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Planning a Substance Use Disorder Program Evaluation

Logic Models

A logic model is a visual tool that describes a program, including the need, goals, and objectives. Logic models help program planners illustrate the relationship between specific substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and prevention efforts (program activities) and intended program effects (program outcomes).

Logic models for SUD programs may include the following components:

  • The problem or issue the program will address, including the population served by the program
  • Contextual factors in the community that may affect program activities or outcomes
  • Inputs, including staffing and resources needed to implement the program
  • Planned interventions, including specific services and activities to be provided
  • Expected program results, including short-term, medium-term, and long-term outcomes

SUD program goals may address physical and mental health improvement, social support, relapse prevention, and abstinence or reduction of substance use. Common goals and objectives of SUD programs include:

  • Sustained recovery for individuals with an SUD
  • Increased quality of life for individuals with an SUD
  • Abstained or reduced substance use
  • Reduced overdose deaths
  • Increased long-term survival

Ideally, a rural SUD program will develop a written evaluation plan prior to the start of the program. An evaluation plan describes the goals of the program, connects the program goals to the evaluation type, outlines the evaluation questions that will be answered, defines measurable objectives, and identifies what data will be collected.

Partners

It is important to involve relevant partners in developing, designing, and conducting evaluations of SUD programs. Partners may help identify evaluation objectives and questions, support data collection, and promote use of evaluation findings. For example, programs that aim to demonstrate a decrease in SUD within the priority population or community may need to establish formal partnerships with healthcare providers to access patient data to assess progress towards this goal.

Patient-Focused Evaluation Considerations

Considering individual needs is essential for patient-centered care and can impact program outcomes. It is important to consider patient goals and needs when evaluating SUD program success, particularly in rural communities.

When measuring effectiveness, SUD program planners should consider how patients define success. Patient-important outcomes or treatment goals can be more meaningful and lead to better outcomes than goals that are not individualized to the patient. Functional outcomes, such as improved memory, return to work, or physical balance, may also be used as measures of success and may differ from person to person.

For more information, see Evaluation Planning for Community Health Programs and Evaluation Design for Community Health Programs in the Rural Community Health Toolkit.

Resources to Learn More

Using Logic Models to Address the Social Determinants of Health in Substance Use Prevention
Document
Offers guidance and examples for incorporating social determinants of health into logic models for substance misuse programs and prevention.
Organization(s): Strategic Prevention Technical Assistance Center
Date: 9/2024