This discussion paper sets out the key points which have emerged from the King's Fund's participation in the public health evidence debate. It addresses four central issues: the need for change (how adequate is the existing public health evidence base?; what issues need to be addressed?; what are the consequences of leaving these unresolved?); the scope of the public health evidence base (how wide should the net be cast?; what information should the public health evidence base contain?; what gaps need to be filled, and what are the implications of leaving them unplugged?); values and hierarchies (how should the new public health evidence base be conceived?; are existing frameworks suitable for application to the field of public health?); and a new, shared framework (can a conceptually sound framework for evidence be developed and applied to the field of public health; what might the elements of such a framework be?)
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Pagination: 31p.; Additional research for this paper was conducted by Hanif Ismail, who compiled the analysis of recommendations featured in Section Three. The discussion paper also draws on points made by participants at a King's Fund symposium 'Our Healthier Nation : evidence, policy and practice' held in June 1999 with support from the Department of Health.