Strategies

What Works for Health includes evidence-informed strategies to create communities where everyone can thrive.

172 Strategies
Clear all

Health care provider reminder systems for tobacco cessation

Implement systems that help health professionals support patient tobacco cessation, often with referrals, self-help pamphlets, and pharmacotherapy
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Tobacco use

Health career recruitment for minority students

Recruit and train underrepresented minority (URM) students for careers in health fields via information about health careers, classes, practicum experiences, advising about college or medical school admissions, etc.
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Education

Health insurance enrollment outreach & support

Provide outreach and support to assist those whose employers do not offer affordable coverage, who are self-employed, or who are unemployed
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices
  • Laws and policies

Healthy home environment assessments

Train volunteers, professionals, or paraprofessionals to help residents assess and reduce environmental home health risks and recommend low cost changes (e.g., improved ventilation, integrated pest management, etc.)
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation

Healthy school lunch initiatives

Modify the school lunch food environment or school lunch schedules by increasing the convenience of healthy foods, providing healthy options, or ensuring students have enough time to eat
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise
  • Climate

Healthy vending machine options

Increase healthy options in vending machines by reducing the price of healthy choices, increasing the number of healthy choices compared to unhealthy choices, etc.
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Diet and exercise

High school completion programs

Provide supports such as mentoring, counseling, or vocational training, or change the school environment to help students complete high school
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Education

High school completion programs for pregnant and parenting teens

Provide pregnant and parenting teens with services such as education, vocational training, case management, health care, child care, and transportation assistance to support high school completion
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Education

HIV/STI partner notification by providers

Notify partners exposed to an STI of their risk, encourage testing, and refer to services; also called contact tracing, or partner counseling and referral services
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Sexual activity

Home water temperature safety education

Educate families about safe tap water temperatures during prenatal or well-baby visits at clinic or home visits; often with home safety checks or provision of home water temperature safety equipment
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Safety and social support