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Understanding evidence-based public health policy
Ross C Brownson1, Jamie F Chriqui, Katherine A Stamatakis
1Prevention Research Center in St Louis, the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, MO, USA. rbrownson@wustl.edu
American Journal of Public Health
|July 18, 2009
Summary
This study defines evidence-based policy and outlines three domains: process, content, and outcomes. It proposes actions to improve policy adoption and effectiveness for better public health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Health Policy
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Public health policy significantly influences population health status.
- A clear definition and advancement strategies for evidence-based policy are lacking in current literature.
- Policy-relevant evidence encompasses both quantitative (e.g., epidemiological) and qualitative (e.g., narrative) data.
Purpose of the Study:
- To define evidence-based policy.
- To outline approaches for advancing the field of evidence-based policy.
- To identify key domains and actions for effective evidence-based policy.
Main Methods:
- Literature review to identify gaps in evidence-based policy definition and approaches.
- Conceptual framework development for evidence-based policy domains.
- Synthesis of existing evidence and analytic tools for policy application.
Main Results:
- Three key domains of evidence-based policy were identified: process, content, and outcomes.
- Process domain focuses on enhancing policy adoption likelihood.
- Content domain identifies effective policy elements, and outcomes domain documents policy impact.
Conclusions:
- Evidence-based policy requires a clear definition and structured approach.
- Advancing evidence-based policy involves effective data preparation, communication, and utilization of analytic tools.
- Policy surveillance and outcome tracking using diverse evidence types are crucial for improving public health.
- Implementing these strategies can enhance the effectiveness and impact of public health policies.
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