DISSEMINATION AND IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH IN MENTAL HEALTH ADDENDUM TO
PA-02-131
Release Date: August 14, 2002
NOTICE NUMBER: NOT-MH-02-009
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
(http://www.nimh.nih.gov)
This notice is an addendum to program announcement PA-02-131,
(http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-02-131.html), which was
released in the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts on July 19, 2002. PA-02-131
supports work around the development of conceptualizations of dissemination and
implementation that are applicable across diverse practice settings, and the
design of studies that will accurately assess the outcomes of dissemination and
implementation efforts.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this addendum is to clarify the specific terms used within the
announcement to reinforce the research areas appropriate for funding
consideration by the NIMH (see RESEARCH OBJECTIVES), and to note a correction to
the Grants Management contact (see INQUIRIES).
RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
For the purpose of this PA, a distinction is made between the terms
"dissemination" and "implementation."
o Dissemination is the targeted distribution of information to a specific
audience. The intent is to spread knowledge, in this case about mental illness
and the associated evidence-based interventions.
o Implementation is the use of strategies to introduce or adapt evidence-based
mental health interventions within specific settings.
Dissemination Research
Critical information is currently lacking about how, when, by whom, and under
what circumstances research evidence spreads throughout the agencies,
organizations, and front line workers providing mental health services. As a
necessary prerequisite for determining how information can lead to treatment or
service changes, there is a need to understand how and why information on mental
health treatments may or may not reach many different stakeholders. There is
also a need to understand what underlies the creation, transmission, and
reception of information on evidence-based psychopharmacological and
psychosocial interventions. Successful dissemination of mental health
information (including information about underutilized interventions) may occur
quite differently depending upon whether the audience consists of consumers,
caregivers, practitioners, policymakers, employers, administrators, or another
stakeholder group. Theory-driven research is needed that will identify
mechanisms and approaches to package and convey the evidence-based information
necessary to improve care.
Implementation Research
Previous efforts in dissemination research have often assumed that interventions
can be transferred into any service setting without modification and that a
unidirectional flow of information (e.g., publishing a guideline) is enough to
achieve practice change. "Success" of the transfer has been largely assessed
based on structural measures (such as counts of personnel or contacts) or
patient outcome measures that do not specifically assess how the intervention
was implemented or whether the implementation remained faithful to the original
conceptualization and intent of the intervention. Development of a knowledge
base about "how" interventions are transported to real-world practice settings
is needed, which is likely to require more than the dissemination of information
about the interventions. This research announcement encourages theory-driven
research to develop conceptual frameworks around implementation (processes that
emphasize the constraints of resources in local care settings and needs of
stakeholders).
Dissemination and implementation research must be interdisciplinary, and must
utilize theories, empirical findings, and methods from a variety of fields not
traditionally associated with mental health research. Some examples of such
fields are: information science, clinical decision-making, organizational theory,
finance, strategic and behavioral change, anthropology, learning theory, and
marketing. Research plan must include collaboration with stakeholders from
multiple mental health settings as well as consumers of services and their
families/social networks.
INQUIRIES
o Direct your questions about scientific/research issues to:
David A. Chambers, Ph.D.
Division of Services and Intervention Research
National Institute of Mental Health
Neuroscience Center, Room 7133 MSC-9631
Bethesda, MD 20892-9631
Telephone: (301) 443-3747
FAX: (301) 443-4045
Email: dchamber@mail.nih.gov
o Direct your questions about financial or grants management matters to:
Joy R. Knipple
Grants Management Branch
Division of Extramural Activities
National Institute of Mental Health
6001 Executive Boulevard, Room 6131 MSC 9605
Bethesda, MD 20892-9605
Rockville, MD 20852 (for express/courier service)
Telephone: (301) 443-8811
FAX: (301) 443-6885
Email: jk173r@nih.gov
Weekly TOC for this Announcement
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