Evidence-Based Public Health

Ideally, public health practitioners always incorporate scientific evidence in making management decisions, developing policies, and implementing programs. In reality, however, these decisions are often based on short-term demands rather than long-term study, and policies and programs are sometimes developed from anecdotal evidence.

To enhance evidence-based practice, this book provides practical guidance on how to choose, carry out, and evaluate evidence-based programs and policies in public health settings. It deals not only with finding and using scientific evidence, but also with implementing and evaluating interventions that generate new evidence on effectiveness. Because all these topics are broad and require multi-disciplinary skills and perspectives, each chapter covers the basic issues and provides multiple examples to illustrate important concepts. The book presents a sequential framework for addressing public health issues that includes developing an initial statement of the issue, quantifying the issue, searching the scientific literature and organizing information, developing and prioritizing program options, developing an action plan and implementing interventions, and evaluating the program or policy.

Because all these topics are broad and require multi-disciplinary skills and perspectives, each chapter covers the basic issues and provides multiple examples to illustrate important concepts. In addition, each chapter provides links to the diverse literature and selected websites for readers wanting more detailed information. An indispensable volume for professionals, students, and researchers in the public health sciences and preventative medicine, this new and updated edition of Evidence-Based Public Health aims to bridge research and evidence with policies and the practice of public health.

This product is not included in a collection.

• Author/Editor: Brownson, Ross C.; Baker, Elizabeth A.; Left, Terry L.; Gillespie, Kathleen N.; True, William R.
• ISBN/ISSN: 9780195143768
• Specialty: Epidemiology
• Language:English
• Edition: 1st
• Pages: 256
• Illustrations: 0
• Year: 2002