Creating Outcome Measures
VNA Foundation requires its grants to have measurable outcomes, or objective measures of the grant’s effect. By doing so, we believe we maximize the impact of our grant dollars. It also enables us to share with other nonprofits and foundations data-driven information about successful — or not so successful –approaches to assisting the medically underserved.
Be sure to create outcome measures that are reasonable and realistic, and based on information that will help you to best assess the impact and efficacy of your grant. You will be asked to report on progress towards your outcomes when reporting to VNA, generally at the 6th and 12th month of your grant year.
What do we mean by “outcome measures”? Here are some examples and the baselines to which they were compared:
Examples of Outcome Measures and Related Baselines
Outcome Measure: The number of emergency room visits for children in the communities served by this program will decline by 15%.
Baseline: Last year there were 386 emergency room visits for children in the communities served by this program.
Outcome Measure: Average hemoglobin level of diabetic patients will be reduced to 8.5.
Baseline: The average hemoglobin level of diabetic patients is 9.0.
Outcome Measure: Within 6-9 months of beginning services, 80% of children receiving counseling services will exhibit change in behavior that relates to them witnessing domestic violence or experiencing secondary trauma symptoms from parents experiencing domestic violence.
Baseline: Counselor will do a pre-assessment with the help of the primary caretaking parent (mom), filling out the child behavior checklist (CBCL). The CBCL will be then be administered every 6 months thereafter to measure behavior change as it relates to symptoms of PTSD and the impact of trauma on the parent and child.
Outcome Measure: 95% of perinatal patients will wait 24 months or longer before becoming pregnant again.
Baseline: 83% of prenatal patients waited 24 months or longer before becoming pregnant again.
Outcome Measure: 80% of patients will attend their 6-week postpartum clinic visit.
Baseline: 63% of patients attend their 6-week postpartum clinic visit.
Outcome Measure: By close of service in the program, 95% of participants will have obtained health insurance and identified a Primary Care Provider.
Baseline: We do not have a baseline since this is a new outcome for our program. Data collected this year will help us to establish a baseline for future use.
Outcome Measure: During the 2013-14 school year, all children enrolled in the program will show statistically significant improvement in functioning as rated by teachers on at least 2 of 5 of the following indicators: focusing on school work, positive involvement in classroom activities, social skills, child/teacher relationship, and behavior problems.
Baseline: Functioning will be assessed at the beginning and at the end of the school year and the data will be compared to measure changes in mean scores.
Outcome Measure: 85% of women age 50 and over will understand the importance of having a yearly mammogram (based on test given after health education session).
Baseline: 67% of women age 50 and over understand the importance of having a yearly mammogram.
Outcome Measure: Over 85% of behavioral health patients will be Medicaid-enrolled or uninsured, ensuring access for the underserved.
Baseline: Approximately 78% of FY2013 behavioral health patients were Medicaid-enrolled or uninsured.
Outcome Measure: Fewer than 10% of patients per year will sustain injury due to falls, burns, or adverse drug reaction/medication error.
Baseline: 80 – 90% (estimated) have sustained complications from falls, burns, or adverse drug reaction/medication error before enrolling in the program.
Outcome Measure: By hiring additional staff, our capacity to provide behavioral health counseling will increase by 124% to 2,100 encounters.
Baseline: 937 behavioral counseling sessions were provided in FY2013
Outcome Measure: With the addition of another hygienist, we will decrease the waiting list for dental cleaning and preventive services by 25 percent.
Baseline: Currently, there are 300 individuals on the waiting list for cleaning and preventive services.
Outcome Measure: 97% of participants will follow the schedule of immunizations and well-child visits recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Baseline: 79% of children in the U.S. receive immunizations and well-child visits according to the schedule recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.