In 2015, OPRE launched a comprehensive evaluation of the second round of grants awarded under the Health Profession Opportunity Grants (HPOG) Program. The HPOG 2.0 National Evaluation will rigorously assess the HPOG programs administered by the non-tribal grantees. The 27 non-tribal grantees operate 38 HPOG programs across 17 states.
The HPOG 2.0 National Evaluation includes several key components:
- The impact study will use random assignment of eligible participants to either a treatment group that will have access HPOG services or a control group that will not but will be allowed to receive other services available in the community (“business as usual”) to assess the impacts of the HPOG programs.
- The descriptive study includes implementation, outcomes, and systems change studies and will help interpret findings from the impact study. The descriptive study also includes in-depth qualitative interviews with a small sample of HPOG study participants.
- The cost benefit study will assess the costs and benefits of a standard HPOG program.
Data sources for all three components of the National Evaluation include program data, administrative data from the National Directory of New Hires and the National Student Clearinghouse, and participant follow-up surveys at approximately 15 months and 36 months after random assignment. Longer-term outcomes and impacts will be examined using administrative data.