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FAQ

Sponsored by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP) website formerly known as Research-Tested Intervention Programs (RTIPs) is a searchable database of evidence-based cancer control programs and it is designed to provide program planners and public health practitioners easy and immediate access to: 1) programs tested in a research study, 2) publication(s) of the study findings, and 3) program products or materials used with a particular study population in a specific setting. Given that the programs on this website are based on evidence-derived research studies, they may be particularly effective in serving the populations and communities in the settings in which they were originally tested.

Evidence-Based means that the program was tested in a research study and has findings that have been published in a peer-reviewed journal. A program may not demonstrate the same level of efficacy or effectiveness if it is not appropriately adapted to the local context. Please refer to the Program Adaptation Guidelines for guidance on how to adapt the evidence-based practice to your setting and target population.

To be featured on this website, each evidence-based program must have been published in a peer-reviewed journal; produced one or more positive behavioral and/or psychosocial outcomes (p≤.05) among individuals, communities, or populations; evidence of outcomes must be demonstrated in at least one research study, using an experimental or quasi-experimental design; and, unless otherwise copyrighted by the program developer, all evidence-based programs make available the program materials that include English that were used in the research study for the larger cancer control community; and the research study had been conducted within the last 10 years. Each program is also associated with one or more of the following topic areas: tobacco control; physical activity; sun safety; breast, cervical, colorectal cancer, and prostate cancer screening; informed decision making for cancer screening; diet/nutrition; obesity; survivorship/supportive care; public health genomics; and HPV vaccination.

The EBCCP website neither endorses nor recommends any of the program materials, processes, or services listed. Rather, the information is provided to help you make an informed decision about the best program options to meet your cancer control needs. The views and opinions of authors expressed on this website do not necessarily state nor reflect those of the U.S. Government, and they may not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

Some evidence-based programs on the EBCCP website may be designated as model programs by other agencies (e.g. CDC). The EBCCP website provides this information to the user and a link to that agency's website so that the user can determine the exact meaning of such a designation.

NCI does not endorse nor recommend any commercial products, processes, or services, nor do they guarantee the success of programs made available on the site. The views and opinions of authors expressed on this website do not necessarily state or reflect those of the NCI and may not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. Rather, the information is provided to help you make an informed decision about the best program options to meet your cancer control needs. Please see the disclaimer for further information.

Please see the outcomes matrix for the required outcomes evaluated for a given EBCCP program area.

This site provides a consumer-reports-like list of evidence-based programs that have been reviewed by a panel of topic experts in the field. Programs are rated on 3 criteria which include the following: research integrity, intervention impact, and dissemination capability. For more detailed information, please refer to the program ratings.

You will want to consider the population served in the original research setting, the environment in which the research was conducted, and the method of delivery. For further guidance in adapting an evidence-based program to the local community context, two resources are available on-line: Program Adaptation Guidelines, which is an assessment checklist and Putting Public Health Evidence in Action, which is an interactive training curriculum.

The programs on the EBCCP website have been shown to be effective in the populations and settings in which they were studied. It is more likely to ensure success from the adoption and/or adaptation of an evidence-based program, which has been systematically tested in the field, than to create a new program for the same population delivered in the same setting.

When no evidence-based programs are available to meet your comprehensive cancer control needs (in terms of populations or settings), then creating a new program may be the best solution. However, in creating the new program, it would be wise to consider:
  1. Reviewing the available evidence of similar intervention approaches summarized on CDC's "The Guide to Community Preventive Services (The Community Guide)".
  2. If your new program meets the eligibility criteria, it could be considered for the EBCCP website for use by others addressing a similar comprehensive cancer control issue.

The RE-AIM Scoring Instrument (see RE-AIM Scoring) consists of 22 items within 4 dimensions: Reach (5 items), Effectiveness (3 items), Adoption (6 items), and Implementation (8 items). Each item is scored "Yes," "No," or "Not Applicable (N/A)" based on the presence or absence of information reported in the main outcome study (or studies). The RE-AIM score for each dimension, expressed as a percentage of 100, is calculated by dividing the number of "Yes" responses by the sum of "Yes" and "No" responses (using only the items within the dimension being scored). "N/A" responses are excluded from the calculation. For more information, please refer to RE-AIM Scoring.

For evidence-based programs with more than one main outcome study, percentage scores for each dimension are calculated separately for each study and then averaged across studies using the formulas below:

To obtain the mean percentage score for two studies:
(Study 1 + Study 2)/2 = Mean Percentage Score

To obtain the mean percentage score for three studies:
(Study 1 + Study 2 + Study 3)/3 = Mean Percentage Score

For more information on the RE-AIM model, please visit the RE-AIM website.

A readability score is the grade level you need to have completed to be able to read the text. Pros and cons of readability formulas.

Readability formulas measure the grade level that a person must have completed in order to read a text. You can use them to assess if a text will be too hard for your reader. Readability is measured without actual readers. Readability formulas can NOT tell you if a person will understand the text. Nor can they measure the complexity of a word or phrase's meaning. Specific readability measures.

Yes, evidence-based programs will be added to the EBCCP website on an ongoing basis. As cancer control program studies are published in peer-reviewed journals, they will be identified as potential submissions for the EBCCP website and will need to meet the eligibility criteria requirements.

If your evidence-based cancer control program meets all of the inclusion criteria listed below, please visit the on-line program registration form to submit the information regarding your program for further consideration for the EBCCP website.

Inclusion criteria:
  1. Outcome finding(s) must be published in a peer-reviewed journal.
  2. The study must have produced one or more positive behavioral and/or psychosocial outcomes (p≤.05) among individuals, communities, or populations.
  3. Evidence of outcomes must be demonstrated in at least one study, using an experimental or quasi-experimental design; Experimental designs require random assignment, a control or comparison group, and pre- and post- assessments. Quasi-experimental designs do not require random assignment but do require a comparison or control group and pre- and post- assessments. Studies that are based on single-group, pre-/post-test designs do not meet this requirement.
  4. The program must have messages, materials, and/or other components that include English and can be disseminated in a U.S. community or clinical setting.
  5. The program must have been evaluated within the last 10 years.

If your program does not meet these criteria but you would like to find out how it might, please contact us for more information.

We enhanced the usability of the EBCCP website and modified the inclusion criteria for programs on the website to remove outdated programs. Programs were considered for archiving if they met any of the following criteria:
  • The annual usage data for the program is low.
  • The program no longer meets the current clinical practice guidelines/recommendations (e.g., Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Community Preventive Services Task Force (CPSTF).
  • The program outcome finding(s) were not published in a peer-reviewed journal.
  • The study did not produce one or more positive behavioral and/or psychosocial outcomes (p≤.05) among individuals, communities, or populations.
  • The evidence of outcomes were not demonstrated in any of the studies, using an experimental or quasi-experimental design; Experimental designs require random assignment, a control or comparison group, and pre- and post- assessments. Quasi-experimental designs do not require random assignment but do require a comparison or control group and pre- and post- assessments. Studies that are based on single-group, pre-/post-test designs do not meet this requirement.
  • The program did not have messages, materials and/or other components that include English and can be disseminated in a U.S. community or clinical setting.
  • The study was not conducted within the last 10 years.
  • The program was computer-tailored and could not be fully implemented by users.
  • The program materials are no longer available.

If the evidence-based program no longer meets the criteria, it has been removed from the active website and transferred to the EBCCP archival website.

Unless an evidence-based program's materials are only available for order through the program developer's website, for which a link is provided on the EBCCP website, you may order one complete set of program materials (e.g. print, audio, video material) for free on CD or download them if you have the computer capacity and telecommunications bandwidth to do so. Simply click on the "Preview, Download, Order" link below the program materials pictured on the website; this will bring you to the page which will help you to complete your order or download. If ordering, a CD will be shipped to you within 7-10 business days. If you do not have the capability to print from CD, your CD can be taken to any local print shop for paper copies.

At this time, the evidence-based program summary is not formatted to be downloaded/printed as a PDF but we are in the process of exploring how to make this possible. Certain browsers will allow you to download the program as a PDF (e.g., Google Chrome) while others require users to install a PDF printer.

No, EBCCP program materials in PDF format are not Section 508 compliant. However, should a user require such material to be made accessible, please contact us with a written request. The requested program materials will be made accessible and provided directly to the recipient as efficiently as possible.

For program materials which are available for download on the EBCCP website, the program's primary contact and/or Principal Investigator has approved the dissemination of their materials for non-commercial purposes.

The Community Preventive Services Task Force Finding provides information on the intervention approaches that are evaluated as recommended, not recommended, or insufficient evidence based on available scientific evidence. The programs on the EBCCP website are linked to the intervention approaches as an example, if applicable.

External sites are selected based on:
  1. The provision of program materials disseminated from a developer's website.
  2. To provide additional information to the public which is consistent with the mission/goals of the EBCCP website.
  3. To provide additional resources that supplement information presented on the EBCCP website.

Suggested citation for general information about EBCCP website:
Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP) website. National Cancer Institute. https://ebccp.cancercontrol.cancer.gov. Last Updated: MM/DD/YYYY [refer to footer at the bottom of web page]. Accessed on: MM/DD/YYYY

Sample web citation for a specific EBCCP program:
The Forsyth County Cancer Screening Project (FoCaS) on Evidence-Based Cancer Control Programs (EBCCP) website. National Cancer Institute. https://ebccp.cancercontrol.cancer.gov/programDetails.do?programId=141840. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY [refer to footer at the bottom of web page]. Accessed on: MM/DD/YYYY.

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Updated: 02/12/2020