Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

The Prevention Research Center of Michigan provided technical assistance for the evaluation of 10 projects funded by the Michigan Department of Community Health’s (MDCH) Health Disparities Reduction Program. These projects varied considerably in focus, methodology, geographical coverage, and populations served. The authors developed a cross-site evaluation tool to complement the internal evaluations of the projects. The tool contains four sections based on priorities identified by MDCH: evidence-based practice, research-based learning/evaluation (including process, impact, and outcomes indicators), cultural competence, and sustainability. Recognizing the diversity of programmatic efforts and organizational evaluation capacity, the authors sought to enable each project to create the best evaluation possible given the resources and data available. Each section contains a range of components from basic questions to more advanced evaluation techniques. The instrument attempts to use the highest quality of information available for each project. This evaluation tool can be used by programs with diverse goals and methodology.

Keywords

program evaluation health intervention evaluation tool cross-site evaluation

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Besculides, M. , Zaveri, H. , Farris, R. , & Will, J. ( 2004). Identifying the best practices for WISEWOMAN using a mixed-methods evaluation. Preventing Chronic Disease, 3, A07.

Brownson, R.C. , Baker, E.A. , Leet, T.L. , & Gillespie, K.N. (2003). Evidence-based public health . New York: Oxford University Press .

Brownson, R.C. , & Simoes, E.J. ( 1999). Measuring the impact of prevention research on public health practice. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 16, 72-79.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ( 1999). Framework for program evaluation in public health. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 48, 1-40.

Fawcett, S.B. , et al. (1995). Empowering community health initiatives through evaluation. In D. M. Fetterman , S. J. Kaftarian , & A. Wandersman (Eds.), Empowerment evaluation: Knowledge and tools for self-assessment & accountability (pp. 161-187). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Finkelstein, E.A. , Wittenborn, J.S. , & Farris, R.P. ( 2004). Evaluation of public health demonstration programs: The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of WISEWOMAN. Journal of Women’s Health, 13, 625-633.

Goodman, R.M. ( 1998). Principles and tools for evaluating community-based prevention and health promotion programs. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 4, 37-47.

Israel, B.A. , Cummings, K.M. , Dignan, M.B. , Hearney, C.A. , Perales, D.P. , Simons-Morton, B.G. , & Zimmerman, M.A. (1995). Evaluation of health education programs: Current assessment and future directions. Health Education Quarterly, 22, 364-389.

Israel, B. , Schulz, A. , Parker, E. , & Becker, B. ( 1998). Review of community-based research: Assessing partnership approaches to improve public health. Annual Review of Public Health, 19, 173-202.

10.

Jenicek, M. ( 1997). Epidemiology, evidence-based medicine and evidence-based public health. Journal of Epidemiology, 7, 187-197.

11.

Rugg, D.L. , Heitgerd, J.L. , Cotton, D.A. , Broyles, S. , Freeman, A. , Lopez-Gomez, A.M. , et al. (2000). CDC HIV prevention indicators: Monitoring and evaluating HIV prevention in the USA. Epidemiology & Social AIDS, 14, 2003-2013.

12.

Shirey, L. , Griffith, D. , Brady, J. , Kruger, D. , Morrel-Samuels, S. , & Greene-Moton, E. (in press). Challenges and lessons learned in developing a community-based health survey. Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action.

13.

Simoes, E.J. , & Brownson, R.C. (1998). Implementing and managing programs. In D. F. Stroup & S. M. Teutsch (Eds.), Statistics in public health: Quantitative approaches to public health problems (pp. 165-192). New York: Oxford University Press.

14.

Sullivan, P.W. , Lawrence, W.F. , & Ghushchyan, V. (2005). A national catalog of preference-based scores for chronic conditions in the United States. Medical Care, 43, 736-749.

15.

Thacker, S.B. , Koplan, J.P. , Taylor, W.R. , Hinman, A.R. , Katz, M.F. , & Roper, W.L. ( 1994). Assessing prevention effectiveness using data to drive program decisions. Public Health Reports, 100, 187-194.

Developing a Cross-Site Evaluation Tool for Diverse Health Interventions

Abstract

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References