AI-Driven Clearinghouse of Preventive Interventions Supporting Healthy Youth Development to Facilitate Evidence-Based Decision-Making

Evidence-based decision-making applies empirical evidence to inform policies and involves integrating relevant information from various sources, such as scientific studies, experimental data, expert opinions, and community feedback. Online clearinghouses support evidence-based decision-making by synthesizing evidence on what works, though manually updating the literature is inefficient and incomplete. In addition, passively summarizing evaluations is insufficient for end-users to implement preventive solutions that achieve population impacts. A responsive, user-friendly platform and a dissemination plan are needed to encourage the uptake of innovative and culturally relevant preventive interventions grounded in transparency and rigorous evidence of effectiveness. The design of clearinghouses can significantly enhance evidence-based decision-making by building in stepwise, interactive, artificial intelligence (AI)-driven capabilities that harness machine learning for increased efficiency, reliability and comprehensiveness of evidence synthesis. AI algorithms with built-in safeguards to avoid unintended negative consequences such as biases and inaccuracies can make recommendations for up-to-date information on (1) the provision of all available evidence-based preventive interventions (EBPIs) and their key activities, (2) the equitability of EBPIs amenable to broad implementation and shown to achieve equitably distributed outcomes, (3) cultural relevance, including EBPIs that align with and respect the cultural beliefs, values, practices, and needs of a target population, (4) implementation support, such as materials, training, and fidelity measures, and (5) costs associated with delivery. The resulting platform will ethically expedite the translational process of identifying and scaling EBPIs, leading to a more complete, comprehensive and accessible body of evidence on effective preventive strategies.