This document summarizes an academic-service partnership between the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and various public health agencies to promote evidence-based practice in public health. Undergraduate student teams conduct literature reviews on topics identified by partner agencies and provide summaries of the best available research evidence. The goals are to improve evidence-based practice, provide learning opportunities for students, and advance sustainable collaboration between universities and public health agencies. Evaluations found that partner agencies were satisfied with the collaboration and research applicability. Long-term goals include developing a replicable evidence-based practice model and advancing self-sustainable programs.

1. Evaluating an Academic-Service Partnership on Evidence-Based
Practice in Public Health
University of Wisconsin- Eau Claire
Maddie Hynek, BSG, Kaitlyn Conway; BSENPH; Pang Xiong-Yang, BSENPH, Ashley Longsdorf; BSN, Stephanie Bult, BSN, Heidi Chellman, BSN, Brooke Feddick, BSB,
Maryanne Cowell, BSENPH
Cheryl Lapp, Nursing Professor; Crispin Pierce, Environmental Public Health Professor
Background
Evaluation/Results
Topics Researched
EBP integrates:
The best available research findings
Practitioner expertise, experience, and
available agency resources
The characteristics, needs, values, and
preferences of the individuals who will be
affected by the policy or programming
(Fig. 2) (2).
To achieve meaningful health and economic
benefits, professionals need to know current
research findings and how to apply research
evidence to the community (3).
Objective
References
Utilize interdisciplinary student efforts to provide
high quality, evidence-based research to promote
public health changes and influence policies
Improve evidence-based practice in public health
settings
Through collaboration with public health
professionals, undergraduate students learn the
need for integrating research evidence into practice
Long-term goals:
Develop EBP based model that can be
replicated by other universities and public
health agencies
Advance towards a self-sustainable
program
Ongoing evaluation of public health outcomes and
student learning
Public health agency staff survey was sent out to
partner agencies in spring of 2014 and 2015
Survey included questions pertaining to
satisfaction of the collaborative process and the
applicability of the research(staff for 2014
were very satisfied with the collaboration, and
2015 results are being compiled)
Results will be used to provide information for
refining the research model
Student evaluation survey will be completed at the
end of the academic year
Future evaluation will focus on staff use of evidence
in practice
Records of written and verbal feedback from staff
have been summarized(examples below)(public health agency
staff, personal communication, 2015).
(1) Bennett, C. (2009). Evidence-Based Practice. Advance Healthcare Network for Nurses. Retrieved
from http://nursing.advanceweb.com/Article/Evidence-Based-Practice-6.aspx
(2) Jacobs, J.A., Jones, E., Gabella, B. A., Spring, B., Brownson, R. C. (2012). Tools for Implementing an
Evidence-Based Approach in Public Health Practice. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-
Preventing Chronic Disease, 9. http://dx.doi.org/10.5888/pcd9.110324
(3) Mays, G., Hogg, R., Castellanos-Cruz, D., Hoover, A., Fowler, L. (2013). Public health research
implementation and translation: Evidence from practice-based research networks. American
Journal of Preventative Medicine, 45(6), 752-762.
A special thank you to the Northwest WI Area Health Education
Center for funding this project; Cheryl Lapp, Nursing Professor;
Crispin Pierce, and LTS Printing Services of the University of
Wisconsin – Eau Claire
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP):
“An integration of science-based
interventions with community
preferences for improving
population health”(2).
Condensed topic list
Foodborne illness
Dry Cleaning operations
Rabies
Well abandonment
Community Health workers
Mosquitoes
Determinates of health in rural communities
Immunization rates
Incidence of vaccine preventable diseases
Private well contamination
Lead levels in Children
Lead poisoning in Adults
Long term effects of elevated lead levels
Reasons for falls in children
Medicaid and long term care
Housing as a determinant of health
Healthy Communities
Ticks
Nutrition and Mental Health
Dementia
Best Available
Research
Patient/ Client Situation
Personal
Expertise
and
Experience
EBP
Lack of access to research findings
Lack of time and resources
Lack of administrative support
Default is to do it the way it has always
been done
Barriers to EBP Reported by
Public Health Staff
Acknowledgments
Fig. 1. Barriers to EBP reported by public health staff (1).
Fig. 2. EBP is a tool for incorporating multiple domains to improve policy
and programming (2).
Current research team-Maddie, Pang, Kaitlyn, Stephanie, Ashley, Heidi, and Brooke
Process
Communication Process
The framework of this project was developed after
evaluation of previous programs
This project includes:
Public health agencies such as Douglas County,
Eau Claire County, and Indianhead Community
Action Agency
Undergraduate student research team
Faculty advisor: Cheryl Lapp, & Crispin Pierce
Clinical facilitators
Public health agency submits evidence-based
practice research requests to student research team
Students individually conduct literature reviews of
requests
Spending approximately 4-6 hours on each
request
A final summary of the EBP literature is sent to
the agency within a set deadline
 Weekly team meetings
 Discuss requests and progress of collaborative
research
Agency
Staff
Agency
Contact
County
Liaisons
Research
Team
Leader
Research
Team
Members
Agency
Contact
Process cont.
 University on-site meetings
 Students and faculty meet with public health staff
 Students facilitate networking with UWEC staff
Presentation of research project
WI State Area Health Education Center Board
Meeting
Celebration of Excellence in Research and
Creativity (CERCA)
Provosts Honors Symposium for Research,
Scholarship and Creative Activity
Kaleidoscope of Nursing Research Day
 Public health agency on-site meetings
 Team schedules a series of visits to the
agencies in order to establish a relationship
 Allows team to form professional networks,
gain a better understanding of agency
processes, and encourages agency participation
in collaborative research
“Extremely appreciative of all the
work your team conducted for
helping us with research/evidence-
based practice”
“Thank you for supporting the
opportunity for a
collaboration/partnership such as
this! It’s refreshing to see so
many students interested in
community health.”
“Each of the agency staff
learned something new at our
visit to UWEC and was exposed
to a new opportunity, or
connected with someone on
campus which reinvigorated the
essence of the work they do on a
daily basis in rural, northwestern
Wisconsin.”
“It was great to meet you on my
visit to your campus. It was very
informative.”