226248 Evaluation of a multi site asthma program initiative: Linking program activities with distal outcomes to demonstrate systems change

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Lynn D. Woodhouse, M Ed, EdD, MPH , Associate Dean and Professor of Community Health, JPHCOPH Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Russ Toal, MPH , Clinical Associate Professor, JPHCOPH Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
DeAnna Keene, MPH , Research Associate, JPHCOPH GSU, Statesboro, GA
Laura H. Gunn, PhD , Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Assistant Professor of Biostatistics Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Simone M. Charles, PhD , Environmental Health Sciences, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
Cassandra Arroyo, PhD , Faculty, Walden University, Minneapolis, MN
Stuart Tedders, PhD , Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA
William Livingood, PhD , Center for Health Equity & Quality Research & JPHsu COPH, Duval County Health Department & Univ of Florida & Georgia Southern Univ, Jacksonville, FL
Trang Nguyen, MD, MPH, DrPH , Public Health Information Group - Asthma Surveillance and Program Evaluation, New York State Department of Health, Albany, NY
Five unique community interventions to reduce childhood asthma morbidity and to facilitate healthcare and community systems level changes were developed and privately funded in GA. In an effort to document these outcomes and facilitate a multi site level of understanding, the funder also contracted with our university-based evaluation team. Our team worked with program staff and developed a plan to document both program level evaluation and cross site measures (process, impact and outcome). The funded projects were charged with increasing enrollment of children and the management of their asthma. They used best practice interventions and planned to document that systems changes did indeed improve care as measured by emergency room visit reductions, hospitalization reductions, reduced school absences, increase quality of life and/or reduction of acute care primary care visits. The evaluation team worked to support the program leaders in their efforts to link the program activities and objectives with the more distal outcomes they hoped to achieve, such as reduced ER use, reduced hospitalization or reduced school absenteeism. This presentation will document the processes the evaluation team used to support the linking of the systems objectives to the distal outcomes through more short term or intermediate outcomes such as changes in timely use of appropriate medications or reduction in triggers for asthma. The need to produce a clear link between the program activities, systems changes and outcomes through evaluation evidence is critical when calling for policy change.

Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and prevention
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Program planning
Public health or related organizational policy, standards, or other guidelines
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe components of a community based asthma intervention and evaluation methods linked to these. 2. Compare different types of evaluation measures that can document the link between program activities and systems change.

Keywords: Asthma, Evaluation

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Professor of Community Health Education and Behavior
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.