There is now a consensus on the value of relying on evidence (i.e., data generated in a standardized manner through a scientific protocol or a systematic review that incorporates both scientific knowledge and the experiential knowledge of professionals and users) in the field of prevention and health promotion. Evidence-based practice is thus recognized by most stakeholders and decision-makers as a means of improving the effectiveness, credibility, and transferability of prevention and health promotion interventions.

The scientific knowledge accumulated over the past few decades is particularly extensive and now enables us to understand how to prevent major public health problems. One of the major challenges in prevention and promotion is therefore to facilitate the transfer and application of this scientific knowledge into routine practice and to overcome the many barriers and obstacles to the use of this data.

Transferring scientific knowledge into practice while mobilizing the knowledge and know-how derived from experience

Mirroring this wealth of knowledge produced by scientists, practitioners on the ground—drawing on their expertise co-developed with the public and their locally rooted practices—have accumulated over the same period knowledge and know-how that lie at the heart of prevention and health promotion in France. Mobilizing and capitalizing on this experiential knowledge, from both professionals and users, represents an equally important challenge.

Scientific knowledge and experiential knowledge are certainly produced within different frameworks, according to unique methods and standards, adapting to distinct professional needs and cultures. However, health prevention and promotion efforts cannot afford to overlook either dimension of this knowledge if they are to provide an effective response to the health needs of populations.

This complementarity of scientific and experiential knowledge lies at the very heart of the evidence-based paradigm, contrary to the restrictive and partisan interpretation often applied to it. As one of the founders of this paradigm reminds us, “good doctors use both individual clinical expertise and the best available evidence, and neither is sufficient on its own.” Without clinical expertise, practice risks being dominated by evidence, as even excellent evidence may be inapplicable or inappropriate for an individual patient. Without the best current evidence, practice risks quickly becoming obsolete, to the detriment of patients.”

Support for knowledge transfer is essential

The use of these different types of knowledge—with the aim of carrying out health promotion initiatives capable of improving population health and reducing social health inequalities—requires support for “knowledge transfer.” This involves linking these different types of knowledge together and making them accessible and actionable for practitioners and decision-makers.

The integration of these different types of knowledge proves relevant once again when considering the transferability of a scientifically validated health promotion and prevention program. It is well known that replicating such a program exactly is an illusion. This is why it is necessary to engage in a process of reflection, drawing on the experiential knowledge of the stakeholders involved in the project, to analyze what is transferable to a specific context and what must be adapted to that context. Furthermore, academic research is not always available on all topics related to health promotion and prevention.

The recent example of the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that, in the face of uncertainty, lessons learned from experience and initial findings do not prevent rational and well-reasoned action. Trial and error, and gradually, lessons drawn from professional practice and early research, facilitate decision-making and action. Within local communities, local health contracts, mental health councils, and other collaborative forums, a pool of knowledge is taking shape—built on experience and informed by initial research findings.

In response to the social and regional health inequalities that the current health, economic, and social crisis has highlighted and exacerbated, it is an ethical imperative for all stakeholders in prevention and health promotion to harness all available knowledge in the service of public action. The development of relevant health promotion policies (effective, efficient, feasible, appropriate, accepted and acceptable, ethical, inclusive) is more than ever an obligation to combat health inequalities that have worsened during the crisis. To achieve this, it is imperative to harness all available knowledge in the service of public action, reflecting the principles of participation, equity, and democracy that lie at the heart of health promotion approaches. The common goal of these principles is to create spaces for dialogue between different forms of knowledge for the benefit of public health.