Barriers to the evaluation of evidence-based public health policy

Freund, Megan; Zucca, Alison; Sanson‐Fisher, Rob; Milat, Andrew; Mackenzie, Lisa; Turon, Heidi

doi:10.1057/s41271-018-0145-9

Cited by 8 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…An example of this is the statement “all providers must use evidence-based practices,” or “must implement research-based practices.” With no elaboration on the meaning of the terms, decision makers have little guidance on which interventions meet the criteria for being an acceptable program. Policies are developed in political environments with many stakeholders (Brownson, et al, 2018; Freund, et al, 2019), and as such, this vagueness may be acceptable, in that it allows for flexibility in the interpretation of statues and regulations by individual agencies. Vagueness may also be intentional in that it allows for a wide range of evidence to be considered when selecting programs (Westen & Bradley, 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These EBIs are provided in a complex system of organizations, including community organizations and other suppliers of services, local or state oversight agencies, state legislatures, and governors’ offices (Freund et al, 2019). Additionally, through funding and oversight mechanisms, the federal government also has input into the selection and implementation of EBIs (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2021; White House, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Policies around the use of EBIs depend on several factors (Brownson et al, 2018; Duncan & Reese, 2013; Freund, et al, 2019). Typically, communication about EBIs is enacted by state legislatures through statutes, by state agencies through regulations, and by governors through executive orders (Maranda et al, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variations in Definitions of Evidence-Based Interventions for Behavioral Health in Eight Selected U.S. States

2022

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Background U.S. state legislatures fill a vital role in supporting the use of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) through statutes and regulations (mandates). Objective The study determined the terms used by selected states to describe EBIs and how those terms are defined in mandates. Research Methods The mandates of eight purposely selected states were accessed and coded using the Westlaw Legal Research Database. Results Considerable variation was found in the terms used by states to describe EBIs. Although “evidence-based” was the most frequently utilized term (60% of mandates), an additional 29 alternative terms appeared with varying frequencies. Most terms were simply mentioned, with no further definition or elaboration. When terms were further defined or elaborated, the majority were defined using numerous and different types of external sources or references. Three approaches were found in the mandates defining EBIs: “single definition,” “hierarchies of evidence levels,” and “best available evidence”; the states differed considerably in the approaches used in their mandates. Conclusions The variations in EBI-related terminology across states and within states, coupled with a lack of elaboration on the meaning of important terms and the predominant use of external rather than internal guidelines, may be a source of confusion for behavioral health provider agencies that seek direction about what constitutes an EBI. Prior studies indicate that many agencies may lack staff with the technical ability to adequately evaluate what constitutes an EBI. Thus, lack of clear guidance from official state government mandates may impede the implementation of EBIs within states.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Variations in Definitions of Evidence-Based Interventions for Behavioral Health in Eight Selected U.S. States

2022

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“…The implementation of EBIs occurs within complex ecosystem of actors, including the individual practitioner, provider organization, and systems within which policy is made. 19 - 22 In order to ensure the implementation of these evidence-based interventions, all actors within these systems must have clear expectations as to what constitutes an evidence-based intervention that is acceptable to implement. 23 , 24 …”

Section: Introduction/backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…6,19 The implementation of EBIs occurs within complex ecosystem of actors, including the individual practitioner, provider organization, and systems within which policy is made. [19][20][21][22] In order to ensure the implementation of these evidence-based interventions, all actors within these systems must have clear expectations as to what constitutes an evidence-based intervention that is acceptable to implement. 23,24 The provision of clearly defined criteria about what constitutes an EBI, including specification of multiple tiers of evidence, is considered to be essential to evidence-based policymaking.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Utilization of Evidence-based Intervention Criteria in U.S. Federal Grant Funding Announcements for Behavioral Healthcare

Lee-Easton

Magura

Maranda

2022

INQUIRY

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Recent U.S. federal government policy has required or recommended the use of evidence-based interventions (EBIs), so that it is important to determine the extent to which this priority is reflected in actual federal solicitations for intervention funding, particularly for behavioral healthcare interventions. Understanding how well such policies are incorporated in federal opportunity announcements (FOAs) for grant funding could improve compliance with policy and increase the societal use of evidence-based interventions for behavioral healthcare. FOAs for discretionary grants (n = 243) in fiscal year 2021 were obtained from the Grants.gov website for 44 federal departments, agencies and sub-agencies that were likely to fund interventions in behavioral health-related areas. FOAs for block/formula grants to states that included behavioral healthcare (n = 17) were obtained from the SAM.gov website. Across both discretionary and block grants, EBIs were required in 60% and recommended in 21% of these FOAs for funding. Numerous different terms were used to signify EBIs by the FOAs, with the greatest variation occurring among the block grants. Lack of adequate elaboration or definition of alternative EBI terms prominently characterized FOAs issued by the Department of Health and Human Services, although less so for those issued by the Departments of Justice and Education. Overall, 43% of FOAs referenced evidence-based program registers on the web, which are scientifically credible sources of EBIs. Otherwise, most of the remaining elaborations of EBI terms in these FOAs were quite brief, often idiosyncratic, and not scientifically vetted. The FOAs generally adhered to federal policy requiring or encouraging the use of EBIs for funding requests. However, an overall pattern showing lack or inadequate elaboration of terms signifying EBIs makes it difficult for applicants to comply with federal policies regarding use of EBIs for behavioral healthcare.

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Trends in cervical cancer screening research in sub-Saharan Africa: A bibliometric analysis of publications from 2001 to 2020

Khumalo¹,

Carey²,

Mackenzie³

et al. 2022

Journal of Cancer Policy

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Barriers to the evaluation of evidence-based public health policy

Cited by 8 publications

References 46 publications

Variations in Definitions of Evidence-Based Interventions for Behavioral Health in Eight Selected U.S. States

Variations in Definitions of Evidence-Based Interventions for Behavioral Health in Eight Selected U.S. States

Utilization of Evidence-based Intervention Criteria in U.S. Federal Grant Funding Announcements for Behavioral Healthcare

Trends in cervical cancer screening research in sub-Saharan Africa: A bibliometric analysis of publications from 2001 to 2020

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