Linkages between clinical practices and community organizations for prevention: a literature review and environmental scan

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) Vol. 102 Suppl 3; no. S3; pp. S375 - S382
• Main Authors: Porterfield, Deborah S, Hinnant, Laurie W, Kane, Heather, Horne, Joseph, McAleer, Kelly, Roussel, Amy
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Public Health Association 01.06.2012
• Subjects: Behavior; Clinical medicine; Community Health Services - organization & administration; Community organizations; Counseling; Delivery of Health Care, Integrated; Exercise; Health behavior; Health services; Humans; Intervention; Literature reviews; Maternal & child health; Medical Subject Headings-MeSH; Mental health; Models, Theoretical; Mortality; Nutrition; Nutrition research; Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; Preventive Health Services - organization & administration; Preventive Medicine; Primary care; Public health; Research and Practice; Social sciences; Studies; Task forces; Tobacco
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.300692

We conducted a literature review and environmental scan to develop a framework for interventions that utilize linkages between clinical practices and community organizations for the delivery of preventive services, and to identify and characterize these efforts. We searched 4 major health services and social science electronic databases and conducted an Internet search to identify examples of linkage interventions in the areas of tobacco cessation, obesity, nutrition, and physical activity. We identified 49 interventions, of which 18 examples described their evaluation methods or reported any intervention outcomes. Few conducted evaluations that were rigorous enough to capture changes in intermediate or long-term health outcomes. Outcomes in these evaluations were primarily patient-focused and did not include organizational or linkage characteristics. An attractive option to increase the delivery of preventive services is to link primary care practices to community organizations; evidence is not yet conclusive, however, that such linkage interventions are effective. Findings provide recommendations to researchers and organizations that fund research, and call for a framework and metrics to study linkage interventions.