about medical needs, beneficial therapies, and helpful resources for families.

Some of the most frequent challenges populations face are chronic pain, anxiety, caregiver stress, and loneliness. To address these needs, we offer Telehealth programs with an integrative health approach to reducing chronic pain within its various service offerings. Of the 5200 lives impacted each year, we expect to see a measurable decrease in anxiety by about 87%, a decrease in pain by about 73%, and an increase in well-being by about 97% for participants. 

As the telehealth programs have developed over the last three years we have found the resources that also provide support for front line healthcare workers, family caregivers, children that are isolated, or any individual suffering from trauma. Many participants find that they are going through chronic stress and learn coping strategies for improving resilience through the program. Since stress is directly correlated to a suppressed immune system, these programs help lessen the risk of worsening health conditions and support long term healing. 

We are dedicated to providing transformative healing to everyone, no matter their financial circumstances. To ensure we have the ability to never turn anyone away, our services are provided on a sliding scale. 

Integrative Touch has many systems in place to ensure good governance, stable leadership, and financial sustainability. InTouch has many different avenues for raising funds for our organization. Through our Grants Committee we are always searching and researching for funding opportunities and to create new relationships with grantors. Our Philanthropy Committee is constantly reviewing and applying different fundraising tactics. They also work with our Gala Committee when it comes to high profile fundraising events such as our Annual Butterfly Gala. They are also involved in campaigns such as GivingTuesday and End of Year giving to ensure we engage our donors and inspire them to give generously. These committees are made up of staff and board members and volunteers who have seen how impactful InTouch is. Additionally, we have both a Board of Directors and an Advisory Council that lead the organization and offer visionary insight. Our Board of Directors and Advisory Council members are extremely engaged with the organization and serve on several of our committees. Furthermore, we also have a Governance Committee consisting of 8 members. We currently have 10 committees that plan and support our organization in a variety of ways. Our committees include: Governance Committee, Integrative Medical Committee, Philanthropy Committee, Gala Committee, Research and Evaluation Committee, Finance Committee, Marketing Committee, Grants Committee, Podcast Committee, and the Education Committee.

To ensure we are accessible to all in need, our services are offered on a sliding scale. In the Telehealth programs specifically, TeleFriend is free of charge & TeleWellness can be accessed for as little as $2 per week, totaling to $20 for a 10-week series.