Promising Practices
The Promising Practices database informs professionals and community members about documented approaches to improving community health and quality of life.
The ultimate goal is to support the systematic adoption, implementation, and evaluation of successful programs, practices, and policy changes. The database provides carefully reviewed, documented, and ranked practices that range from good ideas to evidence-based practices.
Learn more about the ranking methodology.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Respiratory Diseases
Impact: The Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF) recommends school-based asthma self-management interventions to reduce hospitalizations and emergency room visits among children and adolescents with asthma. Evidence shows interventions are effective when delivered by trained school staff, nurses, and health educators in elementary, middle, and high schools serving diverse populations.
When implemented in schools in low-income or minority communities, interventions are likely to promote health equity.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Family Planning, Teens, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The goals of this intervention include: increasing information and skills to make sound choices, increasing abstinence, and eliminating or reducing sex risk behaviors.
Impact: Among teens who participated, there was a decrease in sexual activity compared to those who did not participate in the program. Also among participants, there was an increase in sexual intercourse occasions that were condom-protected.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Diabetes, Children, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The objectives of Bienestar are to decrease dietary saturated fat intake, increase dietary fiber intake, and increase physical activity among low-income Mexican-American elementary and middle school children.
Impact: The Bienestar Health Program statistically significantly increases fitness scores and dietary fiber intakes levels among low-income, Mexican-American fourth-graders. A second randomized control trial conducted from 6th to 8th grade showed reductions in various indexes of adiposity.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Civic Engagement, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The Initiative's goal was to increase voter participation rates among infrequent voters, particularly in low-income and ethnic communities.
CDC COMMUNITY GUIDE: Cancer Prevention & Control, Provider-Oriented Screening Interventions: Provider Assessment & Feedback (USA)
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Cancer, Adults
Goal: To promote screening of breast, cervical, and colorectal cancers in community and healthcare settings.
Impact: Provider assessment and feedback can improve the delivery of recommended cancer screenings in relationship to other elements of the specific health care system.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders
Goal: To have an EMR system that allows medical professionals to correctly diagnose and address the medical needs of incarcerated patients in the emergency room or in the prison system.
Impact: The program has allowed for greater accessibility and sharing of medical data.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Civic Engagement
Goal: The goal of the Coming of Age initiative is to promote civic engagement, learning and community leadership among residents ages 50 years and older.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Health Care Access & Quality, Older Adults
Goal: To increase attendance rates and decrease transportation-related barriers to outpatient PT clinic patients.
Impact: When patients were offered a van service, attendance rates increased at the physical therapy clinic.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults
Goal: The goal of EnhanceWellness is to improve the health and functioning of older adults.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children
Goal: The goal of the FRIENDS Programs is to teach cognitive-behavioral skills to reduce anxiety in elementary school students who are or were exposed to violence.
Impact: The FRIENDS Programs and specific studies of them indicate that school-based anxiety prevention programs can increase standardized mathematics achievement scores, decrease life stressors, and reduce victimization by community violence in children.