Tailoring dissemination of evidence to preferences of tobacco control partners: results from an academic-community partnership

Background

Tobacco control program leaders may improve the use of evidence in program and policy development by presenting evidence to policymakers more often. However, current scientific knowledge regarding what works is slow to reach decision-makers. We discuss our efforts to learn about and use the preferences of tobacco control leaders for obtaining evidence, as well as the distribution techniques, translational products, and outcomes that resulted.

Methods

This work is part of the Advancing Science and Practice in the Retail Environment (ASPiRE) Center, an interdisciplinary research centre focused on understanding and evaluating tobacco retail policy. Participants were members of the ASPiRE Community Advisory Board (CAB), comprised of tobacco control leaders from 30 metropolitan areas representing all regions of the US plus nine representatives from leading national tobacco control organisations (N = 39). During meetings in February 2019 and October 2020, all CAB members were invited to participate in live polls consisting of six survey questions each. Questions addressed preferences for receiving scientific evidence and their anticipated use of ASPiRE translational products. Responses were analysed descriptively and informed translational product development and communications with ASPiRE contact list members (N = 125). ASPiRE email and website interactions were tracked from March 2019 to May 2021 as a complementary indication of content use.

Results

Response rates for 2019 and 2020 CAB meetings were 66% (n = 26) and 59% (n = 23), respectively. CAB members indicated preferences for email communication (33%) and webinars (31%), communications once per month (46%), and short-format documents (28%). In response, the team developed translational short-format products including case studies, fact sheets, and research briefs. On average, 52% (SD = 14%) of recipients opened the newsletter and 17% (SD = 9%) clicked a link within the newsletter. Overall, 95% of responding CAB members found the products useful and all responding CAB members reported using them to communicate evidence to policymakers, staff, and coalition members.

Conclusions

Researchers working with community partners might adapt this effective dissemination method for making information more available and usable for tobacco control leaders to analyse and respond to stakeholders' preferences for getting evidence in other areas of health policy.