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.
Direct Mailing of Fecal Occult Blood Tests to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening (Wright County, MN)
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Cancer, Adults
The goal of this program was to increase colorectal cancer screening using direct mailings of fecal occult blood test (FOBT) kits for noninvasive colon cancer screening.
Direct mailing of FOBT kits resulted in an increase in self-reported colon cancer screening adherence.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Adults
Drinker's Check-up is designed to help problem drinkers reduce their alcohol use and alcohol-related consequences.
Study participants had a significant reduction in alcohol use, alcohol-related consequences, symptoms of alcohol dependence, and a decrease in ambivalence about reducing alcohol use.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Education / Educational Attainment, Adults
The goal of this program is to improve outcomes among Community College students who are on academic probation.
Enhanced Opening Doors helps low-income students earn college credentials as the pathway to better jobs and further education.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Community / Social Environment, Children, Adults
The overall goal of the FAST program is to intervene early to help at-risk youth succeed in the community, at home, and in school and thus avoid problems such as adolescent delinquency, violence, addiction, and dropping out of school.
FAST has generally improved aggressive behaviors and increased positive behaviors amongst participants as reported by teachers and parents.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Economy / Poverty, Adults, Women, Men, Families, Urban
Salzer MS, Schwenk E, Brusilovskiy E: Certified peer specialist roles and activities: results from a national survey. Psychiatric Services 61:520–523, 2010.
Repper J, Carter T: A review of the literature on peer support in mental health services. Journal of Mental Health 20: 392–411, 2011.
Cook JA: Peer-delivered wellness recovery services: from evidence to widespread implementation. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal 35:87–89, 2011
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Immunizations & Infectious Diseases, Teens, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
The goal of Focus on Youth is to teach youth the skills and knowledge they need to protect themselves from HIV and other STDs.
The Focus on Youth intervention increased self-reported condom use and positively affected perceptions six months after the end of the program.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Heart Disease & Stroke, Adults
The program aims to prevent the onset of severe hypertension in habitually active mildly hypertensive adults with a 12-week intermittent football-based or endurance running training.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders, Adults
The goal of FAST is to improve patients' independence and quality of life.
Studies have shown that FAST-treated patients' performance on everyday living skills improved significantly compared to non-participants. They also demonstrated significant improvement in social and communication skills at 6-month follow-up.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Cancer, Adults
The mission of Go Sun Smart is to reduce the risk of skin cancer among ski area employees and, specifically, to reduce the number of sun burns employees incur.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Economy / Housing & Homes, Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
To evaluate the association of a “Housing First” intervention for chronically homeless individuals with severe alcohol problems with health care use and costs.
Total cost offsets for Housing First participants relative to controls averaged $2449 per person per month after accounting for housing program costs.