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Review
. 2015 Mar 18:36:463-82.
doi: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-082214-110901. Epub 2015 Jan 12.

Translating evidence into population health improvement: strategies and barriers

Steven H Woolf  1 , Jason Q Purnell, Sarah M Simon, Emily B Zimmerman, Gabriela J Camberos, Amber Haley, Robert P Fields
Affiliations
Review

Translating evidence into population health improvement: strategies and barriers

Steven H Woolf et al. Annu Rev Public Health. .

Abstract

Among the challenges facing research translation-the effort to move evidence into policy and practice-is that key questions chosen by investigators and funders may not always align with the information priorities of decision makers, nor are the findings always presented in a form that is useful for or relevant to the decisions at hand. This disconnect is a problem particularly for population health, where the change agents who can make the biggest difference in improving health behaviors and social and environmental conditions are generally nonscientists outside of the health professions. To persuade an audience that does not read scientific journals, strong science may not be enough to elicit change. Achieving influence in population health often requires four ingredients for success: research that is responsive to user needs, an understanding of the decision-making environment, effective stakeholder engagement, and strategic communication. This article reviews the principles and provides examples from a national and local initiative.

Keywords: community engagement; dissemination and implementation; health-in-all policies; public health policy; research translation.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Example of matrix for clarifying relevant decision makers. In this example, the project has identified nine audiences in government, the private sector, and the community at the national, state, and local levels. From Center on Society and Health, Virginia Commonwealth University.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Graphic from the first For the Sake of All policy brief (64) illustrating the estimated number of deaths attributable to low levels of education and poverty among African American adults 25 years and older in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County in 2011.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Schematic designed by the research team and graphic artist to simplify complex causal relationships linking educational attainment and health outcomes. Reprinted from Why Education Matters to Health: Exploring the Causes (10).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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