Workshop: Best practice portals for public health policies and interventions

Abstract

Abstract Background To support policy and practice with evidence-based information, several countries have best practice portals for public health interventions. Some of the portals were started recently (France) and other portals exist already for several years now (Netherlands). All the countries face the same challenges, which relate to how to identify the relevant practices, the assessment of the practices (how to achieve an inclusive portal while maintaining high quality), and the implementation and the use of the practices by professionals and policymakers (integrity vs. adaptation of the best practices). In addition to best practice portals the organisations are also working on the development of What works approaches. Objective The organisers will share their experiences with the development and implementation of best practice portals, and discuss the successes and challenges with the workshop participants. Three countries (the Netherlands, France and Germany) will present the successes and challenges of their best practice portal, and, as an example of a joint European approach, EuroHealthNet will discuss both joint and independent approaches from a European perspective. At the end of the workshop we will discuss the challenges and invite other countries to share their experiences and successes with best practice portals and providing evidence for policy and practice. With the objective to: Present the procedure and the assessment criteria of evaluating practices for inclusion in the portalsPresent the implementation and the use of best practices as well as the acceptance of the portalsDiscuss the issues of integrity and adaptation and how to assess the core elements of effective interventionsDiscuss the development of what works approaches (description of evidence in a short and accessible way) and their added value to best practice portalsDiscuss the value added of best practice portals, including promotion of their use by professionals and policymakers Key messages This workshop will give participants insight into best practice portals developed across Europe. It will discuss how countries identify and select good practice and evidence-based preventive interventions as well as the successes and challenges of such portals.