The guide to community preventive services will be influential in academic health centers: education, research and links with practice

Abstract

In both clinical medicine and in public health, programs, services and advice have been built based on individual judgments or professional consensus. There has been a lack of educational commitment, a knowledge base and a practice ethic solidly grounded in research and evaluation. The introduction of the Guide to Community Preventive Services, which has a clear link with the categories of immunizations, counseling services and screening tests, is considered to be influential in academic health centers who are engaged in research and evaluation studies. In addition, principles and guidelines for community-based research will facilitate real-world tests of ideas and guidelines for community preventive services. Performance standards and cost-effectiveness analyses will be expected by all payers and by policy-makers. Moreover, scientific advances, especially in the emerging field of public health genetics, will be incorporated. Thus, academics, practitioners, and employers should join forces to persuade payers to accept evidence-based convergence of related clinical guidelines. Such initiatives will improve the chances for increased investment in preventive medicine and public health.