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Rural Health Information Hub

Match the Program to the Community's Needs

Module 1 discusses the importance of using data and community input to identify priorities, preferences, assets, and needs. Other key factors for selecting the appropriate model for a community depend on:

  • Intended program setting
  • Timeline and length of the program
  • Desired outcomes
  • Environmental and organizational context, including factors that affect program feasibility and acceptability
  • Relationships between partners (such as healthcare organizations, local government, or other community services)
  • Financial and human resources
  • Cultural considerations

For more information about evidence-based and promising program models that have worked in rural communities, see RHIhub's Rural Health Models and Innovations.

For examples of models that have worked within specific program areas, see the Program Clearinghouses in these issue-specific toolkits:

Resources to Learn More

The Community Tool Box: Chapter 19 – Section 1. Criteria for Choosing Promising Practices and Community Interventions
Website
Explains what qualifies as an evidence-based program and how to use that information to select the program that is best for a community.
Organization(s): University of Kansas Work Group for Community Health and Development