Gerontological Nursing Interventions Research Center (GNIRC)

Title: Diffusion of Innovations Measures for Translational Science in LTC: LPNs and CAN

Principal Investigator: Eleanor McConnell, PhD, RN

Study Site: Duke University

Abstract

Translation of scientific findings into clinical care is often slow regardless of the clinical problem or care setting. Delays in translating innovations to bedside care contribute to poorer patient outcomes, particularly in long-term care (LTC) where the evidence base has only recently developed. Diffusion of Innovations (DoI) is a framework for explicating how clinical innovations translate into routine care that has been successfully applied to acute care and primary care. Use of DoI as a translational research framework in LTC is impeded by the lack of reliable and valid measures of DoI constructs. The goal of this study is to develop and test a set of measures representing three domains within the DoI framework to assess readiness for adoption of evidence-based practices in LTC by paraprofessional staff. The study complements a study recently funded by the Duke University TRAC Center that will develop DoI measures for use by RNs. The measures developed and tested will serve as a template for studying evidence-based practice protocols are not yet widely used in LTC. Methods include: (1) developing an item pool based on a systematic literature review; (2) refining items based on feedback from expert panels composed of LPNs and CNAs in LTC; and (3) examining the psychometric properties of each measure. This study builds upon ongoing efforts at Duke University to examine barriers LTC facilities face in implementing evidence-based practices into routine care, and an ongoing collaboration with university of Iowa GNIRC to develop translational research science methods for use in LTC.