Abstract B06: Dissemination and implementation research in health: What it is and opportunities for funding

Abstract

Abstract Epidemiologists and public health researchers are increasingly interested in the translational value of their research. However, only a small fraction (estimated at 14 percent) of scientific discoveries are ever translated into public health practice, and the process from discovery to translation is exceedingly slow – approximately 17 years. There is a clear need for greater speed, relevance and application of scientific discoveries into programs and policies. In the past decade, the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) expanded their mission to include practice-based research to best understand how scientific discoveries and evidence-based interventions can best be translated not only into clinical or community applications but to have a broader impact on population health through changes in policy and practice. Through trans-NIH funding announcements, 15 institutes and centers at the NIH currently are soliciting proposals for research in the field of dissemination and implementation research in health. For the purposes of these announcements, dissemination is defined as the targeted distribution of information and intervention materials to a specific public health or clinical practice audience. The intent is to spread (or scale-up) and sustain knowledge and the associated evidence-based interventions. Implementation is the use of strategies to adopt and integrate evidence-based health interventions and change practice patterns within specific settings. In this presentation we will describe in more detail the emerging field of dissemination and implementation research in health, identify priority research areas that are highlighted in the program announcements, and provide advice on how to prepare an application. We also will provide additional information on training opportunities in dissemination and implementation science, and we will describe resources that are available for cancer researchers. Finally, we will discuss emerging areas including issues such as sustainability, reach and representativeness, cost-effectiveness, and de-implementation (particularly in regard to overtreatment and overdiagnosis in cancer.) Citation Format: Gila Neta, David Chambers, Cynthia Vinson, Russ Glasgow. Dissemination and implementation research in health: What it is and opportunities for funding. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2013 Oct 27-30; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2013;6(11 Suppl): Abstract nr B06.