Public policies affect population health. Public health actors are called upon to document this phenomenon, in particular, by producing knowledge syntheses. To meet the needs of decision makers, a knowledge synthesis must consider not only the effects and the equity of the public policy being studied, but also the issues surrounding its implementation (cost, feasibility, acceptability).
Drawing inspiration from political science, from literature on evidence-informed decision making in public health, and from work on evaluation and on deliberative processes, the NCCHPP has developed a method for producing such syntheses. This method is presented in the form of a step by step guide incorporating questions to ask oneself, practical advice, and several tools for facilitating the process, so as to enable public health actors to synthesize knowledge about public policies, a specific subject of study.
This summary sets forth the method in an abridged format. It first…