COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND DISSEMINATION CORE Adoption of research findings by individuals, providers, and communities is critical to improving health outcomes. However, passive diffusion of information, such as through publishing findings in scientific journals, is often ineffective in influencing practice. Active and targeted dissemination efforts, especially those that engage communities and other stakeholders, may have a greater impact. In our previous work, we engaged communities in a number of research and dissemination activities. Our Community Research Scholars Initiative increased the research capacity of community organizations. We taught 9 employees of community organizations about research methods and mentored them as they conducted research projects on topics relevant to their organizations. These organizations subsequently established a Community-Based Research Network to conduct collaborative research projects. The first collaborative project involves developing a community-academic partnership toolkit called BRACE (Building Research for Academic and Community Equity). We also established a practice-based research network of 65 northeast Ohio massage therapists and trained 32 community residents to be researchers in community-based participatory research projects. We now propose a conceptual framework-guided approach to disseminating information from the Center of Excellence?s research projects, pilot projects, and other activities. Dissemination will proceed through four phases: planning, packaging, distribution, and evaluation. The planning phase will create interactive dissemination activities that involve a two-way dialogue with stakeholders, not simply a one-way flow of information. The packaging phase will consider the language, format, accessibility, and appeal of dissemination material since these can influence utilization by target audiences. The distribution phase will determine which channels, or methods of communication, to use for distribution. These may include print material, internet-based approaches, mass media activities, and face-to-face interactions. Finally, the evaluation phase will evaluate the processes and outcomes of proposed engagement and dissemination activities. In addition, we will develop a strategic plan to translate our research findings into sustainable community and system-level changes. The proposed activities will be led by a dissemination workgroup consisting of researchers, community members, and other stakeholders. The Community Engagement and Dissemination Core will engage researchers, communities, and other stakeholders in efforts to disseminate research findings; will develop strategic planning processes to translate findings into sustainable changes; and will contribute to knowledge about best practices on disseminating health disparity research findings. !
