title: Legal options for achieving public health outcomes.
abstract: To achieve desired public health outcomes, state agencies can choose among several legal mechanisms; however, no "best practice" guidelines are available to help them choose the most effective mechanism for a given situation. This article offers such guidance by comparing the relative advantages and disadvantages of laws, regulations, policies, and contracts. Factors compared include flexibility, the need for legislative involvement, the nature of the rulemaking process, enforceability, ability to reach target populations, and generalizability. Contracts, in particular, are described as an effective but underutilized mechanism for achieving successful public health outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Program in Medical Humanities, Health Law, and Ethics, University of Connecticut Health Center, 263 Farmington Avenue, MC-6325, Farmington, CT 06030-6325, USA. lazzarini@nso.uchc.edu
authors.forename: Zita
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lazzarini
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Elman
mesh_terms: D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006291:Health Policy / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D013219:State Government