Using a Health Equity Lens to Evaluate Short-Term Experiences in Global Health (STEGH)

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Health Equity Studies
• Program Evaluation

Background:

• Short-term experiences in global health (STEGH) face criticism regarding their effectiveness and outcomes.
• There's a growing need to align STEGH with global health goals, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, focusing on population health and equity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a framework for planning and evaluating STEGH with a central focus on health equity outcomes.
• To shift evaluation from process measures to outcome-based assessments that consider broader definitions of health equity.

Main Methods:

• Utilized logic model theory to analyze traditional STEGH, identifying issues in planning, implementation, and evaluation.
• Explored diverse definitions of health equity, adopting a broad, context-based approach promoting health for all.
• Proposed guiding questions for optimizing STEGH deployment to achieve health equity goals.

Main Results:

• Traditional STEGH evaluations often rely on process outputs, limiting understanding of their impact on health equity.
• An outcomes-focused approach, considering sustainability, cultural humility, and impact, is crucial for assessing STEGH value.
• Evaluating STEGH against population health status and equity goals clarifies their appropriateness and effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• Health equity advancement should be the primary metric for evaluating STEGH and all global health initiatives.
• A framework emphasizing health equity outcomes can optimize the impact and appropriateness of STEGH.