Evidence and Public Health

Towards a common framework

Natasha Gowman, Anna Coote
January 2000 | 36 pages | £0.00

The government has introduced a range of initiatives to improve the population’s health, including targets on reducing preventable deaths through coronary heart disease, cancer and suicide. It has also emphasised its commitment to evidence-based policy making, and wants to link public investment to an understanding of ‘what works’. But assessing the impact of public health initiatives remains challenging. This publication claims that conventional approaches to building up an evidence base are unhelpful, and proposes a new framework. It forms an open response to the Health Education Authority's consultation around ‘Evidence Base 2000’.