The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #44250

Sharon Sand, MPP¹, Amy Schulz, PhD², Geneva Miller³, Cindy Jones³, and Sheryl Weir, MPH⁴. (1) East Side Village Health Worker Partnership, University of Michigan, 1420 Washington Heights, M5065, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, 734-763-0017, slsand@umich.edu, (2) Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, School of Public Health, 5134 SPH II, 1420 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, (3) East Side Village Health Worker, 2619 Cadillac Blvd., Detroit, MI 48219, (4) Henry Ford Health System, 1 Ford Place 5C, Detroit, MI 48202

As part of the evaluation of the East Side Village Health Worker Partnership, in-depth interviews were completed with Village Health Workers and Steering Committee members, and annual questionnaires were completed by all members of the Partnership (VHWs and SC members) to assess dimensions of the groups' process in working together. We will describe the evaluation process and present results from these qualitative and quantitative assessments of the impact of the Partnership on its members as well as the relationships among members of the partnership. Furthermore, we will discuss the use of these results throughout the life of the Partnership as aspects of the formative evaluation of the Partnership, and changes in the Partnership that ensued based on these results. We will close with a discussion of challenges as well as opportunities for evaluating the process and the impact of participation on those involved with lay health advisor programs that use a community-based participatory approach.

Learning Objectives:

• Recognize a range of strategies for bringing results of community-based participatory research to community groups to discuss interpretations and implications, and to assess the impact of intervention efforts on lay health advisors, members of the Steering Committee, and other community members;
• Assess the challenges of evaluating the impact of participation on those involved with lay health advisor programs, as well as other members of the community.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.