Bridging health research and policy: effective dissemination strategies

INVESTIGATED: This study presents findings from a series of focus groups, composed of stakeholders both on Capitol Hill and among national stakeholder organizations, used to identify strategies health services researchers can use for the effective dissemination and expanded use of health services research in health policy.

Focus groups were created to assess the usefulness of rural health research products and approaches for disseminating information, and in each focus group, respondents were asked for their evaluation of several types of dissemination products and approaches, as well as participants' utilization of research findings.

The focus groups identify strategies that include tailoring products to policymakers' needs, making Research products accessible, expanding working relationships with end users, and investing in greater capacity for dissemination. Implications are drawn for researchers who need to be proactive in thinking about the applications of their research to health policy, and who need to identify and seek resources to help them fund dissemination efforts.