Ross C. Brownson ^1*, Jamie F. Chriqui ², Katherine A. Stamatakis ¹

¹ Washington University, St. Louis
² University of Illinois at Chicago

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: rbrownson{at}wustl.edu.

	Abstract

Public health policy has a profound impact on health status. Missing from the literature is a clear articulation of the definition of evidence-based policy and approaches to move the field forward. Policy-relevant evidence includes both quantitative (e.g., epidemiological) and qualitative information (e.g., narrative accounts).

We describe 3 key domains of evidence-based policy: (1) process, to understand approaches to enhance the likelihood of policy adoption; (2) content, to identify specific policy elements that are likely to be effective; and (3) outcomes, to document the potential impact of policy.

Actions to further evidence-based policy include preparing and communicating data more effectively, using existing analytic tools more effectively, conducting policy surveillance, and tracking outcomes with different types of evidence.

Key Words: Community Health, Government, Health Law, Health Policy, Prevention, Public Health Practice

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