title: Appraising the evidence for public health policy components using the quality and impact of component evidence assessment.
abstract: An essential strategy expected to reduce the global burden of chronic and cardiovascular disease is evidence-based policy. However, it is often unknown what specific components should constitute an evidence-based policy intervention. We have developed an expedient method to appraise and compare the strengths of the evidence bases suggesting that individual components of a policy intervention will contribute to the positive public health impact of that intervention. Using a new definition of "best available evidence," the Quality and Impact of Component (QuIC) Evidence Assessment analyzes dimensions of evidence quality and evidence of public health impact to categorize multiple policy component evidence bases along a continuum of "emerging," "promising impact," "promising quality," and "best." QuIC was recently applied to components from 2 policy interventions to prevent and improve the outcomes of cardiovascular disease: public-access defibrillation and community health workers. Results illustrate QuIC's utility in international policy practice and research.
authors.affiliation: Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address: cbarbero@wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbero
authors.affiliation: Columbus Technologies and Services, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Siobhan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gilchrist
authors.affiliation: Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Schooley
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Jamie F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Chriqui
authors.affiliation: Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Douglas A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Luke
authors.affiliation: Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
authors.forename: Amy A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Eyler
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000628:therapy; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011634:Public Health; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration