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Abstract
Introduction/Objective: The Task Force on Community Preventive Services, a national, independent, non-Federal group working under the auspices of the U.S. Public Health Service, is systematically reviewing published evidence on the effectiveness, cost effectiveness, harms, generalizabilty, and feasibility of population-based interventions. The reviews will be used to support evidence-based recommendations. This paper reviews the methods being used in the Guide for summarizing available evidence and linking evidence to recommendations.
Methods: The following steps are used to develop recommendations in the Guide: 1) Teams representing multiple backgrounds and perspectives are assembled and collaborate to develop chapters; 2) logic and analytic frameworks are developed to identify postulated links between interventions and outcomes and to guide the search for evidence; 3) interventions are classified and defined; 4) interventions to be reviewed are selected; 5) systematic searches are performed using databases, reference lists of identified studies, and consultation with experts; 6) eligible studies are reviewed by two reviewers and data abstracted using a standard abstraction form; 7) the body of evidence of effectiveness is categorized as strong, sufficient, or insufficient based on numbers of available studies, their suitability of design and quality of execution, and the size and consistency of reported effects; 8) according to an explicit process developed by the Task Force, recommendations are primarily based on available evidence of effectiveness, but also based on evidence of cost effectiveness, harms, generalizability, and feasibility.
Results: This process is being used to develop recommendations about many population health topics. Examples will be provided showing how evidence is identified and summarized and recommendations linked to evidence.
Discussion: Evidence of effectiveness of population-based interventions is available in the published literature and can be assessed systematically. It appears feasible to use this approach to identify and recommend effective interventions directed at specific public health goals.
Methods: The following steps are used to develop recommendations in the Guide: 1) Teams representing multiple backgrounds and perspectives are assembled and collaborate to develop chapters; 2) logic and analytic frameworks are developed to identify postulated links between interventions and outcomes and to guide the search for evidence; 3) interventions are classified and defined; 4) interventions to be reviewed are selected; 5) systematic searches are performed using databases, reference lists of identified studies, and consultation with experts; 6) eligible studies are reviewed by two reviewers and data abstracted using a standard abstraction form; 7) the body of evidence of effectiveness is categorized as strong, sufficient, or insufficient based on numbers of available studies, their suitability of design and quality of execution, and the size and consistency of reported effects; 8) according to an explicit process developed by the Task Force, recommendations are primarily based on available evidence of effectiveness, but also based on evidence of cost effectiveness, harms, generalizability, and feasibility.
Results: This process is being used to develop recommendations about many population health topics. Examples will be provided showing how evidence is identified and summarized and recommendations linked to evidence.
Discussion: Evidence of effectiveness of population-based interventions is available in the published literature and can be assessed systematically. It appears feasible to use this approach to identify and recommend effective interventions directed at specific public health goals.