Evaluation of a hearing-loss prevention program

Hearing-loss prevention programs, like other health promotion programs, benefit from an evaluation process to determine their effectiveness. A thorough evaluation not only helps to ensure that a program is accomplishing its goals but also can identify areas that need to be revised or strengthened. By documenting that a program is meeting its goals and objectives, administrators can demonstrate to funding agencies that the program is worthy of investment, both now and in the future. Evaluations also can be used to assist other programs in development: lessons learned along the way can be documented and shared. For these reasons, evaluation is an essential part of all educational programs. However, evaluation is not always emphasized in health promotion programs because of the time, resources, and expertise required to carry out the process in a systematic way. This article describes the processes and procedures employed to evaluate the Dangerous Decibels hearing-loss prevention program. These experiences convinced us that a thorough evaluation is not only necessary but also is key to developing a successful and sustainable program.