Per the U.S. National Library of Medicine, dissemination and implementation science actually refers to two separate activities. Implementation science refers to the study of the empirical methods that impact how evidence-based interventions are integrated into clinical practice settings. Dissemination science refers to the process of spreading newly acquired information and knowledge to the previously mentioned practice settings.
Dissemination and Implementation 101
The goal of implementation science is to identify, understand and resolve the barriers and challenges of successfully implementing new medical interventions that are safe and effective. Translating medical research into clinical practice is starts with the distribution of information to clinicians and continues with persuading them to adopt and successfully implement the new practices into their settings. Creative problem solving and accelerated operational processes are necessary for the public to enjoy the new benefits of medical science.
The work doesn’t stop with introducing new concepts because medical scientists must ensure that the new practices are monitored and that the new programs are sustainable. This is further compounded by the fact that researchers, health care providers, government agencies and communities must collaborate and communicate to share knowledge and ensure continuous improvement. Before any of this begins, the proposed methods of intervention implementation must be reviewed because they will impact deliverables in ways that researchers never intended or imagined.
Why is This New Science so Important?
Research shows that it takes approximately 17 long years for just 14 percent of medical research to translate into clinical practices. This means that health care consumers will experience considerable delays or never even have opportunities to experience the new medical benefits or technologies. The driving goal of dissemination and implementation-based science is to create evidence-based interventions that can be successfully applied in real-world settings.
Increasing the number of new interventions that translate into clinical practices will positively impact and improve community health by expanding the available approaches and alternatives. Implementation science strives to enhance, generalize and represent intervention research in order to increase the quality of public health levels. Once dissemination efforts rise beyond traditional journal publications and meeting presentations, the number of evidence-based interventions that are implemented will increase.
How to Enter This New Career Field?
Anyone who wishes to enter the newly created field of dissemination and implementation-based science will need a strong medical background. Most colleges require that applications have an accredited undergraduate degree, but preference is given to academic scholars and researchers who have field experience and demonstrable knowledge in a health-related field. Students often come from the fields of public health, clinical practice and health promotion. Many candidates will have a doctoral degree with relevant work experience.
A handful of schools offer one-year certificate programs that focus on the methods and concepts related to the strategic planning of health-related interventions. Some colleges offer graduate programs that promise students that they will master a broad set of clinical research methods, write engaging literature critiques and present research findings at state and national conferences. Graduates learn how to plan and execute simultaneous clinical research projects. Classwork covers topics like conducting responsible research, introduction to statistical computing and epidemiologic data management.
Dissemination and implementation science is a new field that strives to improve how medical research is being translated into clinical practices.
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