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Evaluation of school-based health center programs and services: the whys and hows of demonstrating program effectiveness.

Hackbarth D, Gall GB

Loyola University Chicago, Niehoff School of Nursing, 6526 North Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL 60626, USA. dhackba@luc.edu

Evaluation and dissemination of the outcomes of school-based health center (SBHC) services is essential for the continual growth and funding of SBHCs in the United States. Since their inception, SBHCs have been practice sites for nurse practitioners and have used interdisciplinary teams to provide care for underserved school-aged children. Early research and evaluation focused on describing the types of services and the quality of care provided. Supporters of SBHCs were anxious to demonstrate that the care provided was "as good as" care delivered in traditional primary care practices. Documentation of program impacts, such as changes in population health indicators or improved academic achievement, has been more elusive. Current evaluation priorities outlined by the National Assembly on School-Based Health Care include evaluation of mental health services using a new online tool; assessing productivity of SBHC staff; measuring quality; and attempts to link SBHC care with improved academic outcomes.

Published 5 December 2005 in Nurs Clin North Am, 40(4): 711-24, x.
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