[Toolkit] Empowering Change: Promoting and Expanding Evidence-Based Programs in Rural Communities

Evidence-based health education, including chronic disease self-management programs, is vital in complementing clinical care and building everyday skills to improve quality of life. And this education can be particularly valuable for rural communities where challenges exist when it comes to accessing health care and community-based services.

To help expand access to Chronic Disease Self-Management Education (CDSME) for rural older adults, we held a roundtable discussion that resulted in this practical and adaptable toolkit.

Explore our toolkit to find best practices for:

• Building and advancing community partnerships
• Enhancing participant engagement
• Adapting and effectively delivering evidence-based programs
• Overcoming key barriers in rural communities, such as transportation and connectivity for virtual access to care

The toolkit focuses on "highlighting and leveraging what makes rural communities unique to advance" evidence-based programs. 

For a guided tour, view our webinar: Empowering Change: Promoting and Expanding Evidence-Based Programs in Rural Communities.

This project was supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $2,000,000 with 100 percent funding by ACL/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.