Evaluation of U.S. Public Health Service Programs

Abstract

This article provides an overview of evaluation in the Public Health Service (PHS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The kinds of evaluation activities are outlined with illustrations of recently completed studies. The overview includes information on resources, policies, and management of evaluations conducted by the various PHS agencies andprograms. In particular the department's new efforts to better disseminate evaluation results through the Internet are described. The article concludes with a discussion of future prospects of how PHS evaluations will play a role in implementation of the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA).