title: Understanding evidence-based public health policy.
abstract: Public health policy has a profound impact on health status. Missing from the literature is a clear articulation of the definition of evidence-based policy and approaches to move the field forward. Policy-relevant evidence includes both quantitative (e.g., epidemiological) and qualitative information (e.g., narrative accounts). We describe 3 key domains of evidence-based policy: (1) process, to understand approaches to enhance the likelihood of policy adoption; (2) content, to identify specific policy elements that are likely to be effective; and (3) outcomes, to document the potential impact of policy. Actions to further evidence-based policy include preparing and communicating data more effectively, using existing analytic tools more effectively, conducting policy surveillance, and tracking outcomes with different types of evidence.
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center in St Louis, the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, MO, USA. rbrownson@wustl.edu
authors.forename: Ross C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Brownson
authors.forename: Jamie F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Chriqui
authors.forename: Katherine A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Stamatakis
mesh_terms: D055317:Evidence-Based Practice / Q000379:methods*; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011634:Public Health / Q000592:standards*