10 Essential Public Health Services (#9): Improve and innovate through evaluation, research and quality improvement

The essential public health service of “improving and innovating public health functions” focuses on using and applying evaluation, research, and continuous quality improvement in public health practice. This essential service includes building and fostering a quality culture in public health organizations and using research, evidence, and other types of information to inform decision-making. It also includes continuously evaluating services, policies, plans, and laws to ensure they are contributing to health and not creating undue harm and contributing to the evidence base of effective public health.