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Health-Related Dissemination and Implementation Science


Since 2008, CHIP has collaborated with the University of Connecticut Health Center and several other UConn centers and institutes to develop the Practice-Oriented Research Translation (PORT) Core of the Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science (CICATS).  The PORT Core was initiated in recognition of the increasing and unacceptable gap between research and practice, and is designed to advance the dissemination and implementation (D & I) of UConn-developed, evidence-based health promotion interventions and disease prevention innovations.  As a critical partner in the CICATS/PORT, CHIP has made valuable contributions to support its mission of accelerating the translation of health-related discoveries into clinical and community practice (i.e., D & I).  In 2012, CHIP will support CICATS in developing its application for the NIH’s Clinical and Translational Science Award.

In addition to sponsoring lectures by internationally known speakers on the topic of dissemination and implementation (see link below), CHIP also hosts several webpages in support of  the CICATS D&I Innovation Laboratory to support D&I practices across the University (see link below), including such resources as fact sheets about UConn-developed dissemination-ready health innovations, measurement instruments, and the “D&I Measurement Compendium,” a white paper written by CHIP researchers that provides investigators with a synthesis of validated measurement tools designed to assess D&I-related constructs.

CHIP also encourages and provides services to support grants and research studies that have dissemination and implementation components, consulting with researchers regarding relevant D&I frameworks and providing feedback during the writing process.  Two new grants received during FY11 and one new grant received during FY12 have significant dissemination and implementation components, as do several grants submitted through CHIP during FY11 and FY12.

One of the new grants received during FY11 seeks to understand the intervener, organizational, and other characteristics associated with the successful implementation of an effective HIV prevention-with-positives intervention.  The findings from this newly-funded work will make a contribution to the overall literature on dissemination and implementation research, and will be used to optimize the implementation of the team’s new, next generation, bio-behavioral prevention-with-positives pilot intervention study.

The other new grant received during FY11 with a dissemination and implementation focus will translate an effective behavior change intervention (entitled Look AHEAD), which increases weight loss and exercise behavior, into one that can be widely disseminated to diabetics.  To date, this has been a difficult intervention to implement, due to the extended, and expensive, clinical contacts required for intervention efficacy.  The researchers will translate Look AHEAD into a virtual intervention program which will provide ongoing nutrition and physical activity counseling 24/7 from any Internet-connected computer or mobile device.

The new grant received in FY12 with a dissemination and implementation focus involves developing, evaluating, and disseminating a series of training videos for parents of autistic children.  Another D&I-related grant under development by the same CHIP PI in the area of autism research will assess the implementation of new guidelines for early autism screening in pediatric practices.

For more details about recent CHIP D&I activities, please see the “Dissemination of CHIP Interventions” section (Section F, pp. 31-32) of CHIP’s FY11 Annual Report.

Dissemination and Implementation researchers at CHIP have a variety of opportunities to collaborate with faculty at the UConn Health Center and with the CICATS/PORT partner organizations including the Ethel Donaghue Center for Translating Research into Practice and Policy, the Center for Public Health and Health Policy, the Department of Community Medicine, the Community Health Center Association of Connecticut, the Institute for Community Research, and the Hispanic Health Council.

CHIP Health-Related Dissemination and Implementation Science Resources

CHIP Health-Related Dissemination and Implementation Science Researchers

Select Other UConn Health-Related Dissemination and Implementation Researchers

  • Ungemack, Jane, Dr. P.H.
    Community Medicine and Health Care
    University of Connecticut Health Center
    Farmington, CT
  • Villagra, Victor, M.D.
    Ethel Donaghue Center for Translating Research into Practice and Policy
    University of Connecticut Health Center
    Farmington, CT