Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Analysis
NURS – 6050C: Policy and Advocacy for Improving Population Health
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Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation Analysis Template
Use this document to complete the Module 5 Assessment Assessing a Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation
| Healthcare Program/Policy Evaluation |
Georgia Diabetes Prevention and Control Program (DPCP) |
| Description | Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a serious public health concern globally, with statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showing that there were approximately 422 million adults with the condition globally and the incidence of DM and prediabetes mounting at an alarming rate in 2021 (CDC, 2022). At least 37.3 million adult Americans were diabetic in 2021 accounting for 11.3% of the national population (CDC, 2022). In Georgia, 12.4% of the adult population (>1.013 million) were diagnosed with DM by 2021(American Diabetes Association, 2021). Georgia Department of Public Health developed the DPCP initiative with the principal mission of addressing the DM epidemic in the state by aiming to decrease DM prevalence and the associated complications, including blindness, non-traumatic lower extremity amputations, kidney failure, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and disability (Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), n.d.). The state-based DM prevention program is financed by the CDC and DPH via a collaborative agreement between the two agencies. It seeks to use DM surveillance data, alongside multi-sector collaborative efforts and partnerships to promote healthcare policies and push for the implementation of recommended evidence-based practices to decrease DM incidences throughout the state. The foundation of DPCP includes DM data surveillance and evaluation, quality of care, access to DM Self-Management Education (DSME), health communication, and health equity through public policy (Georgia Department of Public Health, n.d.). |
| How was the success of the program or policy measured?
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Evaluation is a procedure adopted by educators, practitioners, and researchers to assess the significance or cost of a certain initiative, policy, or project (Matthew & Ory, 2017). Evaluative attempts facilitate the determination of whether the predetermined aims associated with health improvement or behavioral change were accomplished by the program apart from providing accountability for stakeholders (Matthew & Ory, 2017). Measuring the success of the DPCP program pre-and-post-intervention analysis of outcome data, including the incidence of DM, pre-diabetes, and DM-related complications. |
| How many people were reached by the program or policy selected? How much of an impact was realized with the program or policy selected? | The statewide program targeted the approximately six million adult residents of Georgia aged ≥18 years. The DPCP initiative had substantial intermediate and long-term impacts, ranging from enabling participants to lose weight and subsequently decrease the odds of developing DM or the associated complications to prompting behavioral/lifestyle changes that edged towards the attainment of the Healthy People 2020 objectives. |
| At what point in program implementation was the program or policy evaluation conducted? | In line with the CDC’s (2016) six-step policy evaluation procedure, the DPCP program was evaluated at the start of the implementation and one-year post-implementation. |
| What data was used to conduct the program or policy evaluation?
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DM surveillance data acquired from Georgia’s DHP and Health People 2020 initiatives were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the DPCP initiative in reducing the statewide prevalence of DM and the associated complications. Specifically, administrative Cardiovascular Disease Data featuring reports of CVD-associated risk factors, hospitalizations, and mortality rates, as well as Heart Disease and Stroke Data, were employed to track the success of the program in attaining the predetermined objectives (Georgia Department of Public Health, n.d.). |
| What specific information on unintended consequences was identified?
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The unintended implications of the DPCP are the subtle perpetuation of health inequity, with residents from low-income households unable to access primary healthcare (PHC) services not captured in the DHP database. Notably, such individuals are either unable to access or fail to utilize the DHP medical services; therefore, they do not profit from the DPCP program. |
| What stakeholders were identified in the evaluation of the program or policy? Who would benefit most from the results and reporting of the program or policy evaluation? Be specific and provide examples. | The stakeholders involved in the design and implementation of the DPCP program include the DHP, CDC, frontline medical professionals, including physicians, nurses, physical therapists, dieticians, and nutritionists, implementing the initiative in PHC facilities, and the residents of Georgia who are the ultimate users of the program. The DHP and the CDC, who collaborate in financing the program are the beneficiaries of successful implementation of the program, as the funding demand would drop; however, the residents of Georgia are the ultimate profiteers as they will be motivated to live healthy lifestyles free from DM and related complications. |
| Did the program or policy meet the original intent and objectives? Why or why not? | Yes, the successful implementation of the program was facilitated by adequate funding and effective leadership that saw the statewide cases of DM plummet significantly within the evaluation period. |
| Would you recommend implementing this program or policy in your place of work? Why or why not? | The DPCP has had substantial positive impacts on the health and wellbeing of Georgia’s residents, and it will have similar effects on employees at my workplace, including improved quality of life, reduced risk of DM, and diminished odds of developing CVD. Thus, I would recommend it to be enforced at my workplace. |
| Identify at least two ways that you, as a nurse advocate, could become involved in evaluating a program or policy after one year of implementation. | As a nurse advocate, I could be involved in the program evaluation by participating in the collection and processing of the outcome data. I could also participate in educating other frontline medical staff on the policy implementation procedures.
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| General Notes/Comments | DPCP is a timely intervention that has been implemented at a time when sedentary lifestyles and poor eating habits involving heavy consumption of salty, sugary, and fatty fast food are the norms among residents of Georgia state. The principal mission of the program is to tackle the DM epidemic in the state by aiming to decrease DM prevalence and the associated complications, including blindness, non-traumatic lower extremity amputations, kidney failure, CVDs, and disability (Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), n.d.). So far, the program has enabled Georgia’s DPH to successfully fight the DM epidemic, although the condition, particularly prediabetes remains a major challenge. |
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References
American Diabetes Association. (2021). The burden of diabetes in Georgia. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(18)30556-4
CDC. (2016). Brief 1: Overview of policy evaluation. https://www.cdc.gov/injury/pdfs/policy/brief 1-a.pdf
CDC. (2022). National diabetes statistics report. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/data/statistics-report/index.html
Georgia Department of Public Health. (n.d.). Georgia Diabetes Prevention and Control Program (DPCP). https://dph.georgia.gov/georgia-diabetes-prevention-and-control-program-dpcp
Healthy People 2020. (n.d.). Healthy People 2020 objectives. https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020
Matthew, S., & Ory, M. (2017). Measuring success: Evaluation article types for the public health education and promotion section of frontiers in public health. Frontiers in Public Health, 2(111), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.93.8.1261