Introduction of a strength-of-evidence tool based on a methodological systematic review

Hierarchies of Evidence Applied to Lifestyle Medicine (HEALM)

A metric to measure the strength of evidence applied to lifestyle medicine. A systematic approach based on evidence threshold pathway mapping.
In partnership with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine

Published in PubMed. In association with ACLM, this group of experts has adapted evaluation tools to allow adequate measure of lifestyle medicine interventions. To begin, established tools for evaluating scientific evidence are derived principally from pharmaceutical approaches and consistently emphasize randomized controlled trials (RCTs). A system for evaluating strength of evidence (SOE) specifically relevant to lifestyle behaviors does not seem to exist. Intense debate about the adequacy of evidence pertaining to nutrition and other aspects of lifestyle medicine suggests the urgency of adapting SOE tools to this domain. HEALM project experts are ready for peer-reviewed publication of a metric that will be widely used in the Lifestyle Medicine world.

What: A metric to measure the strength of evidence applied to lifestyle medicine. A systematic approach based on evidence threshold pathway mapping.

Who’s Involved: Katz, DL; Karlsen, MC; Chung, M; Shams-White, MM; Green, LW; Fielding, J; Saito, A; Willett, W.

How it Works: The established tools for evaluating scientific evidence that emphasize randomized controlled trials (RCTs), are gathered with and supported by different evidence methods that are scored and ranked into one customized metric system.

Project Phase: Submitted to American Journal of Public Health.

Why This Matters: Lifestyle is the single biggest contributor to public health. Currently, the majority of systems for evaluating scientific evidence are geared towards pharmaceutical approached. HEALM establishes a system for evaluating evidence specific to lifestyle medicine.