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.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Heart Disease & Stroke
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Health Care Access & Quality, Adults, Urban
Goal: The goal of this program is to educate during every visit, to assist patients in developing a longitudinal personal record of medical history and care plans, and to provide a tangible way to engage patients in their own care. The overarching goal was better compliance, recognition of medication side effects, and improved adherence to specific and agreed upon lifestyle changes.
Impact: Sixty percent of patients participate in care plan tracking with a health notebook, and 80% percent of patients complete a prep form to help organize visits.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health, Older Adults, Urban
Goal: The goal of the program was to target the housing support needs of its members with the objective of reducing institutionalization, improving quality of life, and reducing total costs of care.
Impact: The large majority of participants surveyed indicated that their quality of life was maintained or increased during the pilot and that they were satisfied with the program.
Filed under Good Idea, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children
Goal: The goal of HSIM is to increase at-risk youth interest in health sciences through its hands-on curriculum on the heart and DNA.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Teens, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Goal: The aim of the Healthier Haskell program is to improve health and prevent obesity in the American Indian population by encouraging physical activity and healthy eating.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Health Care Access & Quality, Older Adults, Rural
Goal: To provide transportation to patients in South Central Missouri who otherwise have non-existent, limited, or expensive transportation options to and from healthcare appointments.
Impact: HealthTran has helped to improve healthcare access and long-term health outcomes, as well as reduced preventable hospitalizations and unnecessary emergency department visits.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health, Women
Goal: The goal of the Healthy Baby program is to provide financial assistance and community support to low-income pregnant women in order to support the health of Manitoba’s future children.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Adults, Older Adults
Goal: The goal of the Healthy Communities Walking Program is to reduce the occurrence of preventable chronic diseases, especially those associated with being overweight, by assisting participants in setting up exercise regimes and encouraging healthy eating.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Families
Goal: The goal of the HEAL initiative is empower communities to make changes in their physical and social environment to improve nutrition and physical activity.
Filed under Good Idea, Community / Social Environment, Children, Families
Goal: The goals of HFNY are to promote positive parent-child interaction; to ensure optimal pre-natal care; to promote healthy childhood growth and development; and to enhance family functioning.
Impact: Mothers participating in the HFNY study were significantly less likely to deliver low-birth-weight babies than mothers in the control group (3.3% vs 8.3%). HFNY parents also reported having engaged in significantly fewer acts of serious abuse and neglect.