There has been over the past two decades a surge in the evidence base on frailty?informed significantly by this OAIC, addressing causes, symptoms, assessment methods, prevention strategies, interventions, and treatment options. If this evidence base is to reach beyond academic circles, and begin to be implemented to improve the health and lengthen the independence of older adults, we believe that deliberate efforts to disseminate evidence and best practice on frailty beyond the scholarly literature is urgently needed. We therefore propose to develop the state-of-the art Information Dissemination Core (IDC) described in this application. To ensure a state-of-the-art approach, we will work with a highly experienced partner: Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs (CCP). CCP has long standing, high-profile expertise and experience in knowledge management (KM) and dissemination science, with clients including USAID, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and UNICEF. We envision our IDC as a national and international `go- to' resource for the latest information and resources related to frailty science from this OAIC and as well as other authoritative sources: Its mission is direct information on frailty science, practice and implications to the individuals who can most benefit from the information, including researchers, clinicians, professional societies and foundations, policymakers, students, and older adults seeking information on frailty. We propose to achieve this vision and mission through the following specific aims: (1) to develop a state-of-the- art online platform to efficiently disseminate current information on frailty-related science, practice, and implications. (2) To create a series of low-cost or free online courses and other materials that provide in- depth knowledge and training on key aspects of frailty, including biology, measurement, interventions, treatment options, prevention, clinical impact and policy impact. (3) To partner with professional societies (e.g., Gerontological Society of America), foundations (e.g., AFAR), and colleagues worldwide to promote high-impact frailty findings, and their translation through collaborative activities for information exchange, briefings for policymakers and key health care organizations, and participation in the development of evidence-based practice guidelines. (4) To promote scientific interaction on frailty so as to accelerate the field's progress and implementation to the benefit of older adults. We will develop pre-conference workshops to accompany the meetings of professional societies, expert conferences, webinars, and communities of practice to this end. The translation of frailty to clinical settings will be a primary area of focus. In all, we seek to drive practice innovation resulting in previously unrealized benefits for the health and independence of older adults?the central mission of this OAIC.
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