SHining the SpOtlight Wide (SHOW): Advancing Dissemination Strategies through Continuous Engagement

Background: Lack of dissemination experience and lack of incentives inhibit patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) and comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) investigators from prioritizing dissemination throughout their projects. Evidence-based tools for dissemination exist, yet investigators may still struggle with how to conduct continuous dissemination during the intermediate stages of an award.

Proposed Solution to the Problem: Shining the SpOtlight Wide (SHOW) proposes a half-day virtual conference to engage patient and stakeholder partners, dissemination scientists, and PCOR investigators on how to systematically address common barriers to continuous dissemination in research. It will provide participants with the tools necessary to subsequently embed continuous dissemination within their respective studies. Three months after the SHOW conference, the stakeholder advisory board (SAB) will host a Dissemination Think Tank (DTT) to further support future dissemination efforts of conference participants.

Objectives: SHOW’s objective is to address existing barriers to PCOR/CER dissemination as a continual process throughout the research life cycle. Our specific aims are to:

1. Form and engage a patient-centered multi-disciplinary stakeholder advisory board (SAB) to identify current dissemination models and prioritize key themes and gaps
2. Co-develop the conference agenda with the SAB, including the selection of conference panelists, formulate breakout activities and recommend the outreach strategy
3. Conduct the conference with at least 40 attendees to share “real world” PCOR/CER examples to demonstrate effective dissemination as a continuous process
4. Gather metrics to evaluate outcomes and impact of the conference 
5. Codesign and host the Dissemination Think Tank with the SAB

Activities: The conference will consist of four consecutive sessions: 

1. Pre-Planning: how to budget for and integrate feedback loops on a shoestring budget and/or with limited staff; planning for effective evaluation for PCOR/CER projects
2. Planning: Audience Segmentation- The toolkit and prioritizing dissemination activities
3. Doing: Plain language and mapping out reasonable feedback loops
4. Delivering results: Putting all the pieces together: An example of a comprehensive dissemination plan that includes a planning framework, feedback loops, and sharing study updates and results via a “give-back” and other innovative approaches to sharing PCOR/CER information with broad and inclusive patient communities

The Dissemination Think Tank (DTT) will provide an opportunity for conference participants to discuss their PCOR/CER dissemination challenges with the SAB after short-term implementation of SHOW conference resources. SHOW’s DTT will include topic-specific breakout rooms that mirror the sessions in SHOW and address needs specified by attendees in the SHOW evaluation form.

Projected Outcomes and Outputs:
Short-term outcomes during the project period include the formation of the SAB, multi-stakeholder group attendance at the SHOW conference, creation and distribution of a planning framework, and dissemination of evidence-based resources.

Medium-term outcomes (0-2 years post-project period) include the development of materials tailored to various stakeholder audiences such as a lay summary, a manuscript, and conference abstract.

Long-term outcomes (3+ years post-project period) include sustained engagement with SHOW attendees.

Patient and Stakeholder Engagement Plan: The formation of the SAB ensures we have broad representation from research, dissemination science, and patient communities. Four SAB members were identified and supported the proposal writing process. The SAB will meet monthly to codevelop and execute the convening activities.