The impact of training on consumer participation in the delivery of health services.

A retrospective evaluation of training provided to six hospital consumer advisory groups is described. The training program was designed to provide information and decision-making skills to consumers of services and community representatives serving on voluntary hospital advisory boards. The evaluation, initiated after the end of the training program, demonstrates different effects of training depending on the stage of development of the consumer board. All but one of the six boards studied showed positive changes in the number and type of activities following training.