Engagement, Dissemination, and Implementation: A Review of the Correctional Health Studies funded by the National Institute of Health's HEAL Initiatives.

Abstract

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) established the Helping to End Addiction Long-term^® (HEAL) Initiative, an institute-wide effort to advance scientific discovery and clinical practice in the areas of addiction and pain, with a focus on vulnerable populations. From 2018 to 2023, NIH-HEAL sponsored over 40 research programs, issuing more than 200 funding announcements that led to approximately 923 unique studies. In this paper, we focus on the NIH-HEAL studies concentrated on justice-involved populations (n=58) and two initiatives aimed at engaging stakeholders in disseminating HEAL findings. We reviewed the components of the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR) and its utility in translating scientific studies and disseminating research findings to improve correctional health, particularly regarding addiction-related interventions. We consider how the knowledge gained from these studies can benefit dissemination, engagement, and implementation strategies to advance uptake of research into correctional health practice and reduce distrust in science by: (1) engaging appropriate study audiences utilizing these dissemination materials; (2) targeting dissemination and outreach efforts toward various researchers engaged in similar studies; and (3) building support from specific populations and settings that would benefit from the implementation of reforms based on information from the NIH-HEAL studies. This study underscores the necessity of fostering better partnerships to advance the translation and utilization of research findings in practice. It also highlights the need for more normative-re-educative approaches in the science translation and dissemination processes.