ABSTRACT
CONTEXT: Coalition research has shifted from delineating structures and processes to identifying intermediate, systems changes (e.g., changes in policies) that contribute to longterm community health improvement. OBJECTIVE: The University of New Mexico, the New Mexico Department of Health, and community health councils entered a multiyear participatory evaluation process to answer: What actions did health councils take that led to improving health through intermediate, systems changes? DESIGN: The evaluation system was created over several phases through an iterative, participatory process. Data were collected for councils' health priority areas (e.g., substance abuse) from 2009 to 2011. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-three community health councils participated. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Intermediate systems changes were measured: 1) networking and partnering, 2) joint planning of strategies, programs, and services, 3) leveraging resources, and 4) policy initiatives. RESULTS: Health councils reported data for each intermediate outcome by health priority area. Data showed councils identified local public health priorities and addressed those priorities through strengthening networks and partnerships, which lead to the creation and enhancement of strategies, services, and programs. Data also showed councils influenced policies in several ways (e.g., developing policy, identifying new policy, or sponsoring informational forums). Additionally, data showed councils leveraged $1.10 for every dollar invested by the state. When funding was suspended in July 2010, data showed dramatic decreases in activity levels from 2010 to 2011. CONCLUSIONS: The data demonstrate the feasibility and utility of an Internet-based system designed to gather intermediate systems changes evaluation data. This process is a model for similar efforts to capture common outcomes across diverse coalitions and partnerships.
Subject(s)
Community Health Services/organization & administration , Cooperative Behavior , Health Planning/organization & administration , Health Promotion/organization & administration , Adolescent , Community Health Services/economics , Community-Based Participatory Research , Diabetes Mellitus/prevention & control , Diabetes Mellitus/therapy , Female , Health Policy , Health Priorities , Health Services Accessibility/organization & administration , Humans , Internet , New Mexico , Obesity/prevention & control , Obesity/therapy , Pregnancy , Pregnancy in Adolescence/prevention & control , Public Health Administration , Substance-Related Disorders/prevention & control , Substance-Related Disorders/therapyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: We engaged in a community-based participatory research (CBPR) project with the New Mexico Department of Health (DOH) and its 32 county-based health councils. OBJECTIVES: We report on the process of the collaborative development of an evaluation model that would identify and link council actions to intermediate system change. METHODS: We used multiple data sources and interactive, iterative processes to systematically examine and document the health council system including document review, a statewide partnership survey, and multiple meetings with partners. LESSONS LEARNED: We highlight lessons and challenges in our CBPR process, including the need for community partners to overcome the fear of evaluation, the use of multiple participatory mechanisms, the value of a linking agent, and understanding multiple data needs. CONCLUSION: The time and resources of this participatory evaluation process enabled successful navigation of two important issues: (1) increased attention to statewide accountability of collaborative public health initiatives, and (2) increased expectation by health councils or other community partnerships to have a recognized voice in defining measures for this accountability.
Subject(s)
Community Health Services/organization & administration , Community Networks/organization & administration , Community-Based Participatory Research/organization & administration , Public Health/methods , Humans , Interinstitutional Relations , Local Government , Logistic Models , New Mexico , Program Evaluation/methods , State Government , UniversitiesABSTRACT
The 3M Petrifilm Staph Express Count System was compared with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) direct-plate count method for the enumeration of Staphylococcus aureus in 6 types of artificially contaminated hard cheese (Asiago, Cheddar, Gruyère, Parmesan, Romano, and Swiss). Five different samples of each cheese type were inoculated with S. aureus (ATCC 25923) to achieve low, medium, and high inoculum levels. S. aureus was enumerated by the Petrifilm and BAM methods, and the results were compared. Multivariate analysis of variance revealed no significant differences (P<0.05) between the 2 methods. The Petrifilm method compared favorably with the BAM procedure. The rapid method was more convenient to use, considerably faster, and less expensive to perform than the BAM method.
