dissemination

Background: Dissemination and implementation (D&I) research seeks to understand and overcome barriers to adoption of behavioral interventions that address complex problems, specifically interventions that arise from multiple interacting influences crossing socio-ecological levels. It is often difficult for research to accurately represent and address the complexities of the real world, and traditional methodological approaches are generally inadequate for this task.

The Public Health PBRN National Coordinating Center is pleased to announce the launch of a funding opportunity for Dissemination and Implementation Research Studies through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These awards will support selected PBRNs in conducting comparative studies designed to identify public health system characteristics and strategies that facilitate the effective and efficient implementation of evidence-based programs and services for health protection, promotion and disease prevention.

During this health system evolution, and in the current fiscal climate, public officials are looking for solid evidence of what works to guide their funding and policy decisions. And researchers doing PHSSR want to contribute evidence to guide and assess this decision- making. However, the timely distribution of evidence is inhibited by such barriers as the lengthy process for, and traditional focus on, peer-reviewed publication. In other words, doing relevant, high quality research is necessary but not sufficient to making a difference in improving population health.