Evaluation Measures for Rural Healthy Aging Programs
Rural communities can use a range of process, outcome, and impact evaluation measures to evaluate a healthy aging program. Evaluation measures can also be tailored to a specific program's topic and design. Additional information on evaluation strategies and measures is included in the Rural Community Health Toolkit.
Evaluation measures help to answer the evaluation questions. The types of evaluation measures may vary depending on the program model. For example, a physical activity and mobility program may want to measure improvements in older adults' balance and coordination, while a medication management program may measure rates of medication adherence over time.
Process measures show progress toward program objectives and goals, which can help program staff adapt or manage program activities. Assessing process measures can occur periodically over the course of the program.
Examples of quantitative process measures include:
- Number of staff trainings to deliver the program
- Cost of implementing the program (cost per site, cost per participant)
- Number of older adults who enrolled and completed the program
- Number of older adults that partially or did not complete the program
- Number of older adults with complex conditions who receive care coordination services through the program
- Number of community events held and number of attendees at each event
- Number of older adults who received screening as part of the program
- Number of older adults who received medication management guidance
- Number of in-home visits to older adults conducted as part of a home-based mobility program
Examples of qualitative process measures include:
- Staff training to implement the intervention
- Partnerships, partner types, and partner roles to support implementation
- Exposure to program (how many visits or sessions participants attend)
- Organizational features (prior experience, culture, technology, resources, staffing)
- Tailoring or adapting the intervention, mid-implementation changes
- Implementation challenges and facilitators
- Contextual features (external policy, pressure, community characteristics)
- Lessons learned to inform sustaining, scaling, or replicating the program
Outcome measures and constructs can demonstrate the success and value of the program to future older adult participants, program staff, community leaders, funders, and other stakeholders.
Examples of quantitative outcome measures include:
- Changes in rates of unmanaged chronic disease among participants
- Changes in level of physical activity among participants
- Changes in mood or anxiety among participants
- Changes in level or frequency of social engagement among participants
- Changes in the number of falls-related hospitalizations among participants
Examples of qualitative outcome constructs include:
- Participants' satisfaction with the program
- Participants' perceived changes in healthy behaviors or desired outcomes
- Unintended positive or negative impacts of the program on participants or the community
Resources to Learn More
4Ms Evaluation
Metrics Resource Library
Website
Shares a collection of evaluation metrics focused on age-friendly programs.
Organization: University of California San Francisco, National Age-Friendly Health System Research
Council
ACL's
Performance Measure Guidance
Document
Provides an overview of performance measurement and the types of information and processes involved,
including goals, objectives, outcomes, outputs, indicators, and types of data. Discusses the benefits of
performance measurement and initials steps to developing performance measures, including examples of
checklists, resources measures, and more.
Organization(s): Office of Performance Evaluation Administration for Community Living
Date: 9/2020