title: Seeking best practices: a conceptual framework for planning and improving evidence-based practices.
abstract: How can we encourage ongoing development, refinement, and evaluation of practices to identify and build an evidence base for best practices? On the basis of a review of the literature and expert input, we worked iteratively to create a framework with 2 interrelated components. The first - public health impact - consists of 5 elements: effectiveness, reach, feasibility, sustainability, and transferability. The second - quality of evidence - consists of 4 levels, ranging from weak to rigorous. At the intersection of public health impact and quality of evidence, a continuum of evidence-based practice emerges, representing the ongoing development of knowledge across 4 stages: emerging, promising, leading, and best. This conceptual framework brings together important aspects of impact and quality to provide a common lexicon and criteria for assessing and strengthening public health practice. We hope this work will invite and advance dialogue among public health practitioners and decision makers to build and strengthen a diverse evidence base for public health programs and strategies.
authors: Applied Systems Research and Evaluation Branch, Division of Public Health Performance Improvement, Office for State, Tribal, Local and Territorial Support, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, Mailstop E70, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717. E-mail: akx4@cdc.gov.
authors: Lorine M
authors: LM
authors: Spencer
authors: Michael W
authors: MW
authors: Schooley
authors: Lynda A
authors: LA
authors: Anderson
authors: Chris S
authors: CS
authors: Kochtitzky
authors: Amy S
authors: AS
authors: DeGroff
authors: Heather M
authors: HM
authors: Devlin
authors: Shawna L
authors: SL
authors: Mercer
mesh_terms: D019985:Benchmarking / Q000379:methods*; D018672:Community Health Planning; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D006801:Humans; D011634:Public Health; D015980:Public Health Practice