Module 5: Evaluation Considerations for Social Determinants of Health Programs
Evaluation is an essential tool for any rural program addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH). Evaluation is the process of gathering and analyzing information to help understand a program's impact, determine if a program is achieving its goals and objectives, and provide information on how the program can be improved. Evaluation can also help determine if a program is sustainable, if rural communities can link investments in SDOH to improvements in health, cost savings, or other outcomes of interest to payers and policymakers.
This module provides methods and considerations for evaluating programs that address SDOH. For a detailed overview of program evaluation, see Evaluating Rural Programs in the Rural Community Health Toolkit and the Conducting Rural Health Research, Needs Assessment, and Program Evaluation topic guide.