7 Knowledge-based public health work
Sustainable public health work must be based on a scientific foundation, and the government therefore aims to make public health work more evidence-based. A stronger professional foundation for public health work will contribute to improved outcomes and the more efficient use of resources.
One objective is to obtain a better overview of the determinants of health. Evidence for effective public health measures shall be strengthened through research-based evaluations. In addition, the government will strengthen the public health perspective in relevant training programmes, help to strengthen public health competence at municipal and county levels, and develop more effective instruments for taking public health into account across sectors.
The establishment of public health profiles for municipalities and counties from 2012 is a major step forward in the strengthening of the knowledge base for the public health work at county and municipal level. These will be developed further. There is still considerable potential to utilise existing data through better coordination and communication.
Textbox 7.1 Knowledge-based public health work
The government will:
Further develop health registers in line with the Strategy for the modernisation and coordination of central health registries and medical quality registries
Consider supporting a new population survey in the county of Nord-Trøndelag, Hunt 4
Develop a national burden of disease project at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Transfer certain health monitoring tasks relating to nutrition and physical activity from the Norwegian Directorate of Health to the Norwegian Institute of Public Health
Review regulations relating to access to information in order to ensure that the Norwegian Institute of Public Health can design anonymous, quality-assured health profiles in areas with a low population base
Develop a competence centre at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health in order to evaluate initiatives based on health registries and other public health analyses
Enable public health to be given greater precedence in the work of the Norwegian Knowledge Centre for the Health Services
Consider measures to build capacity on public health interventions in the municipal sector
Give the Norwegian Directorate of Health the task of developing tools and guidelines for public health impact assessments
Consider how economic evaluations of public health initiatives can be facilitated
Provide guidance to local authorities regarding the generation and use of local data
Figure 7.1