Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #117133

John W. Steen, PhD, Principal, John Steen & Associates, Consultants in Health Planning and Health Policy, Chair for Public Policy, American Health Planning, 18254 Southwood Drive, Meadville, PA 16335, 814-333-3742, jwsteen@expedient.net

This presentation focuses on fundamental principles for relating evidence to policymaking in the context of public health ethics. In that context, the validation of policies is ultimately to be found in the evidence for their efficacy in improving the health status of the population. Efficacy implies that there is evidence with a solid science base that is relevant to the promotion of societal health values.

Examples will be drawn from state regulation (New York State's Cardiac Outcomes Reporting System) and from the private sector (The Leapfrog Group's service standards) to exemplify state-of-the-art principles.

Validation of service delivery through institutional mission will be discussed, and the validation of mission will be related to active and informed involvement of target communities. The roles of goals and of processes in setting policy will be carefully distinguished.

The examples of evidence based planning presented here will be assessed in relation to these validating principles.

Learning Objectives:

• Attendees should gain an understanding of why policies require validation based upon their efficacy in advancing societal values and goals. They should be able to examine the validity of evidence based policymaking based upon the analysis and discussion of the examples presented here. They should be able to relate validation of policy to the evidence for the understanding and support of target communities.

Keywords: Planning, Treatment Outcomes

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.