Partial examination of the public health impact of the People with Arthritis Can Exercise (PACE) program: reach, adoption, and maintenance.
OBJECTIVE
To partially evaluate the public health impact (i.e., reach, adoption, maintenance) of People with Arthritis Can Exercise (PACE) programs, which were initiated as a result of two PACE instructor-training workshops.


METHODS
The study design involved a one-time only, cross-sectional assessment of reach, adoption, and maintenance, conducted 6 months after the workshops.


METHODS
Participants were 11 adults (n(females)=10) trained to be PACE instructors at one of the workshops.


METHODS
One-on-one phone interviews, developed using the RE-AIM framework, assessed reach, adoption, and maintenance.


RESULTS
Eight of the 11 individuals trained as instructors subsequently began PACE in one of 10 organizations across various communities, indicating high program adoption. However, on average, only 7 individuals with arthritis participated in each PACE program, indicating a low program reach. Within 6 months of beginning PACE, only 3 organizations continued to offer PACE, indicating low program maintenance. Two primary challenges to initiating PACE included recruiting a sufficient number of people to participate in the program and in finding a convenient time to offer it so more individuals could join.


CONCLUSIONS
The public health impact, as assessed by reach, adoption, and maintenance, of PACE programs initiated as a result of 2 instructor-training workshops was low.
Gyurcsik
Nancy C
NC
College of Kinesiology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. nancy.gyurcsik@usask.ca
Brittain
Danielle R
DR
D000329:Advertising / Q000379:methods; D001168:Arthritis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003159:Community-Institutional Relations; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007615:Kansas; D008389:Marketing of Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D024802:Nurse's Role; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018579:Patient Selection; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011634:Public Health; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors