Evaluation of public health demonstration programs: the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of WISEWOMAN.

BACKGROUND In today's healthcare environment, public health resources are scarce. Thus, interventions to improve the public's health must be rigorously evaluated to ensure that they make the best use of available resources. METHODS The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides a general framework for program evaluation. This paper presents additional details on several key evaluation areas within CDC's framework. RESULTS Successful evaluations will be built into the program design; will be multifaceted, incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods; will assess both process and outcome measures; and will engage stakeholders to ensure utility of results. CONCLUSIONS Well-planned evaluations can lead to less burdensome yet more effective assessment and better program performance and can increase the knowledge base for health promotion practice.