title: A survey tool for measuring evidence-based decision making capacity in public health agencies.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While increasing attention is placed on using evidence-based decision making (EBDM) to improve public health, there is little research assessing the current EBDM capacity of the public health workforce. Public health agencies serve a wide range of populations with varying levels of resources. Our survey tool allows an individual agency to collect data that reflects its unique workforce.
  
  
  METHODS
  Health department leaders and academic researchers collaboratively developed and conducted cross-sectional surveys in Kansas and Mississippi (USA) to assess EBDM capacity. Surveys were delivered to state- and local-level practitioners and community partners working in chronic disease control and prevention. The core component of the surveys was adopted from a previously tested instrument and measured gaps (importance versus availability) in competencies for EBDM in chronic disease. Other survey questions addressed expectations and incentives for using EBDM, self-efficacy in three EBDM skills, and estimates of EBDM within the agency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In both states, participants identified communication with policymakers, use of economic evaluation, and translation of research to practice as top competency gaps. Self-efficacy in developing evidence-based chronic disease control programs was lower than in finding or using data. Public health practitioners estimated that approximately two-thirds of programs in their agency were evidence-based. Mississippi participants indicated that health department leaders' expectations for the use of EBDM was approximately twice that of co-workers' expectations and that the use of EBDM could be increased with training and leadership prioritization.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The assessment of EBDM capacity in Kansas and Mississippi built upon previous nationwide findings to identify top gaps in core competencies for EBDM in chronic disease and to estimate a percentage of programs in U.S. health departments that are evidence-based. The survey can serve as a valuable tool for other health departments and non-governmental organizations to assess EBDM capacity within their own workforce and to assist in the identification of approaches that will enhance the uptake of EBDM processes in public health programming and policymaking. Localized survey findings can provide direction for focusing workforce training programs and can indicate the types of incentives and policies that could affect the culture of EBDM in the workplace.
authors.affiliation: Prevention Research Center in St, Louis, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Julie A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.forename: Paula F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Clayton
authors.forename: Cassandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dove
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Funchess
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Ghazala
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Perveen
authors.forename: Brandon
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Skidmore
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sutton
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Worthington
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Anjali D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Deshpande
authors.forename: Ross C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Brownson
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004649:Employee Incentive Plans; D004650:Employee Performance Appraisal; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D007324:Institutional Management Teams / Q000592:standards; D007615:Kansas; D008922:Mississippi; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011634:Public Health / Q000193:education / Q000592:standards; D015980:Public Health Practice / Q000592:standards*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce