The Public Health Foundation (PHF) recognizes the importance of creating and sustaining healthy communities, and has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to increase awareness, adoption, and use of the evidence-based findings and recommendations outlined in The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide). PHF is pleased to provide you with some of the latest recommendations from The Community Preventive Services Task Force (Task Force), an independent, nonfederal, volunteer body of public health and prevention experts.

The following sections are ​excerpts of recommendations from The Community Guide at www.thecommunityguide.org:

Health Communication & Social Marketing: Health Communication Campaigns That Include Mass Media & Health-Related Product Distribution

The Task Force recommends health communication campaigns that use multiple channels—one of which must be mass media—combined with the distribution of free or reduced-price health-related products based on strong evidence of effectiveness for producing intended behavior changes. Studies included in this review promoted the use of products that act in the following ways:

• Facilitate adoption and/or maintenance of health-promoting behaviors (i.e., increased physical activity through pedometer distribution combined with communication campaigns to increase walking).
  
• Facilitate and/or help to sustain cessation of harmful behaviors (i.e., smoking cessation through free or reduced cost over-the-counter nicotine replacement therapy.
• Protect against behavior-related disease or injury (i.e., condoms, child safety seats, recreational safety helmets, and sun-protection products). 

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control: Reducing Out-of-Pocket Costs for Cardiovascular Disease Preventive Services for Patients with High Blood Pressure and High Cholesterol

The Task Force recommends reducing patient out-of-pocket costs for medications to control high blood pressure and high cholesterol when combined with additional interventions aimed at improving patient–provider interaction and patient knowledge, such as team-based care with medication counseling, and patient education. This recommendation is based on strong evidence of effectiveness in improving (1) medication adherence and (2) blood pressure and cholesterol outcomes. Limited evidence was available to assess the effectiveness of reducing patient out-of-pocket costs for behavioral counseling or behavioral support services independent of reducing patient costs for medications.

Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Control: Team-Based Care to Improve Blood Pressure Control

The Task Force recommends team-based care to improve blood pressure control on the basis of strong evidence of effectiveness in improving the proportion of patients with controlled blood pressure and in reducing systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Evidence was considered strong based on findings from 77 studies of team-based care organized primarily with nurses and pharmacists working in collaboration with primary care providers, patients, and other professionals.

Improving Mental Health and Addressing Mental Illness: Mental Health Benefits Legislation

The Task Force recommends mental health benefits legislation, particularly comprehensive parity legislation, based on sufficient evidence of effectiveness in improving financial protection and increasing appropriate utilization of mental health services for people with mental health conditions. There is also evidence that mental health benefits legislation is associated with increased access to care, increased diagnosis of mental health conditions, reduced prevalence of poor mental health and reduced suicide rates. Evidence from a concurrent economic review indicated that mental health benefits expansion did not lead to any substantial increase in cost to health insurance plans, measured as a percentage of premiums.

For the latest findings and recommendations from the Task Force, please visit The Community Guide News. For more information on PHF's role in promoting The Community Guide, please visit the PHF and The Community Guide page.

Source: The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide). April 2013.