Health Planning and Program Evaluation

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Health Planning and Program Evaluation

Health planning and program evaluation is a key component in the management of health systems . An integral part of the planning and evaluation process is the community needs assessment (Iowa State University Extension Online

Broadly defined , community needs assessment is a method used in measuring opinions , preconceptions , needs , important issues , and /or assets within a defined community (French Online ) It is of vital importance when decisions on the allocation of resources need to be made and

in the establishment of programs that will meet the aspirations of the community (Iowa State University Extension Online

There are several health program design theories . The health belief model posits that people have various preconceived notions about the benefits that a particular intervention program will confer to them or the barriers or threats they will face in accessing the intervention and as such choose to take or not to take preventive measures based on these perceptions . These preconceived notions can be broadly categorized as perceived threats , perceived benefits , and perceived barriers (Haber 134

Perceived threats are those notions held by an individual regarding the dangers that a particular condition exposes him or her to and their degree of potency . Persons who see a particular threat as posing a grave danger to them have the motivation to act . Conversely , persons who will perceive a particular threat to be minor will have no reason to seek a correcting intervention (Haber 134

Perceived benefits refer to the belief that certain actions taken by an individual facing a threat will eliminate or reduce the chance of undesirable outcomes or increase the likelihood of positive results When the likelihood of positive results outweighs perceived barriers then the individual facing the threat is motivated to take an action Stated differently , when the end result of a certain action brings an advantage greater than resources deployed in carrying out the action then the action will be pursued (Haber 134

Perceived barriers serve to prevent initiation of an action and may include financial limitations , ignorance , lack of transportation , or potential pain or discomfort and inconvenience . However , beliefs are not entirely the only determinants that account for action . Other factors including , but not limited to , environmental influences and skill development often come into play (Haber 134

Formulated in 1980 , the theory of planned behavior is an extension of the theory of reasoned action which has it that the central predictor of behavior is intention . Intention is defined as a person 's readiness to carry out an act and is determined principally by his or her perceived behavioral control (am I able to carry out this behavior , his or her subjective norms (what will the people I care about think about my behavior , and his or her attitude towards that very behavior . A favorable attitude and subjective norm coupled with a strong perceived behavioral control gives a stronger intention . The theory of planned behavior has an additional focus on the perceived ease or difficulty...