The purpose of the Evidence-Based Program Review Process is to identify new community programs that meet the criteria established by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) for evidence-based programs funded through the Older Americans Act (OAA) Title III-D, and other discretionary funding.

November 2023 update from ACL:

For the last several years, ACL has supported a formal Evidence-Based Program (EBP) Review Process to identify disease prevention and health promotion programs that are based on scientific evidence and demonstrated to improve the health of older adults. These evidence-based programs are essential tools for helping older adults maintain their independence in the community.

In 2022, ACL temporarily paused the facilitation of the EBP Review Process, and launched an evaluation study to examine the existing Review Process, explore whether any updates may be needed, and to learn more about current EBP review efforts employed across other federal offices and agencies. The study has now concluded, and the report, Analysis of Evidence-Based Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Programs Review Process, was recently published.

The report findings highlighted several opportunities to enhance the current process, as well as help inform any future ACL-supported EBP Review Processes. While some of the identified opportunities can be immediately adopted, several may require new processes that will take considerable time to implement.

To ensure that ACL continues to support the identification and scaling of effective EBPs that meet the health and wellness needs of older adults across the country, ACL will support a modified version of the EBP Review Process in FY2024.

More information about the EBP Review Process and a call for programs will be announced in the coming months. For further questions, please contact Patricia Keane, National Nutritionist, Administration for Community Living.

Why is evidence-based program review important?

The evidence-based program review process provides several benefits:

• Programs will be reviewed for potential inclusion on the ACL Title III-D approved list in a timely, unbiased manner;
• More programs targeting varied risk factors and populations will be available for dissemination; and
• Community, state, and tribal organizations/agencies can use the recommendations of the Review Council to reference programs that have been deemed to be appropriate for inclusion for ACL Title III-D, or other ACL future evidence-based program discretionary funding.

ACL evidence-based program criteria

Health promotion and disease prevention programs are reviewed based on the following criteria established by the Administration for Community Living:

• Demonstrated through evaluation to be effective for improving the health and well-being or reducing disease, disability and/or injury among older adults; and
• Proven effective with older adult population, using Experimental or Quasi-Experimental Design;* and
• Research results published in a peer-review journal; and
• Fully translated** in one or more community site(s); and
• Includes developed dissemination products that are available to the public.

See detailed Review Council criteria.

Application schedule

The review process has been paused. Please visit the ACL Health Promotion website for more information.

Application process

The Review Council conducts a two-stage program application process:

• Stage 1: The first stage application addresses the effectiveness, evidence, and evaluation details related to the program. Note that there are two separate Stage 1 applications: one application specifically for falls prevention programs, and another application for all other health promotion and disease prevention programs. Once evaluated by Review Council members with expertise in research and program evaluation, applicants will be notified whether or not they will be invited to complete the second stage of the application.

If a program is not approved to move to the second stage, applicants will be eligible to receive technical assistance provided by EBLC and may be able to re-apply during a subsequent review, depending on the recommendations of the Review Council.

• Stage 2 (by invitation only): The second stage will require information about the program implementation, training, dissemination materials, supports available, and other elements essential for successful implementation.