Promoting evidence-based public health policy: can we have better evidence and more action?
Evidence-based approaches (those explicitly linked to the best available scientific evidence and reflecting community preferences and feasibility) are increasingly used to inform health policy decision making on the burden of a disease attributable to particular causes, interventions and policies that might work to confront those causes, and issues of community fit and feasibility. This paper introduces several tools for evidence-based public health: the health impact assessment, the systematic review, and a portfolio for assuring community fit and feasibility. Discussion of these tools serves as a springboard to consider how to better bring scientific evidence to bear on real-life health issues.
Fielding
Jonathan E
JE
Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, USA. jfielding@ladhs.org
Briss
Peter A
PA
D026683:Advisory Committees; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D003256:Community Participation; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006291:Health Policy; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D011635:Public Health Administration / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States