Expanding the Reach of Evidence-Based Self-Management Education and Physical Activity Interventions: Results of a Cross-Site Evaluation of State Health Departments.

Participation in community-based self-management education and physical activity interventions has been demonstrated to improve quality of life for those who have arthritis and other chronic diseases. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Arthritis Program funded 21 state health departments to expand the reach (defined as the number of people who participate in interventions) of 10 evidence-based interventions in community settings. The Arthritis Centralized Evaluation assessed the strategies and tactics used by state health departments to expand the reach of these evidence-based interventions. The evaluation compared and contrasted processes used by the states to expand reach. Engaging multisite delivery system partners, prioritizing reach, embedding interventions within partners' routine operations, and collaborating across chronic disease program areas were all dissemination strategies that were correlated with expanded intervention reach. However, states also encountered challenges that limited their ability to successfully engage delivery systems as partners. These barriers included difficulty identifying delivery system partners and the lengthy time periods partners needed to adopt and embed the interventions.

Report from the CDC: Evaluability assessment of the rape prevention and education program: summary of findings and recommendations.

This paper describes an evaluability assessment of CDC's Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) Program conducted to establish a baseline description and understanding of the current activities and goals of the program, revisit and update program performance measures, and identify opportunities for CDC to provide training and technical assistance to states. Data were collected using (1) a web-based survey of all state and territory health departments, other government agencies involved in the administration of the program, and sexual assault coalitions, (2) in-depth interviews with the same respondents during site visits to a sample of 14 states, and (3) focus groups in 5 of these states with local providers. This paper highlights the findings and summarizes recommendations to improve the program. It concludes with examples of steps CDC is taking to implement the recommendations.