A holistic approach for quantifying the value of public health programs: social return on investment (SROI) analysis of a mobile clinic as an example.
Kumar, Shubha; Mallett, Aaron; Olsen, Sara; Coleman, Anne
Why this matters
Social return on investment captures value that a cost per visit figure misses. Applied to UCLA's preschool vision program, which screened 90,000 children in Los Angeles County between 2012 and 2017, the analysis estimated about $40 of community value for every $1 invested, mostly from better quality of life for children who received glasses.
Abstract
Using a social return on investment (SROI) analysis approach, we evaluated the broad social and economic impact of UCLA Mobile Eye Clinic's Pre-School Vision Program, which screened 90,000 pre-school children in underserved areas of Los Angeles County between 2012 and 2017. Results indicate approximately $40 of value in the community for every $1 invested, with the most valuable outcome being improved quality of life for pre-school children who received glasses.