Disseminating QI interventions.
BACKGROUND
Partnerships contributed to the success of three diverse health care quality improvement (QI) projects. The Partnerships for Quality (PFQ) Dissemination Planning Tool was used to identify the most appropriate partners to disseminate the QI interventions for three projects, that is, partners most likely to reach and influence the target user(s)-(1) the Catholic Healthcare Partners Heart Failure Partnership, a multisite demonstration of the efficacy of a collaborative approach in the management of heart failure, (2) the Center for Value Purchasing, a collaborative study of the effects of quality incentives on the delivery of chronic disease care, and (3) the New York State Information Dissemination project, a collaborative partnership that targeted dissemination of evidence-based practices in the long term care setting.


RESULTS
The RE-AIM model, a construct to aid planning, implementation, and evaluation of health behavior interventions, was used as a framework to examine the impact of partnerships on the three collaborative projects.


CONCLUSIONS
When carefully selected and nurtured, partnerships can substantially facilitate the dissemination and impact of quality improvement projects. The PFQ Dissemination Planning Tool was helpful in identifying and developing strategies for working with partners who could facilitate dissemination of promising practices. The RE-AIM model was a useful framework for examining the impact of the partnerships on the QI projects.
Boratgis
Gabriel
G
Research Division, Hebrew Home for the Aged, Riverdale, New York, USA.
Broderick
Suzanne
S
Callahan
Michael
M
Combes
John
J
Lannon
Carole
C
Mebane-Sims
Irma
I
Namie
Margie
M
Pinã
Ileana L
IL
Rabbu
Ron
R
Robinson
Joanne
J
Snow
Richard
R
Watt
Ann
A
D002300:Cardiac Care Facilities / Q000592:standards; D003120:Colorado; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000628:therapy; D006739:Hospital Administration / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D008910:Minnesota; D009518:New York; D009735:Nursing Homes / Q000592:standards; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012052:Reimbursement, Incentive; D014481:United States; D016270:United States Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality