Outcomes

Outcomes are the intended long-term impacts or ultimate results of an intervention. The Precision Paradigm can be used to inform the design of studies that test intervention effects on outcomes at multiple levels of the home visiting system. Home visiting outcomes may be defined by families, program staff, local Implementing agencies, local communities, tribal and state organizations, home visiting models, and funders.

For example, the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program (MIECHV) is one source of federal funding for home visiting. To be eligible for MIECHV funding, a model must show sufficient evidence that they are effective at meeting the needs of families in one or more domains such as improved maternal and newborn health, prevention of child injuries and maltreatment, improvement in school readiness, and improvements in family economic self-sufficiency.[1]

While the range of intended outcomes of interventions within home visiting are most often defined by home visiting funders and models, not all outcomes apply to all families that enroll. Home visitors work with families to identify the outcome areas within their program’s scope that most align with families’ needs and interests.

Interested groups such as families, program staff, models, and funders might identify priority outcomes for home visiting research and evaluation. Listed below are just a few examples of broad outcome domains that have been the focus of home visiting research and evaluation in recent years.

Examples of potentially relevant outcome domains at multiple levels of the home visiting system*

*This is not a comprehensive list of potential outcomes.

---

[1] To be eligible for implementation as an evidence-based model with MIECHV funding, a model must both meet HHS criteria for evidence of effectiveness (as determined by HomVEE) and meet all other statutory requirements for model eligibility (as required by HRSA).