Best tips for disseminating research for real-world impact
Nobody wants to conduct research that has no real impact. But what are the steps to ensuring that research makes a difference? What mistakes do researchers make?
CHIBE spoke with two leadership members – CHIBE Director Dr. Kevin Volpp and CHIBE’s Director of Value-Based Insurance Design Initiatives Dr. Jalpa Doshi – about how to make sure that research has real-world impact.
What’s your biggest tip for dissemination for making a real-world impact?
Dr. Volpp: Design projects with scale in mind starting with, when possible, conducting your study in settings with partners who have the interest and capability to scale if effective. Several of our studies done in collaboration with larger employers and consumer companies were scaled by our implementation partner once the studies were completed.
Dr. Doshi: Treat dissemination as an intentional part of the research process rather than an afterthought. Aligning strong evidence with timely policy moments ensures that research reaches people who can act on it. For example, when a federal court case threatened access to free preventive care, we translated our research findings into an infographic, an op-ed, and targeted outreach to reporters, advocacy groups, and legal teams so the evidence could inform the court.
What do you think are the most common mistakes researchers make when communicating their findings to non-academic audiences?
Dr. Volpp: Researchers may assume that what is an academically interesting question to them is interesting to everyone else; it’s better to focus on the real-world implications.
Dr. Doshi: A common mistake is assuming that publishing a paper and sharing it on social media is sufficient. Researchers often need to translate complex findings into clear, accessible messages through media, blogs, or policy briefs. Another mistake is focusing only on describing the problem rather than offering actionable, solution-oriented recommendations that policymakers and stakeholders can use.
Are there dissemination skills you think should be taught more explicitly in academic training?
Dr. Volpp: Recognition that this is important is a start. Thinking critically about the ‘so what’ question up front is important. It’s also important to be able to describe what you are testing and what you found in terms that non-academic audiences find easy to comprehend.
Dr. Doshi: Yes. Researchers would benefit from formal training on how to translate findings into formats that non-academic audiences can easily understand. This could include media training, guidance on writing high-impact op-eds, and strategies for effectively engaging stakeholders throughout the research process.
What advice do you have on finding the right reporters/lawyers/policymakers/changemakers to contact with your research?
Dr. Volpp: Like many things in life that are worthwhile, this takes effort. Pay attention to who is writing stories about topics you care about/making the kinds of changes you would like to see and seek out opportunities to meet them. You can write to them or try to find venues where they are speaking or ask someone to introduce you.
Dr. Doshi: Your institution’s communications office and government relations team can also help identify and connect you with the right people. Focus on a small number of well-connected individuals or organizations who can amplify your work rather than trying to reach everyone. This was one of the key strategies we used for our Medicare Part D drug policy research that resulted in the implementation of an annual out-of-pocket maximum combined with the option of “smoothing” these costs via monthly payments starting 2025.