PSM High-Yield: Evaluation of Health Services
Evaluation is the process of assessing the relevance, adequacy, progress, efficiency, effectiveness, and impact of health activities. It is distinct from monitoring (which tracks ongoing performance).
Types of Evaluation
| Type | Focus |
|---|---|
| Evaluation of Structure | Assessing resources (buildings, equipment, manpower). |
| Evaluation of Process | Assessing the delivery of services (activities, coverage, quality of care). |
| Evaluation of Outcome | Assessing changes in health status (mortality, morbidity, cure rates). |
Key Evaluative Criteria
- Relevance: Are the goals consistent with community needs?
- Adequacy: Does the program address the total problem?
- Progress: Is the program on track according to the timeline?
- Efficiency: Cost-benefit or cost-effectiveness (getting the most out of resources).
- Effectiveness: The degree to which objectives are achieved.
- Impact: The long-term change in the health of the community.
High-Yield Exam Pearl:
- Donabedian Model: The gold standard framework for evaluating quality in health care: Structure → Process → Outcome.
- Monitoring vs. Evaluation: Monitoring is continuous and focuses on activities/resources; Evaluation is periodic and focuses on objectives/impact.