Match the Program to the Community’s Needs
There are a variety of program models that can be used to address rural health issues. There is not a one-size-fits-all approach. The most appropriate model for a community depends on:
- The characteristics, needs, values, and preferences of the population of interest
- Setting
- Length of the program
- Desired outcomes
- Environmental and organizational context
- Relationships between stakeholders (such as healthcare organizations, local government, or other community services)
- Financial and human resources
- Culture
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:
- Aging in Place
- Care Coordination Toolkit
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Toolkit
- Community Health Workers Toolkit
- Community Paramedicine Toolkit
- Diabetes Prevention and Management Toolkit
- Early Childhood Health Promotion Toolkit
- Health Equity Toolkit
- Health Literacy Toolkit
- Health Networks and Coalitions Toolkit
- Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Toolkit
- HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Toolkit
- Maternal Health Toolkit
- Mental Health Toolkit
- Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD Toolkit)
- Obesity Prevention Toolkit
- Oral Health Toolkit
- Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders Toolkit
- Services Integration Toolkit
- Social Determinants of Health Toolkit
- Suicide Prevention Toolkit
- Telehealth Toolkit
- Tobacco Control and Prevention Toolkit
- Transportation Toolkit
Resources to Learn More
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
Community
Health Assessment aNd Group Evaluation (CHANGE) Action Guide: Building a Foundation of Knowledge to
Prioritize Community Needs
Document
This guide provides instructions to implement the CHANGE tool. The resource is designed to be a compilation of
best practices for communities to understand the policies and systems currently in place throughout the
community; develop a plan for improve community health; and help prioritize community needs and allocate
available resources.
Organization(s): Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Date: 2010