Inventory of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs) for Healthy Start Programs
Evidence-based practices include actions, activities, strategies, or approaches that improve the health of women, before, during, and after pregnancy in order to improve birth outcomes and give infants up to age two years a healthy start. Also included in the collection are informational materials and tools that make it easier to implement evidence-based practices. To search by title, use the main search box located at the top of this page.
SAMHSA’s new Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP), TIP 61, provides practical guidance on Native American history, historical trauma, and critical cultural perspectives for behavioral health work with American Indian and Alaska Native clients. It discusses the demographics, social challenges, and behavioral health concerns of Native Americans and highlights the importance of providers’ cultural awareness, cultural competence, and culture-specific knowledge. Specific topic areas include workforce development strategies, program and professional development considerations, and culturally responsive policies and procedures.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Health Equity Mental Health
Approaches:
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This resource from the CDC defines and discusses the importance of preconception health. It features a link to 10 important steps and considerations for women planning to become pregnant. Another link for women not planning a pregnancy discusses 10 healthy habits of benefit should she become pregnant in the future, or even if she decides not to have children. A third link provides similar guidance for men with 10 recommendations for healthy living.
Topics:
Partner Involvement Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Prenatal Involvement Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This colorful and easy-to-read patient brochure can be downloaded or ordered for free from the CDC. It discusses the effects of STDs on pregnancy and the importance of being tested for STDs before and/or during pregnancy. It reviews the preventive measures women can take to avoid contracting an STD before or during pregnancy and emphasizes the importance of being treated during pregnancy if required.
Topics:
Prenatal Care and Education STDs including HIV
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The incidence of syphilis in American women doubled between 2012 and 2016, and the incidence of congenital syphilis rose concomitantly. Congenital syphilis can lead to stillbirth, neonatal death, and lasting effects such as bone deformities and neurologic impairment in the newborn. Because of this, the USPSTF has reiterated its guidance that all pregnant women be tested for syphilis at their first prenatal visit. They also point out that many organizations recommend repeat testing of high-risk women in the third trimester and at delivery.
Topics:
Prenatal Care and Education STDs including HIV
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
This patient handout in the form of questions and answers is designed to inform pregnant women and women planning a pregnancy about the risks of HIV infection during pregnancy. It covers the basics of HIV infection, its potential risks to pregnant women and their babies, and how these risks can be minimized with early diagnosis, certain preventive measures, and HIV treatment.
Topics:
Prenatal Care and Education STDs including HIV
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This brief looks at common acceptability, availability, and accessibility barriers to mental and substance use disorder (behavioral health) treatment and services in rural communities and presents ways telehealth can help surmount some of these barriers. The term telehealth refers to using internet and communications technologies, such as videoconferencing, chat, and text messaging, to provide health information and treatments in real time.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Case Management/Care Coordination Depression
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Perinatal Depression Follow Up Perinatal Depression Screening
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
Screening and brief intervention (SBI) is a structured set of questions designed to identify individuals at risk for alcohol use problems, followed by a brief discussion between an individual and a service provider, with referral to specialized treatment as needed. This manual is designed to provide public health professionals, such as health educators and community health workers, with the information, skills, and tools needed to conduct SBI so that they can help at-risk drinkers reduce their alcohol use to a safe amount or stop drinking. The manual offers background information and practical steps for conducting SBI in a variety of public health settings, including trauma centers, emergency departments, other clinical settings, home visits, and public events.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Case Management/Care Coordination Risk Assessment
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
This technical package represents a select group of evidence-based strategies and approaches to help programs, communities and states sharpen their focus on prevention activities with the greatest potential to prevent intimate partner violence (IPV) and its consequences across the lifespan. These strategies include teaching safe and healthy relationship skills; engaging influential adults and peers; disrupting the developmental pathways toward IPV; creating protective environments; strengthening economic supports for families; and supporting survivors to increase safety and lessen harms. Commitment, cooperation, and leadership from numerous sectors, including public health, education, justice, health care, social services, business and labor, and government can bring about the successful implementation of this package.
Topics:
Intimate Partner Violence Life Course Model Parenting Education Partner Involvement
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement Father/Partner Prenatal Involvement Intimate Partner Violence
Evidence Rating:
I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.
This culture-based program uses sources of strength such as spirituality, humor, and healing to assist Native men and their family members address the impact of colonization, trauma, racism and other challenges that threaten the well-being of children and families. The curriculum for Native men is designed to assist Native men reclaim their roles as brave warriors, fathers, and husbands who provide for and protect their families and communities. The curriculum for Native families is designed to assist Native men, women, and their children to address unresolved conflicts in relationships, improve communication skills, and keep Native families together.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Depression Intimate Partner Violence Partner Involvement
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement Father/Partner Prenatal Involvement Intimate Partner Violence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This update of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Principles of Drug Addiction Treatment is intended to address addiction to a wide variety of drugs, including nicotine, alcohol, and illicit and prescription drugs. It is designed to serve as a resource for healthcare providers, family members, and other stakeholders trying to address the myriad problems faced by patients in need of treatment for drug abuse or addiction. It provides an overview of principles of effective treatment and evidence-based approaches to treatment, including behavioral therapies, pharmacotherapies and comprehensive approached. It discusses the unique needs of different groups including women, pregnant women and adolescents.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Case Management/Care Coordination Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
This interactive toolkit allows users to learn from participants in the Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network to Reduce Infant Mortality (Infant Mortality CoIIN). The resource is organized by topics from the initiative, including social determinants of health, pre- and interconception care, risk-appropriate prenatal care, pre- and early- term births, smoking cessation, and safe sleep practices. It features change ideas, model programs, videos, and key insights from teams who are working to reduce infant mortality throughout the country.
Topics:
Life Course Model Prenatal Care and Education Safe Sleep Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Safe Sleep Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This interactive toolkit allows users to learn from participants in the Collaborative Improvement and Innovation Network to Reduce Infant Mortality (Infant Mortality CoIIN). The resource is organized by topics from the initiative, including social determinants of health, pre- and interconception care, risk-appropriate prenatal care, pre- and early- term births, smoking cessation, and safe sleep practices. It features change ideas, model programs, videos, and key insights from teams who are working to reduce infant mortality throughout the country.
Topics:
Life Course Model Prenatal Care and Education Safe Sleep Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Safe Sleep Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The CRAFFT is a short, validated behavioral health tool developed to screen adolescents under age 21 for high risk alcohol and drug use. Recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, it consists of 6 questions involving Car, Relax, Alone, Forget, Friends, and Trouble. The tool is meant to assess whether a longer conversation about the context of use, frequency, and other risks and consequences of alcohol and/or drug use is warranted. It is available in 13 languages.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Risk Assessment
Approaches:
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This policy report highlights the need to support young fathers by providing recommendations for child welfare system policy and practice change. Research shows that the relationship between fathers and their children is essential to the well-being of families and the healthy development of children, however little attention is paid to the importance of engaging young fathers under age 26, particularly young fathers who are involved with child welfare systems. This report provides recommendations on how systems can better focus on father involvement to increase positive outcomes for fathers, their children and families.
Topics:
Case Management/Care Coordination Intimate Partner Violence Parenting Education Participant Recruitment and Retention Partner Involvement
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement Father/Partner Prenatal Involvement
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Marijuana is the most common mood-altering drug used during pregnancy, and with legalization occurring in several states, there is concern that its use may increase. This ACOG Committee Opinion provides a comprehensive summary of current evidence regarding risks of recreational or medicinal marijuana use during pregnancy and lactation to both the mother and the fetus.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services
Approaches:
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This toolkit is designed to help health centers to build a comprehensive and sustainable response to domestic violence and sexual assault (DV/SA) in partnership with DV/SA advocacy programs (social service organizations).Through five essential steps, health centers and social service partners can build partnerships, adopt evidence-based interventions, promote patient education around IPV, and enhance practice policies, procedures, and capacities to improve long-term health and safety outcomes for women and their families.
Topics:
Case Management/Care Coordination Intimate Partner Violence Patient-centered Medical Home Risk Assessment
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Intimate Partner Violence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Safe Homes, Safe Babies is a safety card for women that perinatal health care providers can distribute to patients. In addition to providing safety resources for women, this tool also functions as a prompt for perinatal health care providers by providing quick phrases to improve discussions with women about the impact of domestic violence on their parenting and children. The safety card outlines questions women may ask themselves about their relationships, birth control use and parenting, while offering supportive messages and referrals to national support services for help.
Topics:
Depression Intimate Partner Violence Risk Assessment
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Intimate Partner Violence Perinatal Depression Screening
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) Prevention Program is a collaboration between ACOG and the CDC designed to empower healthcare providers to speak with their patients about abstaining from alcohol use during pregnancy. The program includes evidence-based ACOG Committee Opinions regarding ethics, alcohol use in pregnancy, and motivational interviewing techniques, as well as videos and free downloadable materials for both providers and patients.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services
Approaches:
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Failure to address IPV among women who use alcohol or other drugs has been found to increase the likelihood of continued drug use, relapse, attrition from drug treatment and a host of other negative physical and mental health consequences. WINGS is a single-session intervention that aims to address a critical gap in IPV services for women by identifying women in the community at risk of IPV, enabling them to develop social support and safety planning skills to reduce their risks for IPV and linking them to IPV-related services and substance use treatment. The intervention may be delivered in-person or via a computerized self-paced version.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Intimate Partner Violence
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Intimate Partner Violence
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
This policy statement from the AAP advocates a public health response to the opioid epidemic and substance use during pregnancy, and recommends: a focus on preventing unintended pregnancies and improving access to contraception; universal screening for alcohol and other drug use in women of childbearing age; knowledge and informed consent of maternal drug testing and reporting practices;improved access to prenatal care, including opioid replacement therapy; gender-specific substance use treatment programs;and improved funding for social services and child welfare systems.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Prenatal Care and Education
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Reproductive Life Plan Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This brief, self-administered Social Support Survey instrument was developed for patients in the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS), a two-year study of patients with chronic conditions. It is thought to also be appropriate for use with other populations. The instrument was designed to be comprehensive in terms of recent thinking about the various dimensions of social support – emotional/informational, tangible, affectionate, and positive social interaction. It is easy to administer and the items are short, simple, and easy to understand.
Topics:
Life Course Model Risk Assessment
Approaches:
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
There is convincing research evidence that people experiencing greater discrimination in day-to-day life tend to have poorer physical and mental health outcomes than their counterparts. The Everyday Discrimination Scale (EDS) is a validated screen widely used to measure perceived discrimination. An original version of the EDS consists of nine items on a 6-point Likert-type response format, and a short version has been modified to five items.
Topics:
Life Course Model Risk Assessment
Approaches:
Benchmarks:
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The NIDA Quick Screen is a validated instrument designed to assist providers in screening adults for substance use. The screen simply inquires whether a participant has used drugs (mood-altering, illegal, or prescription for nonmedical reasons), alcohol, or tobacco products within the past year and how often these substances have been used. The NIDA website also provides guidelines for brief intervention and/or treatment referral for patients who may have or be at risk of developing a substance use disorder.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Risk Assessment Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Family Spirit is an evidence-based early childhood home-visiting program designed for and by American Indian communities. Family Spirit combines the use of paraprofessionals from the community as home visitors and a culturally focused, strengths-based curriculum as a core strategy to support young families. From pregnancy through the child’s 3rd birthday, parents gain knowledge and skills to promote healthy development and positive lifestyles for themselves and their children. Family Spirit addresses intergenerational behavioral health problems, optimizes local cultural assets, and overcomes deficits in the professional health care workforce in low resource communities. Evidence from three randomized controlled trials has documented important results including: increased parenting knowledge and involvement; decreased maternal depression; increased home safety; decreased emotional and behavioral problems of mothers; and decreased emotional and behavioral problems of children. The Family Spirit curriculum modules cover: Prenatal Care, Infant Care, Your Growing Child, Toddler Care, My Family and Me, and Healthy Living.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Breastfeeding Depression Home Visiting Parenting Education Partner Involvement Prenatal Care and Education Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning Socio-emotional Development for Children
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Prenatal Involvement Initiating Breastfeeding Perinatal Depression Follow Up Perinatal Depression Screening Reproductive Life Plan Safe Sleep Smoking Abstinence Sustaining Breastfeeding
Evidence Rating:
I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.
This webpage provides basic information on a variety of contraceptive methods, including a link to a poster comparing typical effectiveness of contraceptive methods. The poster can be used to show women and men the range of contraception choices available to them, and which methods work best at preventing pregnancy. The webpage also provides additional resources on contraception for health care providers and consumers.
Topics:
Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.
Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour course that gives people the skills to help someone who is developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. The evidence behind the program demonstrates that it does build mental health literacy, helping the public identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness. Mental Health First Aiders learn a 5-step action plan that guides them through the process of reaching out and offering appropriate support. The “adult course” is available in both English and Spanish, and covers anxiety, depression, psychosis, and addictions in adults. The “youth course” is for adults who interact regularly with young people ages 12-18.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Depression
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Perinatal Depression Follow Up Perinatal Depression Screening
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
MothertoBaby is the leading authority providing up-to-date, evidence-based information to mothers, healthcare professionals, and the general public regarding the effects of medications and other exposures on pregnancy and breastfeeding. The website contains fact sheets in English and Spanish covering the risks of over 50 pharmaceuticals (listed alphabetically), herbal products, and other common lifestyle and occupational exposures. Excellent sections on tobacco, alcohol, and mood-altering drugs are included, as well as information on the safety of vaccines during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Experts are also available to answer individual questions confidentially by telephone, email, or text.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Breastfeeding Immunization Prenatal Care and Education Risk Assessment Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Initiating Breastfeeding Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Annual well-woman visits provide an excellent opportunity for health maintenance and preventive care, including preconception and interconception counseling. Under the Affordable Care Act of 2010, Medicaid and most private insurance plans cover these visits without copay. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released these guidelines on recommended components of the annual visit based on previous evidence-based guidelines, current expert opinion, and the recommendations of a multidisciplinary task force. Recommendations on screening, laboratory tests, evaluation and counseling, and immunizations are organized into the age ranges 13-18, 19-45, 46-64, and >64.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Chronic Disease Depression Healthy Weight Immunization Intimate Partner Violence Nutrition Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning Risk Assessment STDs including HIV Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This section of the National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse provides resources on healthy relationships for programs that serve families. Healthy marriages and healthy relationships can serve an important role in promoting responsible fatherhood initiatives. Whether the fathers and families in your programs are currently married or not, integrating healthy relationship skills into your programs can better support fathers’ relationships with their partners and improve their co-parenting situations, leading to healthier models and environments for their children.
Topics:
Partner Involvement
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement Father/Partner Prenatal Involvement
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
WISE GUYS: THE NEXT LEVEL is a flexible 5 to 12 week program that specifically targets men age 18 and older. Special topics that are addressed include stress and anger management; cohabitation and marriage; alcohol and other drugs; and an expanded fatherhood curriculum that provides information and resources for fathers from RAD (the Responsible and Active Dads program). The great information from the original Wise Guys program is also included in such a way as to suit its older audience.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Parenting Education Partner Involvement Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning STDs including HIV
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Father/Partner Parenting Involvement Father/Partner Prenatal Involvement
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Medical‐legal partnership (MLP) is an approach to health that integrates the work of healthcare, public health, and civil legal aid to more effectively identify, treat, and prevent health‐harming legal needs for patients, clinics, and populations. MLP addresses legal needs in the areas of income supports and insurance; housing and utilities; employment and education; legal status; and personal and family stability. MLP:
- Trains healthcare, public health, and legal teams to work collaboratively and identify needs upstream;
- Treats individual patients’ health‐harming social and legal needs with legal care ranging from triage and consultations to legal representation;
- Transforms clinic practice and institutional policies to better respond to patients’ health‐harming social and legal needs; and
- Prevents health‐harming legal needs broadly by detecting patterns and improving policies and regulations that have an impact on population health.
Topics:
Case Management/Care Coordination Insurance Coverage Other Risk Assessment
Approaches:
Achieve Collective Impact Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
CAN Implementation Health Insurance
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
This is the official government website where participants can find out if they qualify for health insurance, what their options are, and what assistance may be available to them (including Medicaid and CHIP). They can then proceed to apply for insurance at this site
Topics:
Insurance Coverage
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Health Insurance
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The Interconception Care Project of California is a collection of recommendations to improve and promote the interconception health of women by maximizing care during the postpartum visit. The website contains links to free evidence-based clinical management algorithms for the 21 most common pregnancy and delivery complications in California. Patient education materials offering explanations of the conditions, treatment options, and self-care strategies to reduce risks in future pregnancies are also free and available in English and Spanish.
Topics:
Other Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning Risk Assessment
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Birth Spacing
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This patient handout discusses optimal spacing of pregnancies and describes the health benefits for both mother and baby of spacing pregnancies at least 18 months apart.
Topics:
Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Birth Spacing
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The 4Ps (Parents, Partners, Past and Pregnancy) was developed for use with pregnant women and women of child bearing age. The tool has 4 questions intended to facilitate discussion regarding substance use.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.
The UNCOPE consists of six questions and may be used free of charge for oral administration in any medical, psychosocial, or clinical interview to provide a simple and quick means of identifying risk for abuse and dependence for alcohol and other drugs.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The DAST is a 20-item instrument for clinical and nonclinical screening to detect drug abuse or dependence disorders. It is most useful in settings in which seeking treatment for drug use problems is not the patient’s stated goal.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The TWEAK (Tolerance, Worry, Eye-Opener, Amnesia, Cut-Down) is a five-item scale originally developed to screen for risk drinking during pregnancy. The items are not gender specific, however, and the scale can be used with either women or men.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The ASSIST (Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test) is an 8-item questionnaire designed to be administered by a health worker to a client using paper and pencil, and takes about 5-10 minutes to administer. The ASSIST provides information about the substances people have ever used in their lifetime; those used in the past three months; problems related to substance use; risk of current or future harm; dependence; and injecting drug use. The ASSIST was designed to be culturally neutral and usable across a variety of cultures.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This website, with tabs for both providers and patients, provides current recommendations on immunizations for women. It includes information on vaccines for specific conditions, timing regimens, safety, and guidelines for use in pregnancy.
Topics:
Immunization
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This Doula Program, targeted to low income pregnant women, provides free perinatal services, including community-based childbirth education classes, labor and delivery support, postpartum care, and instruction focusing on mom/baby attachment, extension of breastfeeding duration, and interconception care. Participants in the program have been shown to have a decreased infant mortality rate, reduced need for medical interventions during labor and delivery, and longer duration of breastfeeding their infants.
Topics:
Breastfeeding Other Prenatal Care and Education Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Birth Spacing Initiating Breastfeeding Reproductive Life Plan Sustaining Breastfeeding
Evidence Rating:
I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.
The Nurse Family Partnership program provides home visits by registered nurses to first-time mothers, beginning during pregnancy and continuing through the child’s second birthday. The program aims to: improve pregnancy outcomes by promoting health-related behaviors; improve child health, development, and safety by promoting competent caregiving; and enhance parent life-course development by promoting pregnancy planning, educational achievement, and employment. Secondary goals include providing links with needed health and social services, and promoting supportive social relationships.
Topics:
Home Visiting Parenting Education Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning Socio-emotional Development for Children
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.
The Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative is the leading national coalition dedicated to advancing the patient-centered medical home. This searchable list contains a list of available programs providing medical homes. The programs are listed by state and with publically-reported outcomes on cost savings, increased preventive services utilization, fewer ED/hospital visits, improved access, and patient and provider satisfaction.
Topics:
Patient-centered Medical Home
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Usual Source of Care
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
The Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Care Record (EHR) Incentive Programs provide incentive payments to eligible professionals, eligible hospitals, and critical access hospitals (CAHs) as they adopt, implement, upgrade or demonstrate meaningful use of certified EHR technology. Contains information on the incentive programs, an eligibility assessment took, and information on getting started to implement EHRs.
Topics:
Other
Approaches:
Increase Accountability
Benchmarks:
Quality Improvement/Evaluation
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The CDC offers vaccination recommendations for preconception/interconception, prenatal, and postpartum women. An Immunization and Pregnancy Vaccine Flyer, recommended immunizations schedule, and vaccine quiz are all available online. The influenza vaccine is recommended for all women, including pregnant women.
Topics:
Immunization
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This toolkit for providers offered by Futures without Violence® includes assessment tools for screening women for IPV in a clinical setting, and information on supported referral and counseling. Accompanying materials available for purchase include promotional materials for healthcare settings, and the publication Addressing Intimate Partner Violence, Reproductive and Sexual Coercion: A Guide for Obstetric, Gynecologic and Reproductive Health Care Settings.
Topics:
Intimate Partner Violence
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Intimate Partner Violence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Evidence-based home visitation case-management model for mothers who abuse alcohol and/or drugs during their pregnancies. PCAP’s goals are to assist substance-abusing pregnant women and mothers in obtaining treatment for substance abuse and staying in recovery, to ensure that children are in safe and stable home environments and are connected to health care, to connect mothers to community resources, and to prevent future births of alcohol and drug-affected infants. Piloted in Washington State, PCAP has been replicated in 7 states, and across Canada and New Zealand.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Case Management/Care Coordination Home Visiting
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Well Child Visits Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.
Commonly used, 5-question tool that screens for drug and alcohol use/abuse. The CAGE-AID Assessment is a quick questionnaire to help determine if further assessment is needed. If a person answers yes to two or more questions, a complete assessment is advised. Included on the Healthy Start National Evaluation Program Survey.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
10-item questionnaire that screens for hazardous or harmful alcohol consumption. Developed by the World Health Organization (WHO), it correctly classifies 95% of people into either alcoholics or non-alcoholics. The AUDIT has been used with a variety of populations and cultural groups. It should be administered by a health professional or paraprofessional. Included on the Healthy Start National Evaluation Program Survey.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
You Quit Two Quit aims to ensure that there is a comprehensive system in place to screen and treat tobacco use in women, pregnant women, and postpartum mothers. You Quit Two Quit focuses on low-income women, new mothers, and recidivism prevention. Project activities include increasing the number of providers who screen, advise, and refer patients to the North Carolina Quitline, distributing patient and provider education materials statewide, developing best-practice, sustainable, community based smoking cessation projects for women, pregnant women, and new moms, and creating continuity of care by focusing on the preconception, prenatal and perinatal periods, and including an emphasis on preventing postpartum relapse and eliminating second-hand smoke exposure.
Topics:
Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
This toolbox is an online resource for Maternal and Child Health researchers, academics, practitioners, policy advocates, and others in the field to share information, innovative strategies, and tools to integrate the Life Course Perspective into MCH work at the local, state, and national levels. Includes resources and tools to learn about the Life Course Perspective and strategies to incorporate the Life Course model into practice and policy.
Topics:
Life Course Model
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Usual Source of Care
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Men’s portion of the CDC’s information on preconception health and health care. Includes information on making a reproductive life plan for men, preventing and treating sexually transmitted diseases, tobacco and drug cessation, infertility, maintaining a healthy weight, learning about family history, getting help for violence, getting mentally healthy, and supporting one’s partner.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Chronic Disease Depression Healthy Weight Intimate Partner Violence Partner Involvement Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning STDs including HIV Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Intimate Partner Violence Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Nine item questionnaire for patients to measure depressive symptoms over the past two weeks. Questions are linked to the DSM-IV depression criteria, and therefore scores can be used to track changes in depression as a response to treatment. Included on the Healthy Start National Evaluation Program Survey
Topics:
Depression
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Perinatal Depression Screening
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Two question screening tool to measure the frequency of depressed mood and anhedonia over the past two weeks. Includes the first two questions from the PHQ-9. Included on the Healthy Start National Evaluation Program Survey.
Topics:
Depression
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Perinatal Depression Screening
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
A ten-item diagnostic questionnaire used with patients with mood disorders to measure severity of depressive episodes.
Topics:
Depression
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Perinatal Depression Screening
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
One of the oldest and most frequently used screening questionnaires to measure the severity of and change in depressive symptoms among adults in an inpatient setting.
Topics:
Depression
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Perinatal Depression Screening
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The CESD-R is a screening test for depression and depressive disorder. The CESD-R measures symptoms defined by the American Psychiatric Association’ Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V) for a major depressive episode. The scale is well known and remains as one of the most widely used instruments in the field.
Topics:
Depression
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Perinatal Depression Screening
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The BDI-FastScreen is a 7-item self-reporting instrument used to quickly screen for depression in adolescents and adults. The screen can identify depression while excluding symptoms that might be related to medical problems, and was specifically designed for evaluating depression in patients whose behavioral and somatic symptoms attributable to biological, medical, alcohol and/or substance abuse problems may confound diagnosis.
Topics:
Depression
Approaches:
Strengthen Family Resilience
Benchmarks:
Perinatal Depression Screening
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Health behavior intervention that aims to improve women’s preconception and interconception health. Developed for low-income rural communities in Central Pennsylvania. Enrolls non-pregnant women capable of becoming pregnant in the future. Provides education about health-related factors associated with poor pregnancy outcomes; facilitates increased physical activity and improved nutrition; and encourages self-efficacy for personal healthcare. Enrollees attend six 2 hour group sessions over 12 weeks. Intervention was found to have improved attitudes and behaviors related to nutrition, folic acid supplementation, physical activity, and stress management, increased internal control of birth outcomes, lowered weight and BMI, and lowered pregnancy weight gain.
Topics:
Healthy Weight Nutrition
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Reproductive Life Plan Well Woman Visits
Evidence Rating:
II. Promising practices—Innovative practices employed in the field, based on state-of-science knowledge about what works to improve outcomes, and gathering evidence of effectiveness.
Brief intervention for non-pregnant women of childbearing age that are at risk for Alcohol Exposed Pregnancy. The intervention consists of four motivational interviewing sessions with a counselor/interventionist and one contraception counseling visit with a health care provider over a 12- to 14-week period. Program participants receive in-depth assessment of alcohol use and contraceptive use patterns; counseling about the consequences of alcohol use during pregnancy; advice and counseling, referral to community treatment services for alcohol-dependent drinkers; reproductive health education, and contraceptive services. Can be adapted, and has been implemented in about 30 sites.
Topics:
Alcohol/Drug Services Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.
Women.smokefree.gov includes resources for women at any stage hoping to quit smoking tobacco, and has an entire section devoted to pregnant women and mothers. Smokefree MOM is a free texting service that provides tips, advice, and support for pregnant mothers in the process of quitting smoking.
Topics:
Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
An easy-to-implement, evidence-based clinical counseling approach. The 5 A’s: Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, and Arrange are 5 steps providers can use to identify appropriate interventions based on a patient’s willingness to quit.
Topics:
Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Calling 1-800-QUIT-NOW will connect you directly to your state quitline. All states have quitlines in place with trained coaches who provide information and help with tobacco cessation. Specific services and hours of operation vary from state to state.
Topics:
Tobacco Cessation
Approaches:
Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Smoking Abstinence
Evidence Rating:
I. Evidence-based practices—have been rigorously evaluated and shown to be effective by MCH experts.
This statewide initiative aims to improve birth outcomes in North Carolina. The goals of the March of Dimes North Carolina Preconception Health Campaign are to reduce infant mortality, birth defects, premature birth, and chronic health conditions in women, while also aiming to increase intended pregnancies. Key objectives are to improve women’s wellness, improve reproductive outcomes, and reduce health disparities. The campaign provides wellness and reproductive life planning resources for women, and training and resources for healthcare providers.
Topics:
Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This webpage of the Office on Women’s Health answers in plain language frequently asked questions about birth control methods. It includes a chart comparing the various methods on effectiveness, risks, and side effects.
Topics:
Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
Show Your Love is a national campaign designed to promote wellbeing and support young adults as they strive to achieve their goals and make healthy lifestyle choices today. The campaign provides wellness/healthy living resources for young women and men, promotes the well visit, and funds projects that will help diversify preconception wellness and reproductive life planning messages and improve capacity to reach different consumer groups. The campaign also provides preconception and interconception tools and resources for healthcare providers.
Topics:
Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
The One Key Question Initiative encourages all primary care providers to ask women the question “Would you like to become pregnant in the next year?” as a routine part of primary care. Asking this simple question ensures that more pregnancies are wanted, planned, and healthy. OKQ has been endorsed by American Public Health Association, American Academy of Family Physicians, and National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health.
Topics:
Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
A “one stop” resource for clinicians and others who want to learn more about preconception health, its history, the evidence supporting it and strategies for incorporating relevant content into daily clinical practice. Contains a Preconception Care Clinical Toolkit designed to help providers meet their patient’s needs in response to the question “Are you hoping to become pregnant in the next year?” Also includes CME opportunities, key articles, clinical guidance, and practice resources.
Topics:
Reproductive Life Planning/Family Planning
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health Promote Quality
Benchmarks:
Birth Spacing Reproductive Life Plan
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.
This toolkit provides information on women’s preventive health services covered under the Affordable Care Act, and tools women can use if they encounter problems with this coverage. Includes templates for appeal letters to insurance companies in case of being wrongfully charged co-pays or deductibles for preventive services, birth control, breastfeeding counseling, BRCA testing, colonoscopy, or well-woman visits.
Topics:
Insurance Coverage
Approaches:
Improve Women's Health
Benchmarks:
Health Insurance
Evidence Rating:
III. Expert guidelines—Protocols, standards of practice, or recommendations based on expert consensus.