Participatory Approaches in Dissemination and Implementation Science

Abstract

Abstract Engaging a wide range of partners in dissemination and implementation (D&I) efforts supports the goal of integrating the best available research evidence with practice and community needs and expertise. Several aspects are worth considering. First, strategic selection of engagement levels can offer academic, practice, and/or community partners the opportunity to improve the impact of D&I efforts. Second, participatory approaches to D&I may require a shift in mindset for academic researchers new to this work as they learn to see practice and community partners not as sources of information or access to communities, but as collaborators who offer vital, complementary expertise and should benefit directly from the work. Community and practice partners may also need support to engage with research teams and identify ways to benefit from of participating in research. By “making the tent bigger,” a wider range of available resources can be tapped and a greater range of needs can be met with a given study or project. Third, another shift involves the obligation to identify ways to align a given D&I effort with action, networks, and priorities of the implementing system. This systems-focused approach also prompts consideration of a broader set of outcomes, recognition of diverse ways of knowing, and opportunities to reshape the implementation context for equity.