Overcoming barriers to evaluating federal health education and training programs

The effectiveness of federal programs is often difficult to measure because many are authorized to support a broad range of objectives without common outcome goals, measures, and reporting requirements. When direct program evaluation is not possible, it may be possible instead to evaluate how well the strategies that federal programs support have worked to achieve certain objectives. This alternative to direct program evaluation was demonstrated in a General Accounting Office review of federal health professions education and training programs within Titles 7 and 8 of the Public Health Service Act.