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, conducting, and evaluating their research.