Moving from Research to Action

Health departments are responsible for protecting and advancing the health of residents in their jurisdictions. Improving the conditions and systems in which people live — also known as social determinants of health (SDOH) — is fundamental to this work. To effectively address SDOH, health departments must work with diverse partners to understand shared goals for community conditions and to identify and assess legal and policy levers that can drive change to ensure everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be healthy.

This resource is grounded in our experience conducting policy scans in collaboration with national organizations and government partners, particularly our work with the Douglas County Health Department (DCHD) in Nebraska. It covers four key areas:

• Law, Policy, & Public Health defines types of laws and policies that can be included in a policy scan and describes their direct and indirect impacts on public health outcomes.
• Overview of the Policy Process & the Role of Policy Scans explains how policy scans fit into the broader policy change process, including identifying, assessing, and prioritizing policy options.
• Policy Scans in Practice unpacks the “how” of policy scans, outlining ChangeLab Solutions’ approach to conducting policy scans, including practical guidance and tips for scaling the methods based on available time and resources.

Sharing & Using Policy Scan Results explores opportunities for governmental public health practitioners to move from research to action by disseminating policy recommendations, building on their research, and collaborating with decision-makers to develop and adopt policies.