Designing for diffusion: how can we increase uptake of cancer communication innovations?
OBJECTIVE
The best innovations in cancer communication do not necessarily achieve uptake by researchers, public health and clinical practitioners, and policy makers. This paper describes design activities that can be applied and combined for the purpose of spreading effective cancer communication innovations.


METHODS
A previously developed Push-Pull-Infrastructure Model is used to organize and highlight the types of activities that can be deployed during the design phase of innovations. Scientific literature about the diffusion of innovations, knowledge utilization, marketing, public health, and our experiences in working to spread effective practices, programs, and policies are used for this purpose.


RESULTS
Attempts to broaden the reach, quicken the uptake, and facilitate the use of cancer communication innovations can apply design activities to increase the likelihood of diffusion. Some simple design activities hold considerable promise for improving dissemination and subsequent diffusion.


CONCLUSIONS
Augmenting current dissemination practices with evidence-based concepts from diffusion science, marketing science, and knowledge utilization hold promise for improving results by eliciting greater market pull.


CONCLUSIONS
Inventors and change agencies seeking to spread cancer communication innovations can experience more success by explicit consideration of design activities that reflect an expanded version of the Push-Pull-Infrastructure Model.
Institute for Health Research, Kaiser Permanente Colorado, Denver, CO 80237-8066, USA. james.w.dearing@kp.org
James W
JW
Dearing
Matthew W
MW
Kreuter
D003142:Communication; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009369:Neoplasms