How Virtual Communities of Practice Change the Way We Disseminate and Implement Research and Best Practices

Background:  While the goal for all health communication is to ultimately improve health outcomes, the percentage of  research findings that are actually put into practice remains fairly small (Glasgow et al., 2012). Because of this research translation gap, dissemination and implementation of evidence-based public health strategies, programs, and polices remains a challenge, such that communities and clinics may not fully benefit from the investment in research.  The introduction of Web 2.0 technologies has led to a paradigm shift from static websites that push information out to dynamic online communities that allow for two way dialogue and enhanced learning opportunities. With shrinking budgets and geographic constraints, many organizations , both in the private and federal sector, are relying on these Virtual Communities of Practice (VCoP) to disseminate research findings and provide some level of technical assistance to researchers, clinicians, and other health professionals.

Program background:  The National Cancer Institute (NCI)’s Research-to-Reality (R2R) community of practice helps translate research into practice by maximizing opportunities for collaboration. On R2R, researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers discuss evidence-based recommendations, interventions, and policies.  Through interactive features and targeted learning communities members learn what it takes to select, adapt, and implement EBIs while maintaining fidelity to achieve desired health outcomes.

Evaluation Methods and Results:  The ongoing, systematic evaluation of R2R has been essential for content management and community development. Measuring and tracking Web analytics alone do not capture the growth or vitality of the community of practice. Therefore, NCI adapted the Macuarium Set of Community Practice Measurements and collects data to measure each of the dimensions. In 2015, the R2R website had 42,000 page views with an average monthly page view of 3,200. The home page and the cyber-seminars make up the most visited sections of the site, followed by discussions and featured partners pages.  Registration and membership data are also tracked monthly, and these numbers have grown steadily. A mixed-method content analysis using qualitative research analysis software (http://www.dedoose.com/) was used to evaluate the level of engagement with R2R discussions and the types of content or cues that prompted R2R members to post and interact with one another. Findings showed that the most commonly posted community generated cancer-issue posts were around communication and program implementation and dissemination. R2R members were more likely to respond to posts when a colleague was asking for help or advice, consistent with the literature on community engagement.   As the community has grown, so has the level of engagement on the site. Program data demonstrate a 62% increase in community-generated discussions since 2011.

Conclusions:  R2R has attracted a robust membership from many disciplines. Practitioners and researchers regularly join cyber-seminars and are eager to showcase their work in that forum. Anecdotal stories and discussions posted on R2R demonstrate its potential to conduct capacity-building activities despite a dwindling financial climate.

Implications for research and/or practice:  VCoPs can be an invaluable venue  to support research translation within and between organizations, and share research findings on the feasibility of uptake as well as best practices for program implementation.