Dissemination and implementation of an educational tool for veterans on complementary and alternative medicine: a case study

BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Research Article

Michelle Marki¹  Rachel Forster Held¹  Susan Santos¹  Drew Helmer² 

[1] VA New Jersey Healthcare System, East Orange, NJ, USA;VA New Jersey Healthcare System, East Orange, NJ, USA;Department of Medicine, Rutgers University-New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA;

关键词: Dissemination Strategy;    Implementation Phase;    Educational Tool;    Hatha Yoga;    Interested Provider;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12906-016-1297-4

 received in 2016-02-03, accepted in 2016-08-17,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundWe developed and disseminated an educational DVD to introduce U.S. Veterans to independently-practiced complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) techniques and encourage CAM experimentation. The project’s goal was to determine optimal dissemination methods to facilitate implementation within the Veteran’s Health Administration.MethodsIn the first phase, the DVD was disseminated using four methods: passive, provider-mediated, active, and peer-mediated. In the second, implementation phase, “champion” providers who supported CAM integrated dissemination into clinical practice. Qualitative data came from Veteran focus groups and semi-structured provider interviews. Data from both phases was triangulated to identify common themes.ResultsEffective dissemination requires engaging patients. Providers who most successfully integrated the DVD into practice already had CAM knowledge, and worked in settings where CAM was accepted clinical practice, or with leadership or infrastructure that supported a culture of CAM use. Institutional buy-in allowed for provider networking and effective implementation of the tool. Providers were given autonomy to determine the most appropriate dissemination strategies, which increased enthusiasm and use.ConclusionsMany of the lessons learned from this project can be applied to dissemination of any new educational tool within a healthcare setting. Results reiterate the importance of utilizing best practices for introducing educational tools within the healthcare context and the need for thoughtful, multi-faceted dissemination strategies.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2016