DHA732 Discussion Student Response

Healthcare program evaluation is a systematic process for collecting and analyzing information to determine the relevance, effectiveness, and impact of a health program, informing decision-making and improving outcomes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011), program evaluation is essential to public health practice. It involves examining whether a program is achieving its intended goals while using resources efficiently. Rossi et al. (2019) further define it as the use of social science research methods to systematically investigate the effectiveness of social intervention programs, adapting inquiry to the needs of decision-makers and stakeholders.

2. Share one reason why honing skills to evaluate healthcare programs is relevant to your career.

As an Administrator in an Oncology department, honing evaluation skills is directly relevant to my daily work. I currently manage a Fast Track Screening Colonoscopy Program, and understanding how to measure program effectiveness from patient throughput to screening outcomes allows me to identify gaps, justify resources, and communicate the program’s value to leadership. These skills also strengthen my dissertation research, which examines the administrative impact of prior authorization processes in specialty care.

Program: CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP)

The CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Control Program (CRCCP) is a federally funded initiative designed to increase colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates nationwide. The program’s primary goal is to raise screening rates among adults aged 45 to 75 by partnering with clinics, hospitals, and community health organizations to implement evidence-based interventions shown to increase screening uptake. These interventions include patient reminders, provider assessments, reducing structural barriers such as mailing fecal screening tests directly to patients, and offering no-cost follow-up diagnostic colonoscopies for those with positive screening results. The population served consists primarily of high-need, underserved individuals including low-income adults, uninsured or underinsured patients, and racial and ethnic minority populations who face disproportionately higher rates of CRC incidence and mortality. Non-Hispanic Black and American Indian/Alaska Native populations bear the greatest burden of new CRC cases nationally, making equitable access to screening a central program priority.

Program measures reported include screening rates at partner clinics, the number of individuals screened annually, and increases in screening uptake over time. From July 2021 to June 2022, CRCCP partner clinics screened nearly 198,000 people a 35% increase from the prior year. The program currently funds 38 award recipients across states, universities, tribal organizations, and other entities, tracking performance through standardized data collection aligned with USPSTF guidelines (US Preventive Services Task Force, 2021). Research on early demonstration programs highlights that program costs and organizational structure significantly influence the scalability and sustainability of CRC screening initiatives (Subramanian et al., 2013).

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office of the Director, Office of Strategy and Innovation. (2011). Introduction to program evaluation for public health programs: A self-study guide (103 pp.). US Department of Health and Human Services.

Rossi, P. H., Lipsey, M. W., & Henry, G. T. (2019). Evaluation: A systematic approach (8th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Subramanian, S., Tangka, F. K., Hoover, S., Beebe, M. C., DeGroff, A., Royalty, J., & Seeff, L. C. (2013). Costs of planning and implementing the CDC’s Colorectal Cancer Screening Demonstration Program. Cancer, 119(S15), 28552862.

US Preventive Services Task Force. (2021). Screening for colorectal cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. JAMA, 325(19), 19651977.