Social return on investment (SROI) is a framework for understanding the broader value of an investment, beyond just the financial return. Understanding the SROI of public health Accreditation is one method for PHAB, Accredited health departments, and health departments considering pursuing Accreditation to explain the value of Accreditation, including costs, benefits, and impacts, to partners and other interest holders. PHAB engaged NORC at the University of Chicago to conduct an exploratory evaluation aimed at: identifying inputs to be considered in a quantitative assessment of the SROI of Accreditation; the outputs, outcomes, and social impacts of public health Accreditation; and understanding the similarities and differences in the SROI of Accreditation between Initial Accreditation and Reaccreditation.

Key findings

• Leadership was a driving force for pursuing Accreditation and Reaccreditation.
• The most significant input was staff time and labor.
• More than three-quarters of accredited health departments interviewed identified new quality improvement processes or activities as an output of Accreditation.
• Health departments identified mainly internal outcomes of Accreditation and Reaccreditation, though a few identified external outcomes, including impacts on their respective communities.

Inputs included staff time and labor, engaging with partners, governing entities, and communities, and procuring goods and services.

Outputs included procedures, policies, and plans developed or revised as described in the PHAB Standards & Measures.

Outcomes included increased use of data to inform decision making, implementation of improved plans to enhance services to community, increased staff knowledge and pride, and strengthened relationships with external and community partners.

Takeaways

In today’s public health environment, where it’s essential to be able to speak to the value of your investments, (S)ROI analyses are useful tools for health departments to have a holistic understanding of the benefits of Accreditation. This study was an early step in examining the SROI of Accreditation; stay tuned for potential new tools to determine the (S)ROI of Accreditation at your health department.

Learn More

View the full SROI one-pager and more publications/reports from PHAB.

Katherine Gelfand, MPH, is a Research Scientist at NORC at the University of Chicago. She has seven years of experience conducting social science research and evaluations on a variety of public health topics, including public health infrastructure, disaster preparedness, and maternal health. She received her MPH from George Washington University and a BS from Vanderbilt University.