Overview of the evaluation of the Integrated Health Outreach Project in colonias in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in south Texas

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Craig H. Blakely, PhD¹, James N. Burdine, DrPH², Kenneth R. McLeroy, PhD², Martha Conkling, MSPH¹, Monica L. Wendel, MA, MPH², and Heather Clark, MSPH, CHES². (1) Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Rural Public Health, 1266 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843, 979-845-2387, blakely@srph.tamhsc.edu, (2) Center for Community Health Development, School of Rural Public Health, 1266 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843-1266

This presentation provides an overview of a comprehensive evaluation effort of a project designed to build a community-based, collaborative of local providers with direct links to community residents Colonias (unincorporated areas) in the Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas through promotoras (indigenous lay health workers).

This four year evaluation of the Integrated Health Outreach System incorporates several different assessment/analytical efforts including random pre-post household surveys in targeted and non-target comparison communities; longitudinal household case studies; partner and community key leader surveys; network analyses; and health care provider medical record reviews. This overview sets the stage for the data-driven papers that follow.

Learning Objectives:

Learning objectives

1) Identify the logical link between intervention project objectives and the evaluation design.
2) Observe the pieces of the evaluation effort and the manner with which the pieces fit together in the overall evaluation model.

Keywords: Evaluation, Community Participation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No

Evolution of a Multi-year Project to Improve Access to Care for Residents of Colonias Along the U.S./Mexico border: IHOS Phase 2

The 134th Annual Meeting & Exposition (November 4-8, 2006) of APHA