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.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Older Adults, Older Adults
Reduce hospital/nursing home readmissions and improve care for older adults.
Reduced 30-day readmission rate from 18.2 to 8.9 percent over the course of 2 years, resulting in estimated savings of more than $17 million through 1,804 avoided readmissions.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Community / Social Environment, Children, Families
The Incredible Years® Parents, Teachers, and Children Training Series has two long-range goals. The first goal is to develop comprehensive treatment programs for young children with early onset conduct problems. The second goal is the development of cost-effective, community-based, universal prevention programs that all families and teachers of young children can use to promote social competence and to prevent children from developing conduct problems in the first place.
Studies have shown that children who participate in the programs demonstrate significant improvements in school readiness, emotional regulation, and social skills, as well as reductions in behavior problems in the classroom.
Filed under Good Idea, Health / Alternative Medicine
The goal of the PanAfrican Acupuncture Project is to train locals in acupuncture techniques so that they can use this alternative healing method in their communities to treat symptoms of HIV/AIDS, malaria, and TB.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Diabetes, Adults, Urban
The program's goal is to provide screening, education, and support services for patients at high risk for the development of type 2 diabetes and for those already diagnosed with the disease.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Children's Health, Urban
The goal of the Urban Mold and Moisture Program is to reduce environmental mold, moisture, and asthma triggers in homes to improve pediatric respiratory health.
Filed under Evidence-Based Practice, Health / Physical Activity, Women
The goal of the WOMAN Study is to reduce the progression of subclinical atherosclerosis by reducing weight and waist circumference through dietary changes and physical activity.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Childcare & Early Childhood Education, Children, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities
Abriendo Puertas, developed for and by Latino parents, aims to increase the number of Latino children in the United States that enter school ready to learn and be able to succeed in life by building the capacity and confidence of parents to be strong advocates in the lives of their children.
Filed under Effective Practice, Education / Student Performance K-12, Children
The goal of this program is to encourage social and academic development among grade school children who are socially rejected and have serious academic problems in reading or mathematics.
Filed under Good Idea, Education / Literacy
The goal of this program is to provide literacy skills and other basic skills to the most educationally and economically disadvantaged individuals in the state.
Filed under Effective Practice, Health / Alcohol & Drug Use, Teens, Adults, Women, Men, Older Adults, Families, Racial/Ethnic Minorities, Urban
The goal of Assessment and Referral is to help individuals struggling with a substance use disorder evaluate their needs and strengths and begin to make healthy choices that improve the overall quality of their lives.
First Call provided over 1,700 assessments in 2013, and more than half of clients showed improvements in their Addiction Severity Index (ASI) scores or a decrease in substance use.