Synopses & Reviews
By covering the field of community interventionfrom theory to practicereaders will learn that environmental factors, such as safe streets, healthy food choices and smoke-free establishments, govern individual behavior. More importantly, readers will gain skills needed to effect meaningful change.Mark Doescher, M.D., M.S.P.H., director, Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho Rural Health Research Center and University of Washington Center for Health Workforce Studies Health begins and ends in the community. It is therefore the community where public health interventions can have the greatest impact. This book provides an excellent framework with step-by-step instructions for understanding cultural and community differences and performing ethical and beneficial interventions to improve community health worldwide. Kelley Withy, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Hawaii/Pacific Basin Area Health Education Center and director, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii This book's community health interventions are a powerful vaccine and antidote for public health students who are constantly instructed in patient-by-patient, client-by-client interventions that ignore population and environmental effects. Anthony Robbins, M.D., M.P.A., professor, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University Medical School, co-editor, Journal of Public Health Policy The heart of public health is where the rubber meets the road, namely in our communities. The author have written an important, timely and practical book to help us create community programs that succeed and to avoid common mistakes that you wish you had known. Walter Tsou, M.D., M.P.H., former health commissioner, Philadelphia Department of Public Health. This book fills an important niche for social work students dedicated to social change through the design and development of community based health interventions. Ellen Tuchman, Ph.D., assistant professor, Silver School of Social Work, New York University
Synopsis
The key to improving public health care programs is to understand the elements of program evaluation. Evaluating Public and Community Health Programs provides the essentials of public health by examining the planning, implementation, and evaluation of public health programs and policies. Through a practical approach, this book combines the CDCs six-step model for program evaluation as well as the Donaldson three-step program theory driven evaluation model. Including tables, examples, worksheets, and guidelines, this handbook presents a simple, successful standards-based five-step model for effective results for students, faculty, and researchers.A
Synopsis
Evaluating Public and Community Health Programs
Evaluating Public and Community Health Programs combines an introduction to public and community health program evaluation with a detailed survey of methods in community assessment, planning, program design, quantitative and qualitative data collection, data analysis, and reporting of findings. The book presents an approach built on the two primary evaluation frameworks that are most common in public and community health: the Donaldson three-step program theory-driven evaluation model and CDC's six-step Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health. The author emphasizes practical, ongoing evaluation strategies that involve all program stakeholders, not just evaluation experts, and presents a simple and effective standards-based four-step model that will produce rich and useful results. The book's resources (scenarios, worksheets, and guidelines) can be used throughout the planning, implementation, and evaluation process. In addition, each chapter includes a list of learning objectives, key terms, and ideas for review, as well as summaries and discussion questions that can reinforce each chapter's lessons.
About the Author
Muriel J. Harris, PhD, MPH is an assistant professor, University of Louisville, School of Public Health and Information Sciences. Dr. Harris was the 2004 co-recipient of the CDC/ATSDR Honor Award and in 2000 was awarded membership in the national Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health. In 2008 she won the Delta Omega Innovative Curriculum award for her program evaluation course.
Table of Contents
Figures and Tables.
Preface.
The Author.
1 An Introduction to Public and Community Health Evaluation.
The Links Among Community Assessment, Program Implementation, and Evaluation.
Overview of Evaluation.
Preassessment Evaluations.
Community-Based Participatory Research.
The Participatory Model for Evaluation.
Cultural Considerations in Evaluation.
2 The Community Assessment: An Overview.
Theoretical Considerations.
The Ecological Model.
Data Collection.
Process.
Data Sources.
Reviewing the Scientific Literature.
The Report.
Stakeholders Participation in Community Assessments.
3 Developing Initiatives: An Overview.
The Organization's Mission.
Planning the Initiative.
Goals and Objectives.
The Initiative Activities
Using Existing Evidence-Based Programs.
The Program's Theory of Change.
The Logic Model Depicting the Theory of Change.
Criteria for Successful Initiatives.
4 Planning for Evaluation: Purpose and Processes.
The Timing of the Evaluation.
The Purpose of Evaluation.
Establishing the Contract for Evaluation.
The Evaluation Team.
Creating and Maintaining Effective Partnerships.
Evaluation Standards.
Managing the Evaluation Process.
Factors That Influence the Evaluation Process.
Involving Stakeholders.
5 Designing the Evaluation: Describing the Program.
The Context.
Justifications for the Initiative.
The Initiative's Goals, Objectives, and Activities.
The Initiative's Theory of Change and Logic Model.
6 Designing the Evaluation: Determining the Evaluation Questions and the Evaluation Design.
Bases for Selecting the Evaluation Questions.
Approaches to Selecting the Evaluation Questions.
Types of Evaluations.
Process Evaluation.
Outcome Evaluation.
7 Collecting the Data: Quantitative.
Choosing a Data-Collection Approach.
Using Surveys.
Designing Survey Instruments.
Pilot Testing.
Triangulation.
Institutional Review Boards.
Stakeholder Involvement.
8 Analyzing and Interpreting the Data: Quantitative.
Analyzing and Reporting Quantitative Data.
Reaching Conclusions.
Stakeholder Involvement.
Steps in Quantitative-Data Analysis and Interpretation.
9 Collecting the Data: Qualitative.
Qualitative Data.
Ensuring Validity and Reliability.
Interview-Format Approaches.
Document and Record Review.
Observational Approaches.
Case Reviews.
Digital Approaches.
Geographic Information Systems.
Training Data Collectors.
Pilot Testing.
Managing and Storing Qualitative Data.
Stakeholder Involvement.
10 Analyzing and Interpreting the Data: Qualitative.
Analyzing Qualitative Data.
Interpreting the Data and Reaching Conclusions.
The Role of Stakeholders
11 Reporting Evaluation Findings.
The Content of the Report.
The Timing of the Report.
The Audience for the Report.
The Format of the Report.
Include the following.
12 Case Study.
The Community Assessment.
The Intervention.
Design the Evaluation.
Collect the Data.
Analyze and Interpret the Data.
Report the Results.
Glossary.
References.
Index.