Dissemination & Scale-up
Designing a pilot for dissemination from the outset can help a program scale up and be replicated in a larger trial.
Tips to Dissemination & Scale-up
What are dissemination & scale-up?
Dissemination & scale‑up mean extending an intervention to additional groups – within your organization, your community, or more broadly. Clarify your scale‑up goals and plan accordingly. We use both terms here to include the same ideas used by industry and academics.
Why is this component important?
If your intervention shows promise, then effective dissemination is essential to achieve optimal impact.
Strategic and targeted marketing ensures valuable findings and interventions reach key partners.
What are the key goals of this step?
Raise awareness and understanding of the intervention among possible implementation settings.
Promote uptake of the intervention in clinical practice, policy, and/or community settings.
Ensure clear, transparent, ethical, and inclusive communication with all audiences.
| Common Pitfalls | Actions to Avoid Them |
| Assuming publication alone will drive scale‑up. | Go beyond publication in dissemination plan. |
| Waiting until evaluation ends to plan scale‑up. | Plan for dissemination early. |
| Using uniform, one‑size‑fits‑all messaging. | Use multicomponent strategies. |
| Scaling up prematurely, such as scaling to populations unlike the study sample. | Ensure your study and targeted groups include representative populations. |
| Not evaluating dissemination outcomes. | Get feedback and evaluate results. Adapt your strategy as you continue to disseminate. |