Table 1.

Study Dsign and Program Evaluation Recommendations for Future ED-based Public Health Research

Include multiple centers and maximize use of electronic medical records to increase the validity and generalizability of surveillance, screening, and other public health programs. Develop approaches to maximize participation of groups of patients who are generally not likely to participate in screening and intervention research. Develop innovative methods of improving study subject retention and disseminate details related to follow-up methodologies. Develop simple and reliable protocols and procedures to minimize assessment effects in the context of needed initial screening. Outcome measurements should be meaningful, objective, and valid and when possible should be standardized within content or topic area. Standardize screening, assessment, and outcome measurement tools and nomenclature. Explore alternatives to screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) and brief negotiated interventions. Educate researchers about the importance of techniques to monitor and ensure treatment fidelity within studies. Train public health and emergency medicine investigators in formal research methods. Establish an emergency medicine public health research consortium or content-specific consortia.