For people who work in academic research, standard dissemination includes sharing of research methods and findings through journal publications and conferences. While useful for academic audiences, standard approaches to dissemination are not the most effective way to impact health policy and practice.
Dissemination has many approaches and definitions, one is “the active approach of spreading evidence-based information to the target audience via determined channels using planned strategies” (Rabin & Brownson, 2017). Investigators need to design a dissemination strategy to establish the channels and strategies to be most effective at spreading information. To impact practice and policy, strategies for dissemination should target audiences who are in practice or policy, or have the ability to affect them, such as an advocacy organization.
“We know the standard route of dissemination through academic publications and conferences can take decades to affect policy, so researchers need to be sharing information in ways that better reach people who create or inform policy,” said Christopher Rice, research translation & policy lead at the IU Center for Global Health Equity.
Investigators should consider other opportunities to share information, such as technical working group meetings, professional association or practitioner-oriented conferences or legislative committee hearings. For research that targets communities, locations such as libraries, clinics, or religious or cultural centers can be useful to disseminate information.
“Social media is an ever-expanding means of disseminating information, but editorials, digital news outlets, and broadcast radio or TV can still be effective media to reach broad audiences,” said Rice.
Investigators will frequently save dissemination for the end of their project, often without a planned strategy or funding to do so. Before applying for a grant, during initial team meetings, and throughout the research, investigators should be planning with their team and stakeholders about how to effectively disseminate information.
“Planning with your stakeholders to pinpoint specific policies and practices you want to impact and budgeting for that process from the very beginning is crucial in making sure your findings reach the right audience in the right place,” said Rice.
It is also important to understand that different audiences have different motives and prefer information in different channels. Understanding where audiences receive information will ensure that investigators are presenting it in the right place.
“Clinicians are going to be interested in how this work could change their practice. Communities will care about a narrower scope to their own localities,” said Rice. “And policymakers are going to be thinking more broadly about amending or introducing legislation, or interpreting laws to change payment, care or treatment activities.”
A mixture of approaches can help in more complicated situations. For example, to influence the Ministry of Health, investigators might develop a policy brief with recommendations, but presenting at the Ministry’s strategic planning forum is likely to have more of an impact. “Dissemination should be less about sharing of information and more about creating information together,” said Rice. “Instead of sharing policy recommendations with the Ministry of Health by e-mail, investigators should seek to participate in the policy process and learn as well.”
Holding intermittent events throughout the research can start the dissemination process early and keep audiences informed, consulted and engaged throughout. In communities, understanding local knowledge and traditional means of sharing information can be useful. It can be more effective for a local community leader to share your message rather than the researcher themselves.
Relationships built during dissemination do not have to be one-sided. Investigators should seek to listen to their audiences and receive information as well as share it, building trust and long-term relationships. This can not only assist current dissemination efforts, but also sustainability, future funding and future dissemination.
“Dissemination does not start at the end of research,” said Rice. “If your audience has been with you since the start of your project, provided input and received updates throughout the process, they will be more apt to utilize your findings in the end and you will have a better understanding of what they want to receive.”
