Student SIG Response to “Designing Behavioral Medicine Programs for Dissemination and Sustainable Practice: The Let’s Eat Healthy Program”

Kathryn Pluta, PhD¹, Aliye B. Cepni, PhD², Student SIG

Importance of Training in the Dissemination and Implementation Science

Behavioral medicine is an interdisciplinary field wherein students have highly diverse types of training and areas of expertise. Research skills are the foundation of many students’ training in behavioral medicine. These research competencies are indispensable, whether one is delving into the development of interventions or exploring the intricate biopsychosocial factors influencing health and health behaviors. While there is a strong emphasis on theoretical frameworks and scientific methodologies, there is often a notable gap in training focused on dissemination and implementation strategies. Training in dissemination and implementation science is crucial to bridge the gap between research findings and real-world applications.^1,2

While conducting impactful research is fundamental, it is equally essential to ensure that the knowledge gained is effectively shared, adopted, and integrated into clinical practice and community settings.¹ Dissemination and implementation science equip students with the skills to translate research findings into actionable strategies, policies, and interventions that can be implemented on a broader scale. This training fosters collaboration among researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and community partners, facilitating the adoption of evidence-based practices and interventions. Ultimately, expertise in dissemination and implementation science ensures that research outcomes are not only scientifically sound but also accessible and applicable, thereby maximizing the potential to improve health outcomes and address health disparities in diverse populations.

Dissemination and Implementation Science Training Opportunities for Students

The Evaluation of Research for Implementation case study for teaching provides a structured guide for evaluation and implementation. Student SIG members praised the case study, citing its versatile examples beneficial for developing and evaluating interventions across various expertise areas. The case study is easy to follow and accessible, even for those with a limited research knowledge and expertise in implementation science. For instance, readers are guided through evaluating research for integrity and evidence of implementation; including theory-driven measures, reliability, validity, intervention fidelity, participant assurances and expectations, data collection and analysis, attrition, and anomalous findings. When designing interventions for dissemination, the end goal of implementation and sustainability is salient from the inception of the design. It is important to consider and integrate implementation implications alongside reliability, validity, and study outcomes. Keeping implementation and sustainability at the forefront of study design allows researchers to iteratively design the study protocol to be ready for implementation and dissemination. This case study is an excellent resource to help students integrate concepts of basic study design, evaluation, and forethought regarding implementation and dissemination.

Designing for dissemination will make our work in the field of behavioral medicine more efficient and research more impactful. Considering how can our research makes a long-term impact on the populations we serve at the time of study design will keep the ultimate end goal of translating research into practice salient and tangible. Providing students and behavioral medicine researchers with the training and tools to conduct translational research from the outset will allow for more intentional research that could have a greater impact on the health and well-being of the populations they serve.

Affiliations

1. Assistant Scientist, Department of Health Outcomes & Biomedical Informatics, University of Florida College of Medicine
2. Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Exercise Science, University of South Carolina

Resources

1. Tabak RG, Padek MM, Kerner JF, et al. Dissemination and implementation science training needs: Insights from practitioners and researchers. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2017;52(3 Suppl 3):S322-s329.
2. Brownson RC, Colditz GA, Proctor EK. Dissemination and implementation research in health: Translating science to practice. Oxford University Press; 2018.