What is Bright Futures?
Bright Futures is a national health care promotion and disease prevention initiative that uses a developmentally based approach to address children’s health care needs in the context of family and community. Its purpose is to promote and improve infant, child, and adolescent health within the context of family and community.
Who can use Bright Futures?
One of the greatest strengths of Bright Futures is that its content and approach are found useful not only to health care professionals, but to a wide variety of families and child health care advocates working to promote child health. These groups consist of, but are not limited to:
- Pediatricians
- Nurse Practitioners
- Mental health professionals
- Oral health professionals
- Dieticians/nutritionists
- Child care workers
- Home visitors
- Educators/teachers
- Health educators
- Residency program students
- Parents
- Families
What is the Bright Futures Education Center?
The Education Center is a project of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). The central responsibility of the Education Center is enhancing the knowledge of health care professionals and the public about Bright Futures philosophy, guidelines and tools, and about the value of clinically based health promotion and prevention.
How is the Third Edition of the Guidelines different from the Second Edition?
The Third Edition builds on the foundation of the first and second editions because it describes a system of health care that is unique in its attention to health promotion activities and psychosocial factors of health and its focus on child, youth, and family strengths and because it recognizes that effective health promotion and disease prevention requires coordinated efforts among a diverse array of medical and nonmedical professionals and agencies.
However, the Third Edition breaks new ground in several ways. It is structured differently from earlier editions in that it begins with 10 thematically focused chapters that highlight key issues that repeatedly emerge across the developmental stages. These themes are of critical importance in efforts to promote the health and well-being of infants, children, youth, and families. In addition, the Third Edition’s health supervision guidance for each Bright Future visit is organized around priorities that assist the health care professional to focus the visit on the most important issues for a child of that age. Anticipatory guidance activities for each visit are presented in several ways, including a brief note for health care professionals, sample questions, discussion points, and suggested guidance for parents, children, and youth.
Evidence for effectiveness was a core criterion for including, or excluding, certain interventions and recommendations in this edition. The Bright Futures Project Advisory Committee used several approaches to incorporate evidence to the extent possible. Finally, this edition recognizes that health care supervision must keep pace with changes in family, communities, and society. As a result, discussions about care for children and youth with special health care needs, cultural competence, and complementary and alternative care are woven throughout this edition.
What other Bright Futures materials are under development and when will they be released?
The Bright Futures Toolkit, an essential compendium of parent questionnaires, fact sheets, screening tools, and other pediatric health supervision materials, will be available in 2008. Other materials that provide valuable guidance on implementing Bright Futures are under development. And, over time, the existing Bright Futures in Practice books will be revised and updated.
What is the difference between Bright Futures at AAP and Bright Futures at Georgetown/National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH)?
The AAP was funded by MCHB to carry out the Bright Futures Initiative and to develop and publish the Third Edition of the Bright Futures Guidelines and associated materials. The National Center for Education in Maternal and Child Health (NCEMCH) at Georgetown University developed and published the Second Edition of the the Bright Futures Guidelines and continues to develop reated materials.
How can I receive Bright Futures highlights and news?
You can find out about the latest Bright Futures developments through Bright Futures workshops and by signing up to receive electronic newsletters by requesting it through our contact form. Visit our exhibit booths at national meetings of pediatrics professionals.
Where can I order Bright Futures materials?
Some materials are available free of charge. Please use the contact form to submit a request. Others materials may be purchased online at the AAP online bookstore.
Are the Bright Futures materials copyrighted?
Yes, all Bright Futures materials are copyrighted. To use the current Bright Futures materials, please fill out our contact form.
Have Bright Futures materials been translated into other languages?
Selected Bright Futures materials, available at the AAP online bookstore, have been translated into Spanish. AAP is currently investigating the possibility of translating Bright Futures materials into other languages.
Has the Bright Futures Initiative been evaluated?
A national process evaluation that assessed the evolution and use of Bright Futures was conducted during 2003-2004 and described the experiences of those involved in using Bright Futures in child health policy and practice. In addition, a series of case studies were conducted in 2005 that detail the stories of several states using Bright Futures to foster child health promotion. Documents on these studies can be found at:
Does the AAP provide training for Bright Futures?
Yes, workshops are being conducted to train professionals who work with children in the Bright Futures approach, and we are working with our partners to expand this effort. Please send us a request through our contact form to receive more information.
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