Dissemination, Implementation, and Improvement Science Research in Population Health: Opportunities for Public Health and CTSAs

Abstract

Importance The complex, dynamic nature of health systems requires dissemination, implementation and improvement (DII) sciences to effectively translate emerging knowledge into practice. Although they hold great promise for informing multi-sector policies and system-level changes, these methods are often not strategically used by public health. Objectives and Methods More than 120 stakeholders from Southern California, including the community, federal and local government, university, and health services were convened to identify key priorities and opportunities for public health departments and Clinical and Translational Science Awards programs (CTSAs) to advance DII sciences in population health. Main Outcomes Participants identified challenges (mismatch of practice realities with narrowly-focused research questions; lack of iterative learning) and solutions (using methods that fit the dynamic nature of the real world; aligning theories of change across sectors) for applying DII science research to public health problems. Pragmatic steps that public health and CTSAs can take to facilitate DII science research include: employing appropriate study designs; training scientists and practicing professionals in these methods; securing resources to advance this work; and supporting team science to solve complex-systems issues. Conclusions Public health and CTSAs represent a unique model of practice for advancing DII research in population health. The partnership can inform policy and program development in local communities.

Engaging the Community in the Dissemination, Implementation, and Improvement of Health‐Related Research

“…The gap between knowledge and practice is a major focus of health services research . Dissemination, implementation and improvement (DII) sciences are now essential tools used among health services researchers and those who are interested in identifying the reasons for this knowledge translation gap and addressing complex systems issues related to patient care .…”

“…The gap between knowledge and practice is a major focus of health services research . Dissemination, implementation and improvement (DII) sciences are now essential tools used among health services researchers and those who are interested in identifying the reasons for this knowledge translation gap and addressing complex systems issues related to patient care . Dissemination science is the study of communication strategies that are designed to increase awareness and understanding of innovative, effective policies and practices to facilitate their widespread adoption .…”

“…[18][19][20] Dissemination, implementation and improvement (DII) sciences are now essential tools used among health services researchers and those who are interested in identifying the reasons for this knowledge translation gap and addressing complex systems issues related to patient care. [18][19][20][21][22] Dissemination science is the study of communication strategies that are designed to increase awareness and understanding of innovative, effective policies and practices to facilitate their widespread adoption. 6,[23][24][25] Implementation science is the systematic study of planned and active approaches to increase the uptake of effective practices.…”

A Practice-Grounded Approach for Evaluating Health in All Policies Initiatives in the United States

“…Related approaches can also be considered, such as developmental evaluation and improvement science, which are suitable for situations of high complexity in their early stages of development and emphasize conducting small tests of change to support innovation. 26–27 …”

Enhancing Dissemination, Implementation, and Improvement Science in CTSAs through Regional Partnerships

“…Greater use of improvement science could bridge the current tensions between research and operations in terms of rigor, relevance and timeliness. Pragmatic steps that local health departments and CTSA programs can take to facilitate DII research in diverse practice settings include employing study designs to study “combination effectiveness” rather than comparative effectiveness, training scientists and health professionals in these methods, identifying and securing resources to advance this work, and sparking team science to solve complex systems issues …”