Navigation Guide

Teaching an Evidence-Based Medicine Methodology to Bridge the Gap Between Clinical and Environmental Health Sciences

The scientific evidence linking environmental exposures to adverse health outcomes has yet to be compiled using systematic methods with the capacity to inform effective healthcare and policy decision-making. The relevant evidence is largely unfamiliar to health professionals caring for women and men of childbearing age, patients, communities, consumers, and other impacted populations. There is currently no trusted reference or compendium that provides them with timely, evidence-based advice about exposure to environmental contaminants.

To bridge the gap between clinical and environmental health sciences, PRHE has undertaken an interdisciplinary collaboration to develop a systematic and transparent methodology to evaluate the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations about the relationship between the environment and reproductive health. For more than a decade, PRHE has provided Navigation Guide trainings and seminars on this methodology to the medical, environmental, and academic communities. 

Application of the Navigation Guide teachings will result in uniform, simple, and transparent summaries that integrate the best practices of evaluation in environmental and clinical health sciences.

 

Impact

National Academy of Sciences headquarters

Use of Systematic Review in EPA's TSCA Risk Evaluations

This guidance document recommends that EPA adopt the Navigation Guide systematic review method and other scientifically rigorous methods to evaluate chemical risks.

Overwhelmed blue collar worker

Systematic analysis from WHO/ILO Joint Estimates

This study, which evaluated evidence using the Navigation Guide method, found that people who work more than 55 hours/week are at significantly higher risk of heart disease and stroke.

Systematic Evidence Map

PRHE developed an evidence map that includes research on respiratory virus infections like the coronavirus (COVID-19) and conditions that may increase susceptibility to COVID-19, like asthma.

Published Papers

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