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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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Spectrum Vocational Services (Downers Grove, IL)

Filed under Good Idea, Economy / Employment, Adults

Goal: Spectrum Vocational Services provides individuals with autism and other developmental disabilities the opportunity to achieve career and personal goals.

St. Peter's Dental Program (Albany, NY)

Filed under Good Idea, Health / Oral Health, Children, Older Adults, Urban

Goal: The goal of St. Peter's Dental Program is to improve access to dental care and treatment for the poor, elderly, and under served populations living in and around Albany, New York.

SteppingStone Place (Phoenix. AZ)

Filed under Effective Practice, Economy / Housing & Homes

Goal: The goal of this program is to provide supportive housing for homeless people living with HIV/AIDS and/or substance abuse problems.

Storytelling to Promote Colorectal Cancer Screening (Arizona)

Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Cancer, Racial/Ethnic Minorities

Goal: The goal of this program is to use storytelling to increase colorectal cancer screening and improve nutrition and physical activity among underserved Latina women.

Stroke Family Support Organizer (Nottinghamshire, UK)

Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Heart Disease & Stroke, Adults, Older Adults

Goal: The goal of the Stroke Family Support Organizer program is to provide stroke patients and caregivers with information about supportive services.

Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepeneurship (SAGE) (Chico, CA)

Filed under Effective Practice, Community / Civic Engagement, Children, Teens

Goal: The overall goal of the Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) program is to establish a collaboration among high school students, college mentors, and local business leaders as the high school students complete experiential learning projects related to global entrepreneurship.

Study of Cardiovascular Risk Intervention by Pharmacists (SCRIP) (Canada)

Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Heart Disease & Stroke, Adults

Goal: The goal of SCRIP is to improve cholesterol risk management among patients at risk for coronary heart disease events.

Sustainable Design Research Studio (Washington, DC)

Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Toxins & Contaminants

Goal: The goal of this project is to identify environmentally preferable building materials and products, to specify them in HOK's own projects, and to guide others in the profession in doing the same.

Sustainable Skylines Kansas City (Kansas City)

Filed under Good Idea, Environmental Health / Air, Urban

Goal: The goal of the Sustainable Skylines Initiative (SSI) is to achieve measurable emissions reductions and promote sustainability in urban environments within three years of implementation.

Sustainable Slopes (USA)

Filed under Effective Practice, Environmental Health / Built Environment

Goal: The mission of the members of Sustainable Slopes is to be leaders among outdoor recreation providers through managing their businesses in a way that demonstrates their commitment to environmental protection and stewardship while meeting the expectations of the public.

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.