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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.

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Health in Housing: Exploring the Intersection between Housing and Health Care (Oregon)

Filed under Effective Practice, Health

Goal: To assess the impact of affordable housing on health care outcomes in a low-income population who have experienced housing instability.

Impact: Costs to health care systems were lower after people moved into affordable housing. Primary care visits went up after move-in; emergency department visits went down. Residents reported that access to care and quality of care improved after moving into housing.

Housing and the Role of Hospitals (Chicago, IL)

Filed under Effective Practice, Economy / Housing & Homes, Adults, Urban

Goal: The goal was to create a housing program as one way to respond to chronic homelessness and associated health concerns.

Infant Health and Development Program

Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Maternal, Fetal & Infant Health, Children

Goal: The goal of this program was to reduce health and developmental problems for low-birth-weight and premature infants.

Intervention Mapping and the Development of a Peer Supported Diabetes Self-Management Program in Rural Alabama (Alabama)

Filed under Good Idea, Health / Diabetes, Teens, Older Adults, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Rural

Goal: The intervention is a diabetes self-management program that utilizes peer advisers to reach patients who have poor health literacy, are physically isolated, and require assistance with managing their diabetes.

Janice Mirikitani Family, Youth and Childcare Center (San Francisco, CA)

Filed under Good Idea, Community / Social Environment, Children, Teens, Adults, Families, Urban

Goal: The Janice Mirikitani Family, Youth and Childcare Center provides award winning childcare, after-school programs, and parenting resources to low-income and homeless families.

Juvenile Intervention and Prevention Program (JIPP) (Los Angeles, CA)

Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Crime & Crime Prevention, Teens, Urban

Goal: The goal of the Juvenile Intervention and Prevention Program is to help at-risk youth who reside in gang-ridden neighborhoods experience success in school, at home, and in the community.

Kalihi Valley Nature Park and Active Living Center (Honolulu, HI)

Filed under Good Idea, Health / Wellness & Lifestyle

Goal: The goal of this program is to create a connection to nature, gardening and hiking for the Kalihi valley's urban residents.

KidzLit and KidzMath (USA)

Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children

Goal: These programs aim to improve both academic and interpersonal skills in elementary school aged children.

Libraries and Autism: We're Connected

Filed under Good Idea, Art & Recreation / Libraries & Museums, Families

Goal: This program aims to educate library staff and train workers how to best serve library patrons with autism and their families.

Maryville and Alcoa Greenway Trail (Maryville and Alcoa)

Filed under Good Idea, Community / Transportation, Children, Women, Men, Families, Urban

Goal: The goal of the trail is to provide a safe route for residents to travel to work, school, businesses and recreational areas.

An Effective Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success and/or promise in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures of improvement in outcome of interest (i.e. increase in voter registration, not just delivery of voter registration drive) and/ or the outcome measure is increased or improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant.

A Good Idea meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program funding source, program implementation steps and outcomes.
  2. The program evaluation is limited to descriptive measure(s) of success/accomplishment (i.e., program participation rates, number of services/education sessions/radio messages provided). Note: oftentimes, the program has been newly implemented and a program evaluation has not yet been conducted. Programs that have not yet been evaluated, but which show promise in improving health or quality of life, are classified as Good Ideas until an evaluation is conducted.

An Evidence-Based Practice meets the following HCI criteria:

  1. The program description includes at a minimum: the sponsoring organization, program goals, program implementation steps, and outcomes that have demonstrated program success in achieving the program goal in one or more localities.
  2. The results from an evaluation of the program include quantitative measures showing improvement in the outcome(s) of interest after the implementation of the program (i.e. increase in smoking cessation, not just the delivery of a smoking cessation program). The outcome measure(s) is/are compared at relevant time periods before and after the intervention or program implementation. Alternatively, the evaluation study compares the outcome(s) between an intervention group and an appropriate control group.
  3. The study is of peer-review quality and presents numbers in a scientific manner; measurements of precision and reliability are included (e.g. confidence intervals, standard errors), results from statistical tests show a significant difference or change in the outcome measure(s), and relevant point estimates and p-values are presented. Note: if the results from an evaluation of a program are presented in a scientific manner and the outcome measure is improved compared to the baseline measurement or the control group but the difference is not statistically significant, the practice is classified as effective and not evidence-based.