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 / Mental Health & Mental Disorders, Teens, Adults
Goal: The Connect Project is a community-based youth suicide prevention program that works to develop a shared knowledge and understanding of suicide prevention within a community.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Children's Health, Children
Goal: The goal of the Crest Cavity-Free Zone Program is to improve the oral health of underprivileged children.
Impact: The educational program was effective in promoting improved oral health in these children over a four-week period.
The Developmentally Supportive Care: Newborn Individualized Developmental Care & Assessment Program (Boston, MA)
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health, Children, Families
Goal: The goal of NIDCAP is to maximize physical, mental, and emotional growth, health, and other positive outcomes for infants in NICUs.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults
Goal: Reduce hospital/nursing home readmissions and improve care for older adults.
Impact: Reduced 30-day readmission rate from 18.2 to 8.9 percent over the course of 2 years, resulting in estimated savings of more than $17 million through 1,804 avoided readmissions.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Health Care Access & Quality, Adults, Older Adults
Goal: The goal of this study was to determine the effect of interdisciplinary primary care teams on health care utilization by patients with multiple chronic conditions.
Impact: This study concluded that guided care models can significantly impact home health care episodes.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Physical Activity, Children, Adults, Families, Urban
Goal: To achieve an improved physical environment, sense of community, and quality of life for members, residents and patrons of the Fenway Cultural District in Boston, Massachusetts.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Diabetes, Adults, Families, Urban
Goal: The goal of the Healthy Diabetes Plate was to increase understandability and accessibility of diabetes nutrition education for people living with diabetes.
Impact: The Healthy Diabetes Plate curriculum solves two problems encountered in diabetes education — understandability and accessibility. Participants were able to correctly plan breakfast, lunch, and dinner meals and improved their intake of fruit and vegetables.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Adults
Goal: The goal of this mass media campaign was to promote walking as a form of exercise.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Community / Social Environment, Children, Families
Goal: The Incredible Years® Parents, Teachers, and Children Training Series has two long-range goals. The first goal is to develop comprehensive treatment programs for young children with early onset conduct problems. The second goal is the development of cost-effective, community-based, universal prevention programs that all families and teachers of young children can use to promote social competence and to prevent children from developing conduct problems in the first place.
Impact: Studies have shown that children who participate in the programs demonstrate significant improvements in school readiness, emotional regulation, and social skills, as well as reductions in behavior problems in the classroom.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Mental Health & Mental Disorders
Goal: The end goal of The Living Room is to reduce recidivism to the hospital and pair those in need with the right resources to help them be able to handle their mental health crises and move away from using The Living Room. Additionally, a main goal of The Living Room is matching those in need with a particular peer specialist to create a lasting connection.
Impact: Connects individuals experiencing mental health illness or crises to peer specialists which help reduce recidivism to the emergency room or hospital, help manage future crises, and provide a connection to continued non-clinical support and resources.