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.