The Promise and Challenges of Dissemination and Implementation Research

The dissemination and implementation (D&I) of research findings into practice are necessary to achieve a return on investment in our research enterprise and to apply research findings to improve outcomes in the broader community. This chapter seeks to place D&I research in context, and to identify the challenges in moving forward, and the pressure to increase the emphasis on this aspect of knowledge translation and research utilization. Given the growing emphasis on D&I as a means to increase the efficiency of the research enterprise, public policy, and the services with which we work, refining methods that will facilitate translation and implementation are imperative. Cultural changes within the academy and in linking researchers and practitioners will also be necessary adjuncts to effective progress.