Introduction
In healthcare, a major consideration in research justification is the applicability of findings to the actual practice of healthcare provision. Any study should be conducted with the purpose to utilize its results for better care. In order to ensure the positive effect of applying findings, it is necessary to plan how they will be disseminated (Tabak, Khoong, Chambers, & Brownson, 2012). The process of dissemination requires a strategic approach, as it is needed to plan how to make targets aware of certain research findings, how to persuade them to employ those findings, and how the implementation, including such aspects as the allocation of resources, will be conducted. There are various approaches to designing a dissemination strategy. Several such strategies available in academic literature should be examined to identify which one is more suitable for the practicum project, which explores evidence-based practice strategies to reduce the door-to-balloon time in STEMI patients at Kendall Regional Medical Center.
List of Strategies
- Message framing strategy;
- Narrative strategy;
- Message targeting strategy.
Process for Dissemination for Each Strategy
- Message framing strategy: The process of framing a message refers to inventing alternative ways in which the same message can be conveyed (McCormack et al., 2013). In the present practicum project, the message is adopting certain policies and employing certain practices that contribute to the reduction of the door-to-balloon time, which is an important indicator for a medical facility. The effectiveness of recommended policies and practices has been confirmed through research, and this should be disseminated, too. The message to the medical facility’s decision-makers can either stress the benefits of implementing research findings on the door-to-balloon time or stress the disadvantages and negative outcomes of ignoring those findings and neglecting the development in this sphere.
- Narrative strategy: It is suggested in some studies that storytelling can be used as an effective dissemination strategy in healthcare (Scott, Brett-MacLean, Archibald, & Hartling, 2013). The effectiveness is explained by the idea that the appeal of stories, vivid images, and emotions is stronger than that of formal reports.
- Message targeting strategy: In order to be effective, a dissemination strategy should analyze the audience and plan the delivery of targeted, personalized messages (Grimshaw, Eccles, Lavis, Hill, & Squires, 2012). It is necessary to examine a medical facility, its internal operation, and decision-makers to address the leadership directly.
Pros and Cons of Each Strategy
Message framing strategy:
- Pros: Requires relatively few resources and presents the research findings comprehensively.
- Cons: Fails to recognize the specific characteristics of target audiences.
Narrative strategy:
- Pros: Has a stronger appeal and requires relatively few resources.
- Cons: Fails to present research findings in full, as they do not necessarily fit into coherent stories.
Message targeting strategy:
- Pros: Considers the specific characteristics of target audiences, therefore possessing a strong appeal.
- Cons: Requires more resources (see Tools Needed for Each Strategy).
Tools Needed for Each Strategy
- Message framing strategy: Effective implementation will require a comprehensive analysis of research findings for the purpose of finding the right angles for framing them and presenting to medical facilities. Different channels of communication, including electronic ones (“Beyond scientific publication,” n.d.), can be used for delivering the messages (applies to the strategies below, too).
- Narrative strategy: Creating appealing storytelling messages on the basis of research findings may require the services of professional copywriters.
- Message targeting strategy: Targeting requires more resources than the two strategies above because it implies collecting and processing information about medical facilities and their management (Schoenwald, McHugh, & Barlow, 2012). The tools for that is the examination of existing reports and other documentation, including online sources. Afterward, messages need to be designed to adequately address the identified needs of particular medical facilities.
References
Beyond scientific publication: Strategies for disseminating research findings. (n.d.). Web.
Grimshaw, J. M., Eccles, M. P., Lavis, J. N., Hill, S. J., & Squires, J. E. (2012). Knowledge translation of research findings. Implementation Science, 7(1), 50-65.
McCormack, L., Sheridan, S., Lewis, M., Boudewyns, V., Melvin, C. L., Kistler, C.,…Lohr, K. N. (2013). Communication and dissemination strategies to facilitate the use of health-related evidence. Evidence Reports/Technology Assessments, 213(1), 1-15.
Schoenwald, S. K., McHugh, R. K., & Barlow, D. H. (2012). The science of dissemination and implementation. In R. K. McHugh & D. H. Barlow (Eds.), Dissemination and implementation of evidence-based psychological interventions (pp. 16-42). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Scott, S. D., Brett-MacLean, P., Archibald, M., & Hartling, L. (2013). Protocol for a systematic review of the use of narrative storytelling and visual-arts-based approaches as knowledge translation tools in healthcare. Systematic Reviews, 2(1), 19-35.
Tabak, R. G., Khoong, E. C., Chambers, D. A., & Brownson, R. C. (2012). Bridging research and practice: Models for dissemination and implementation research. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 43(3), 337-350.