217493 A comprehensive theory to guide organizational success at adapting and sustaining evidence-based programs to promote healthy aging

Wednesday, November 10, 2010 : 9:30 AM - 9:45 AM

Michiyo Tomioka, MS , School of Social Work, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
Kathryn Braun, DrPH , University of Hawaii, and Papa Ola Lokahi, Honolulu, HI
Older Americans are disproportionately affected by chronic diseases and conditions. In the last decades, significant attention is being given to expanding the implementation of evidence-based programs, those proven to work, to promote healthy aging. Although federal agencies encourage communities to adapt evidence-based programs, studies on how organizations learn about, adapt, and sustain such programs are limited. Our purpose is to describe the development of a theory-driven framework that can guide organizational adoption of evidence-based programs, as well as the evaluation of an organization's efforts to adopt evidence-based programs. The development of this framework was informed by 5 years of experience with the Hawai'i Healthy Aging Partnership (HHAP), a statewide coalition devoted to replicating evidence-based health promotion programs for older adults, including the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP). We reviewed relevant organizational change theories, as well as the literature on sustainability. We combined elements to develop a comprehensive theoretical model that portrays the process from initiation (identifying programs, making modifications to fit your community, assessing organizational readiness, training) to delivery (coordinating offerings, monitoring fidelity, collecting data, realizing perceived benefits) to sustainment (examining whether the organization sustains, discontinues, or replaces the program). The model also prompts evaluators to investigate factors that support organizational movement from one stage to the next. This framework works well in understanding, guiding, and evaluating adoption and sustainment of healthy aging programs, and may be useful to public health practitioners working in other areas.

Learning Areas:
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Public health or related research
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Describe a comprehensive theoretical model for guiding organizational success at adapting and sustaining evidence-based programs

Keywords: Community-Based Health Promotion, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: 5 years of experience in evaluation and research for state-wide programs with presenting at local and national conferences
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.