| Session Title: The Use of Theory of Change to Evaluate Communities of Practice in a Public Health Informatics Setting |
| Multipaper Session 587 to be held in Room 107 in the Convention Center on Friday, Nov 7, 10:55 AM to 11:40 AM |
| Sponsored by the Cluster, Multi-site and Multi-level Evaluation TIG |
| Chair(s): |
| Andrea Hegedus, Northrop Grumman Corporation, ahegedus@cdc.gov |
| Abstract: Recently public health practice has begun a shift in focus from 'healthy people' to 'healthy communities.' Such a shift requires concomitant change in evaluation practice that simultaneously addresses multi-sites, multiple lines of inquiry (promising practices, social, environmental), several levels of analysis (individual, organizational, programmatic), and mixed methods all within a collaborative process that is co-constructed by diverse partners and is continually evolving. This two-paper session will use communities of practice (CoPs) as one means to intervene in such a complex system. The first paper will describe CoPs and how they can be evaluated using a theory of change approach, while the second presentation will discuss the unique challenges faced when evaluating public health informatics initiatives with CoPs. At the end of the session, attendees will gain an understanding of the need to use theory, such as theory of change, as a framework for evaluation of complex social processes. |
| Using Theory of Change to Evaluate Communities of Practice |
| Andrea Hegedus, Northrop Grumman Corporation, ahegedus@cdc.gov |
| One reason why complex multi-faceted evaluation designs can fail is that they are underspecified at the beginning of the initiative. Insufficient thought is given to how activities and context impact both intermediate and long-term outcomes. Communities of practice (CoPs) have been identified as an intervention in complex social initiatives. CoPs are defined as groups of people who interact to solve common problems within social learning systems. Theory of change is one tool that can be used by evaluators not only to specify how activities and context within CoPs can be tied to outcomes, but also to increase the rigor of attributing the impact of interventions to outcomes. A theory of change prospectively articulates those structures or activities that need to change over time in order for the intervention to be effective. This paper will explain the benefits of using theory of change within CoPs to improve outcomes. |
| Evaluation of Initiatives in Public Health Informatics |
| Awal Khan, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, aek5@cdc.gov |
| Public health informatics (PHI) is a relatively new field that has been defined as the systematic application of computer science and technology to public health practice. Application of PHI includes the transfer of public health data among public health departments, hospitals, agencies of the Federal government, and other relevant partners; surveillance of data; and the application of technology to these efforts. PHI plays an important role in improving the quality and efficiency of public health data through the development and adoption of interoperable systems. Increasingly, participatory approaches are being used to facilitate activities and address barriers and the core elements of communities of practice (CoP) encourage participatory action research. This paper will describe communities of practice as an intervention in this setting, the model used to articulate the intervention, and how they will improve the practice of PHI. |