Registry Posts 100th Evidence-Based Practice
By Leslie Quander Wooldridge
SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP) recently posted its 100th intervention to the online database. This milestone marks a fourfold increase in the number of interventions posted since the Registry launched in March 2007.
An integral part of SAMHSA’s Science and Service Initiative, NREPP provides descriptive information and expert ratings for evidence-based programs submitted by researchers and intervention developers across the Nation.
In the near future, summaries of newly reviewed interventions are slated to be posted at the rate of 3 to 7 per month. More than 120 additional evidence-based programs currently are in queue for review.
By providing information on tested interventions, NREPP’s online database may help reduce the lag time between generating new research results and using those results “hands on” in the field.
In the health care field, evidence-based practices—also called EBPs—refer to approaches to prevention or treatment that are validated by some form of documented scientific evidence. Offering a library of rated programs for review, NREPP is intended to assist states and communities in identifying and selecting EBPs that may meet their particular requirements.
Program developers should note that evidence-based practices are not bound to a single, authoritative definition or expectation. “SAMHSA recognizes that ‘evidence’ can mean different things to different people,” said Kevin D. Hennessy, Ph.D., SAMHSA’s Science and Service Coordinator. “Users should take the time to review NREPP entries and make their own judgments about which interventions are best suited to their needs and resources.”
As a first step to find interventions, visit SAMHSA’s NREPP site. Search features allow users to identify and sort interventions by criteria such as desired outcomes, target populations, and service settings.
Organizations that explore interventions on the easy-to-navigate Web site may save time in identifying effective interventions. “Through NREPP, SAMHSA is providing information on programs that have worked in various communities across the Nation,” Dr. Hennessy said. “Practitioners can view information and ratings for each intervention and then follow up directly with developers to better determine ‘goodness of fit’ for their community.”
With many interventions specifically tested to serve clients in ethnic communities, Dr. Hennessy noted that the Registry’s diverse listings speak to SAMHSA’s commitment to reach out to members of these populations.
“We’re hoping to encourage program developers to build evidence-based interventions for various clients,” Dr. Hennessy said, noting that NREPP is a voluntary, self-nominating system, and developers choose to present their programs for review. “Over time, NREPP may have broad appeal. It can help practitioners and stakeholders improve both the type and quality of services offered in their communities.”