Implementing evidence-informed programs

Description

Planning for effective knowledge dissemination and application in public health requires a deliberate and systematic approach. This resource identifies six steps to support the adoption of evidence-informed and innovative health promotion programming and policy: establishing evidence for program effectiveness identifying organizations for program adoption assessing organizational needs and characteristics adapting the program as needed developing implementation and training materials to facilitate program adoption planning for continuous program improvement and evaluation The developers provide concrete examples of these six steps using the adoption of an infant immunization program in a public health centre as an example. They also present a brief case study to illustrate their experiences and learning over the course of this knowledge translation initiative.

Steps for Using Method/Tool

The following six steps guide the user through the process of program dissemination:

1. Establish evidence for program effectiveness. Data collection and analysis is an important part of establishing program effectiveness. Pilot the program with a sufficiently large sample size and a control group to allow comparison of effects between the intervention and usual care program.
2. Identify organizations for program adoption. Through a review of the literature and other information sources, determine which organizations would be most likely to use or benefit from the program. Consider the need for and suitability of the intervention by the intended users/target population (e.g., appropriate reading levels, cultural relevancy).
3. Assess organizational needs and characteristics as they pertain to adoption. Determining the attributes of potential adopters is important when considering a dissemination strategy. Consider organizational capacity (i.e., physical space, computer usage, time, personnel, workload and other issues) when implementing a new program to ensure minimal disruption to existing programming.
4. Adapt the program to suit organizational needs and characteristics. This step involves modifying a new program to ensure that it meets the needs of potential adopters. Tailor the program to best suit organizational needs to reduce the time required to implement program activities. For example, consider pooling resources among implementation sites and developing a user-friendly software interface to support the transition.
5. Develop implementation and training materials to facilitate program adoption. This step emphasizes staff training and strategic planning for program implementation. Develop an implementation guide with interactive planning exercises that allows organizations to set program objectives, assess participant flow through the program, address staffing needs and determine criteria for participant enrolment to promote successful program adoption.
6. Develop an evaluation framework to facilitate program evaluation. Within the implementation guide, provide evaluation questions on outcomes of interest and establish related indicators. This evaluation framework is the basis for ongoing monitoring and modification of the program to ensure the program is meeting the needs of the target group.