A nurse is presenting weekly prenatal classes for pregnant teens who are at risk for having low birth weight babies.
An example of a long-term outcomes for this program is:

A cost-effective analysis is used to compare the costs and benefits of different programs or interventions.

In this case, the analysis would be used to determine which of the three programs to reduce infant prematurity is the least expensive while still achieving optimal health outcomes.

Choice B, evaluating the number of staff needed to implement the program, may be an important consideration in terms of resource allocation, but it does not directly address the cost-effectiveness of the program.

Choice C, evaluating which program has the strongest approval rating by the participants, may provide valuable feedback on the acceptability of the program, but it does not directly address its cost-effectiveness.

Choice D, determining which program costs the fewest dollars and uses the smallest number of staff, may provide information on resource allocation, but it does not take into account the health outcomes achieved by the program.

Formative evaluation ensures that a program or program activity is feasible, appropriate, and acceptable before it is fully implemented.

It is usually conducted when a new program or activity is being developed or when an existing one is being adapted or modified.

Choice A: Structure evaluation is not the type of evaluation being conducted by the nurse.

Choice C: Continuous evaluation is not the type of evaluation being conducted by the nurse.

Choice D: Summative evaluation describes how well a design performs, often compared to a benchmark such as a prior version of the design or a competitor.