Public Health Agency of Canada
This Casebook offers rich stories and practical insights from a range of public health organizations that have tried to actively apply evidence in their work. The cases reflect large and small organizations, varied geographical settings and organizational types. Both their successes and challenges in planning and implementing evidence-informed initiatives are described as well as the lessons learned in the process. At a time when ‘evidence-informed’ practice is both critical and at the same time complex, it is useful to learn from those who are taking on this challenge.
Casebook on evaluation for learning in chronic disease and health promotion
Public Health Agency of Canada
This casebook features six Canadian examples of initiatives that have used evidence, critical thinking and a process of inquiry to design, implement, and evaluate practices and programs. The casebook highlights different strategies and approaches that enhance the use of evaluation findings. It includes lessons about how an intermediary organization used evaluation to support a network of community partners in gathering and sharing data to enhance learning and improvement.
Knowledge to action: A knowledge translation casebook
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR): Institute of Population and Public Health; Canadian Population Health Initiative
This casebook summarizes ten knowledge translation stories. Many illustrate ‘integrated knowledge translation’ which involves building knowledge translation into the research process. CIHR has two related casebooks:
Peel Health Library: Current literature reviews
Region of Peel (Ontario)
Peel Public Health has been using the steps (National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools) of Evidence Informed Public Health (EIPH) to make decisions in their health unit. Examples of their rapid reviews of the literature (using the EIPH process) for specific questions they have faced in their work are available online. They have also produced brief webcasts in which public health decision makers explain their research questions and their reviews of the evidence.
Effective dissemination of findings from research
Institute of Health Economics: Alberta Canada
This collection of essays about how to incorporate research findings into practice, has a clinical focus, but also contains lessons for the broader public health community. Of particular interest are the two later chapters (4, 5) about ‘Ambassador Programs’. These programs make use of local opinion leaders to disseminate findings and promote related initiatives. Ambassadors develop strategies for implementing findings and then organize regional conferences and local workshops to facilitate adoption. The Ambassadors emphasize communication with local politicians and other decisions makers and try to exert influence before the release of new reports about evidence, so that initiatives are planned in a timely manner. They also plan for follow-up after reports are released.