Checklist for Study or Intervention Planning

Click here for a Checklist for Study or Intervention Planning.

Ways to Address Reach in Efficacy and Effectiveness Studies

During Efficacy Trials (Phase III Research), do these things to address Reach:

• Specify inclusion criteria or select participants in a purposeful way, but participants will be volunteers in a specific research setting.
• Report exclusion and participation rates, dropouts, and representativeness.

During Effectiveness Trials (Phase IV Research), do these things to address Reach:

• Include all relevant members of a defined population.
• Report exclusions, participation rates, dropouts and representativeness.

Click here for the abstract of a journal article where researchers report on the Reach of different strategies for recruiting minority participants. The intervention targets tobacco cessation among African American adults. (Will open in a new window.)

A Common Challenge Encountered in Evaluating Health Behavior Interventions and Remedies

Not studying a relevant, high-risk, or representative sample can be remedied by doing these things:

• Use population-based recruitment or over-recruit high risk subgroups.
• Do not include too many exclusion criteria.

Questions to Ask about Reach when Evaluating Health Promotion Programs and Policies

• What percent of potentially eligible participants were excluded?
• What percent of potentially eligible participants took part?
• How representative were eligible participants?

Questions to Ask and Ways to Enhance Overall Impact

The Questions

• What percent of the target population comes into contact?
• Does program reach those most in need?
• Will participants reflect the targeted population?

Possible Ways to Enhance Dissemination

• Formative evaluation with potential users and non-users
• Small scale recruitment studies to enhance methods
• Identify and reduce barriers
• Use multiple channels of recruitment

Guidelines and Multi-level Strategies to Enhance Dissemination and Public Health Impact

Individual Target Level

• Compare characteristics of participants to non-participants or population
• Use multiple channels

Delivery Site or Organization Level

• Information mailed, in exam room, waiting rooms
• Use all staff to recommend

Systems or Network Level

• Incentives for screening
• Pair advice with usual contacts

Calculating Reach

Click here to use the reach calculator.

Click here for standard step-by-step instructions for calculating reach.

Addressing Other Elements

Click on other elements listed below to access related resources.

• Efficacy/Effectiveness
• Adoption
• Implementation
• Maintenance