#630

Date:    Sun, 24 Aug 2008 17:20:11 -0700

From:    "Lawrence W. Green" <lwgreen@COMCAST.NET>

Subject: Re: Looking for algorithm for health education

I didn't see the original question to which James provided a good general statement about formulas for cost-effectiveness of health education, but from the e-mail title, "algorithm for health education," it struck me that the query might be in search of something like the algorithm we have included in the last three editions of the book on the PRECEDE-PROCEED model (Green & Kreuter, Health Promotion Planning..., 2nd & 3rd editions, Mayfield Publishing Co., 1991, 1999; Health Program Planning: An Educational and Ecological Approach, 4th ed., McGraw-Hill, 2005). In the 2nd and 3rd editions, the table is found in the chapter on evaluation; in the 4th edition it is Table 5-4 in the chapter on Program, Administrative and Policy Design. It provides a step-by-step series of 17 cumulative calculations that go from an estimate of need, to a measure of reach, to % coverage, to impact, to efficacy, to effectiveness, to program cost, to efficiency, to cost-effectiveness, to benefits, to cost-benefit, and onward to operating cost-benefit.

--Larry Green