Evidence-Based Prevention and Treatment, Dissemination and Adoption of

Evidence-Based Practices

Former Surgeon General David Sackett is considered the innovator of the term EBP. He described evidence-based medicine as the manner in which physicians make thoughtful decisions about patient care, guided by the current science. This definition highlights the importance of the connection between quality care and use of EBPs in guiding treatment and prevention decisions and practices. Currently, an extensive portfolio of substance abuse treatment and prevention research exists that demonstrates the efficacy of particular approaches and activities, which was not always the case. Therefore, it becomes even more important that EBPs are utilized; in fact, some researchers advocate that professionals have an ethical duty and professional obligation to do so.

Many professionals caution against creating a definitive list of EBPs because the science is always changing. However, there exists a core group of EBPs that appear consistently in literature reviews, efficacy studies, dissemination libraries, and national registries for substance abuse prevention and treatment services. Specifically, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) hosts a national registry for EBPs in substance abuse prevention and treatment and mental health services. This site, the National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices ([NREPP] http://www.nrepp.samhsa.gov/), offers a searchable database of prevention and treatment interventions for mental health and substance use disorders. The NREPP site serves two purposes: (1) It affords researchers and practitioners the opportunity to submit their intervention for review and consideration as an EBP, and (2) it provides practitioners and the general public access to a single online source for EBPs in the substance abuse and mental health fields. Specifically, the NREPP database (a) rates each intervention, (b) describes its intended outcomes, (c) assesses the intervention's readiness for dissemination, (d) evaluates the quality of the research for the intervention, (e) provides access to the list of studies submitted for the intervention as part of the review, and (f) offers contact information for the innovator(s) of the intervention. Given that NREPP's searchable database is voluntary, some EBPs may not be included, as the innovator(s) of the intervention must submit the appropriate documentation and meet the designated criteria for inclusion. Finally, in addition to the database, the NREPP Web site offers a brief description and discussion of EBPs.

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