title: "It's a feel. That's what a lot of our evidence would consist of ": public health practitioners' perspectives on evidence.
abstract: This article describes how evidence is defined and used in two British Columbia public health departments during the implementation of a Healthy Living initiative in 2009. Through interviews with 21 public health staff and decision makers, the author sought to investigate how "evidence" was defined by both frontline and management staff and how it was used in decision making. The authors found public health staff, particularly frontline practitioners, to be drawn to grassroots and local "lived experience" evidence. This tacit wisdom, in combination with evidence from academia and clinical evidence accessed through disciplinary or professional networks, offered a knowledge transition opportunity to inform decision making, rather than what can be characterized in the literature as unidirectional knowledge translation. It is often difficult for staff to digest and interpret research as part of their work day because of the volume and density of information that typically counts as evidence. Moreover, there exist challenges to identify and gather indicators as evidence of their work.
authors.affiliation: School of Exercise Science, Physical & Health Education, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada. jwharfhi@uvic.ca
authors.forename: Joan Wharf
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strange
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Scarr
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pennock
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Barr
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yew
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Drummond
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Terpstra
mesh_terms: D001955:British Columbia; D019058:Community Networks; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D016730:Program Development; D015980:Public Health Practice; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior