Diffusion, dissemination, and implementation: who should do what?

Conference item

The concepts of diffusion, dissemination, and implementation are distinguished as progressively more active steps in the process of flowing valid and reliable research information into clinical practice. Using a staged model of behavior change, diffusion is seen as a precursor for dissemination activities, which in turn "predispose" physicians to consider change in their practices. Local implementation activities capitalize on this by "enabling" and subsequently "reinforcing" the desired behavior change. Different skills are needed for each activity. Biomedical journals, with some improvements, are identified as diffusion agents. Collaboration between academics and medical organizations is best suited to the dissemination stage. Local agents, empowered by resources, are best equipped for implementation activities.

Authors: Lomas, J

• Publication status: Published
• Host title: Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
• Volume: 703
• Issue: 1 Doing More Go
• Pages: 226-235
• Publication date: 1993-12-01
• Event location: UNITED STATES
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1993.tb26351.x
• EISSN: 1749-6632
• ISSN: 0077-8923
• ISBN: 0897668332
• Keywords: Information Services; Humans; Health Services Research; Physician's Role; Motivation; Interprofessional Relations; Organizational Innovation; Models, Psychological; Periodicals as Topic; Reproducibility of Results; Physician's Practice Patterns; Health Policy; Learning; Decision Making; Communication Barriers; Delivery of Health Care