Faculty featured as leaders in new efforts to promote dissemination and implementation

A new tool kit for dissemination and implementation (D&I), developed by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) in Washington, D.C., prominently features the work of several Washington University in St. Louis faculty members.

In particular, the book “Dissemination and Implementation Research in Health: Translating Science to Practice,” was used as an organizing framework for the toolkit.

The groundbreaking book, published in 2012, was co-edited by Ross C.Brownson, PhD, the Bernard Becker Professor at the Brown School and director of the Prevention Research Center; Graham A. Colditz, MD, the Niess-Gain Professor in the School of Medicine and chief of the Division of Public Health Sciences deputy director of the Institute for Public Health; and Enola K. Proctor, PhD, the Shanti K. Khinduka Distinguished University Professor and associate dean for faculty at the Brown School, and director of the Center for Mental Health Services Research.

Dissemination is the targeted distribution of information to specific public health audiences. The intent is to spread information about the latest and most important public health research findings, and the kinds of interventions, programs and policies that are proven to be most effective.

Implementation is the use of strategies to help move the most effective interventions, programs, and polices into community based settings.

In addition, the paper “Models in Dissemination and Implementation Research: Useful Tools in Public Health Services and Systems Research” was cited by PCORI as a source for future D&I models.

The 2012 paper was co-authored by Brownson and Rachel Tabak, PhD, research assistant professor at the Brown School and faculty member of the Prevention Research Center.

The university’s Center for Dissemination and Implementation is part of the Institute for Public Health. Proctor serves as the center’s director.