Strategies

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

10 Strategies
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Community-based doulas

Provide culturally appropriate non-medical care and support throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum to birthing people at higher risk of poor outcomes and underserved by the medical community
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Worldviews, culture and norms

Cultural competence training for health care professionals

Increase health care providers’ skills and knowledge to understand and respond to cultural differences, value diversity, etc. via factual information, skills training, and other efforts
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Worldviews, culture and norms

Culturally adapted health care

Tailor health care to patients’ norms, beliefs, and values, as well as their language and literacy skills
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices
  • Worldviews, culture and norms

Financial incentives for new nursing faculty

Offer loan repayment, tuition assistance, competitive academic salaries, etc. to students who teach in nursing programs after completing an advanced degree
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Budgets

Long-term care employee compensation

Increase wages and benefits for personal or home care workers, nurse aides, and others who provide direct care to patients in long-term care (LTC) settings
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Budgets

Mentoring for new nurses

Pair new nurses with more experienced nurses who act as a resource and provide support as the new nurse establishes her or himself professionally
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Nurse residency programs

Implement programs that continue education, mentoring, and support for novice nurses following graduation
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Nurse-friendly work environments

Improve work environments for nurses via establishment of strong nursing leadership, organizational support, etc.
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

Patient navigators

Provide culturally sensitive assistance and care coordination, and guide patients through available medical, insurance, and social support; also called systems navigators
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

Professionally trained medical interpreters

Provide interpretation services for patients with limited English proficiency (LEP) in outpatient and inpatient health care settings, following training and certification
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices