Strategies

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

91 Strategies
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Community land trusts

Purchase the land a home is on to lease to homeowners with low and middle incomes and require homeowners to sell the home back to the trust or to another resident with low income upon moving
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Housing and transportation
  • Air, water and land
  • Civic and community resources

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

Community water fluoridation

Adjust and monitor fluoride levels in public water supplies to reach and retain optimal fluoride concentrations
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

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

Composting

Use aerobic, natural decomposition to divert food and yard waste from landfills and create a nutrient-rich soil amendment product on an individual or large scale
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Air, water and land
  • Climate

Comprehensive clinic-based programs for pregnant & parenting teens

Address the needs of teenage parents via clinic-based programs that provide health care and family planning services as well as case management, counseling, and other supports
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care
  • Sexual activity

Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP)

Support the federal-state partnership that pays participating landowners an annual rental rate for removing environmentally sensitive land from production and introducing conservation practices on the land.
Evidence Rating:
Some Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Air, water and land

Societal Rules

  • Laws and policies

Conservation tillage practices

Encourage methods of soil cultivation that keep at least one-third of cultivated soil covered with the previous year’s crop residue (e.g., mulch till, ridge till, strip till, or no-till)
Evidence Rating:
Scientifically Supported

Community Conditions

  • Air, water and land
  • Climate

Consumer participation in health care governance

Involve consumers in health care governance via roles on governing boards, advisory committees, or shorter-term special projects
Evidence Rating:
Expert Opinion

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Governance

Consumer-directed health plans

Establish high deductible health plans paired with pre-tax medical expense accounts such as Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) or Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and information tools
Evidence Rating:
Mixed Evidence

Community Conditions

  • Clinical care

Societal Rules

  • Institutional practices

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