Research in communication skills training translated into practice in a large organization: A proactive use of the RE-AIM framework

Objective: To describe how a specific communication course for health professionals has been evaluated and implemented in clinical practice and how it will be transferred and evaluated at the entire hospital. Methods: The different phases of the research process from generating the hypothesis to implementing the results are described and exemplified by means of published studies and a study under planning. RE-AIM, an acronym for Reach, Efficacy/Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance, is used to describe the process. Results: In descriptive studies we identified a need for improving the communication with patients. By evaluating the efficacy and effectiveness of communication skills training we showed that the courses could improve clinicians' self-efficacy in specific communication tasks. After all clinicians had participated in the communication course the proportion of satisfied parents increased significantly. Based on these experiences a program for implementing the communication course at the entire hospital is being planned. Conclusion: To succeed in translating the research results into practice, long-term commitment is needed in order to create a conducive climate for the implementation. Practice implications: This focused and goal-oriented approach may inspire other researchers when planning, concluding, and evaluating their research. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.