The Information Dissemination Core (IDC) will work closely with the Leadership Administrative Core as an integrated resource with the capacity to coordinate locally with other Cores and `Pepper Scholars' to anticipate, process and distribute findings from Pilot/Exploratory, Developmental, and ongoing External Projects at the Northwestern OAIC. The IDC will utilize multiple novel approaches for information dissemination to quickly establish a new Northwestern Pepper Center within our institution, the great Chicago area, statewide and within the national Pepper Center network. The Northwestern OAIC's IDC will be built upon a well-established and innovative infrastructure supported by the Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM). Dr. Ronald Ackermann, MD MPH serves as Director of IPHAM, and will also lead the IDC. Two Centers within IPHAM will be leveraged for the timely outreach to large, diverse audiences: the Center for Health Information Partnerships (Director, Abel Kho, MD; Co-Director, IDC) and Center for Community Health. The overall goal of the IDC is to enhance translation of OAIC research findings into health care practice. Therefore, IDC initiatives include ongoing, bi-directional communications with professional societies, private and public organizations, health policy makers, and community resources. To share OAIC research findings, while also continually learning from these broad audiences, our IDC specific aims are to:
Aim 1 Engage community & healthcare organizations at local, state, regional and national levels to elicit information needs, establish technology-enabled dissemination channels, and maintain a shared intellectual exchange on improving primary care for older adults with multiple chronic conditions (MCC).
Aim 2 Assist Northwestern OAIC Cores and faculty participants in synthesizing research findings for a diverse set of stakeholders in preparation for dissemination.
Aim 3 Implement a multifaceted dissemination strategy leveraging new and existing mechanisms to inform lay and professional stakeholders on ways to improve health and function for older adults with MCC, emphasizing evidence-based approaches for primary care management. Immediate outputs of this work will include a highly discoverable repository of a full collection of traditional and non-traditional research products, coupled with a network of powerful relationships and communication channels that will extend the usability and impact of OAIC research.
