Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #104128

Sandra F. Naoom, MSPH, Karen A. Blase, PhD, Dean L. Fixsen, PhD, and Frances Wallace, MPH. Child and Family Studies, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, 13301 Bruce B. Downs Blvd., MHC 2312, Tampa, FL 33612, (813)974-2312, snaoom@fmhi.usf.edu

The formal and scientific information (“episteme”) on effective implementation strategies and issues is, at best, in its infancy. Thus, at a time when many more programs and practices are science-based, effective pathways to broad-scale implementation are dimly lit and rocky. The goal of this research was to capture the craft knowledge (“phronesis”) in this nascent arena of implementation. Concept mapping was used to record the wisdom and experience of evidence-based program developers and implementers. There were 23 participants representing a variety of different evidence-based practices and programs that are being implemented nationally. As part of the concept mapping process, the participants generated responses to a focus prompt, in this case, “Thinking at the practice, agency, and system level, one specific factor that influences or impacts implementation of a new program or practice is…” Participants generated approximately 124 statements, which they then sorted and labeled. In addition to sorting the statements, each participant was given a list of all 124 statements and asked to rate them from 1 to 5 in terms of importance, feasibility and dependency dimensions. The analysis of these data was conducted using the Concept System software package (Concept Systems, Inc.), which makes use of key multivariate statistical techniques including multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis. This analysis was used to create a conceptual map of statements generated by the participants. An analysis of the results and the relationship of the results to the conceptual frameworks for implementation will be presented.

Learning Objectives: