Improving Outcomes of Care – Evidence-Based Implementation

Our current featured article addresses one of the great concerns in health care today — evidence-based Intervention (EBI), or  the adoption and implementation of practices that are supported by research evidence.  The title of the article is “Synthesizing Marketing, Community Engagement, and Systems Science Approaches for Advancing Translational Research.” by Shawn M. Kneipp, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, APHN-BC, FAANP; Jennifer Leeman, DrPH, MDIV; Pamela McCall, BSN, RN, MPH; Kristen Hassmiller-Lich, PhD; Georgiy Bobashev, PhD; Todd A. Schwartz, DrPH; Robert Gilmore, BS; Scott Riggan, BA; and Benjamin Gil. This is a thought-provoking article that adds significantly to the ongoing discussion of the meaning of “evidence,” and the issues surrounding the links between and among research, theory and practice.  Here is the abstract of the article:

The adoption and implementation of evidence-based interventions (EBIs) are the goals of translational research; however, potential end-users’ perceptions of an EBI value have contributed to low rates of adoption. In this article, we describe our application of emerging dissemination and implementation science theoretical perspectives, community engagement, and systems science principles to develop a novel EBI dissemination approach. Using consumer-driven, graphics-rich simulation, the approach demonstrates predicted implementation effects on health and employment outcomes for socioeconomically disadvantaged women at the local level and is designed to increase adoption interest of county program managers accountable for improving these outcomes in their communities.

I invite you to read this article and consider ways the ideas might advance our collective interest in strengthening the connections between evidence and practice.  Visit the ANS web site today to download itt, and return here to add your comments and responses!