Translating research into practice in nursing homes: can we close the gap?

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Healthcare Management
• Knowledge Translation

Background:

• A persistent gap exists between research findings and actual practice in nursing home (NH) care.
• Efforts to bridge this gap have been hindered by factors often overlooked: the dissemination process and the role of change agents.
• This review examines these elements using Rogers' innovation dissemination model.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the dissemination process and the role of change agents in nursing home (NH) settings.
• To evaluate how effectively current translation strategies used by NH change agents align with established dissemination principles.
• To identify recommendations for improving the adoption of evidence-based practices in NHs.

Main Methods:

• A review of translation strategies employed by change agents in NHs.
• Application of Rogers' innovation dissemination model to understand NH innovation adoption.
• Analysis of the broader dissemination literature to assess NH-specific strategies.

Main Results:

• Nursing homes (NHs) are generally slow to adopt innovations, requiring extended time and external support.
• Current dissemination strategies used by NH change agents do not consistently incorporate lessons from the wider field of dissemination research.
• There is a notable inconsistency in how evidence-based practices are translated and implemented.

Conclusions:

• Recommendations are provided for NH-focused research, policy, and practice to enhance dissemination strategies.
• Optimizing the use of existing resources for disseminating best practices can accelerate NH adoption.
• Improving dissemination can speed the implementation of evidence-based practices, ultimately benefiting NH residents.