Written by Kim Furlow, communications manager, Institute for Public Health
WashU faculty, staff and affiliates in research-focused positions recently gathered for an introductory workshop in D&I science. Offered each spring, and facilitated by the Center for Dissemination and Implementation, the workshop focuses on core definitions, mechanisms, methods and stages of D&I science while convening and connecting like-minded investigators.
According to the National Institutes of Health, closing the gap between research discovery and clinical and community practice is both a complex challenge and an absolute necessity to ensure that all populations benefit from the nation’s investments in scientific discoveries. To this end, Elvin Geng, MD, director of the center and professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases collaborated with Public Health Faculty Scholars Stephanie Mazzucca-Ragan, PhD; Byron Powell, PhD; Allison King, MD, PhD; Ross Brownson, PhD; Rachel Tabak, PhD; Aaloke Mody, MD; Rebecca Lengnick-Hall, PhD; and colleagues Catherine Schwarz and Ashley Sturm, to develop and facilitate the Introductory D&I Workshop over a two-day period.
Attendee, Danielle Cicka MD, PhD said the workshop gave her “a better understanding of the breadth of methodologies used in Dissemination and Implementation science and, a stronger strategy for grant writing and crafting compelling arguments for D&I projects.”
“This workshop fueled several new project ideas merging my interests in D & I, hematology, and my background in pharmacology to develop sustainable solutions for increasing patient access to treatments,” Cicka said.
Organizers report that the 2024 workshop hosted a record number of attendees. Included among the workshop topics were:
- The motivation for implementation science & need for general but impactful implementation research
- Mechanisms as a method
- Approaches to addressing the gap between evidence and practice
- The role of theory; common frameworks and theories; & specific frameworks (e.g., CFIR)
- Implementation strategies, including how they can be identified and classified; processes for designing and tailoring; the importance of specifying and testing mechanisms of change; and tools for tracking and reporting
- Research designs that can advance D&I research & Designing for dissemination (D4D) to ensure that public health and clinical interventions are implemented in ways that match well with adopters’ needs, assets, and time frames
Registration for the spring 2025 workshop will open in January. Stay tuned to WashU’s D&I website for updates!
Learn about more advanced core courses in Dissemination and Implementation offered at WashU.