DNP 825 How could you better implement descriptive epidemiological methods in your current or future practice?  Re: Topic 2 DQ 1

 DNP 825 How could you better implement descriptive epidemiological methods in your current or future practice? 

Re: Topic 2 DQ 1

The field of epidemiology has been broadly defined as “the study of how disease spreads and can be controlled or the branch of medicine which deals with the incidence, distribution, and possible control of diseases and other factors relating to health. One may ask why a distinct field of research is needed in order to more effectively translate research into practice. Implementation science” is one of several terms that have been used to describe the science of putting knowledge or evidence into action and of understanding what, why, and how evidence or evidence-based practices work in the real world.

Implementing science is broken down into 2 components, dissemination research and implementation research, which are defined as follows:

• Dissemination research is the scientific study of targeted distribution of information and intervention materials to a specific public health or clinical practice audience. The intent is to understand how best to spread and sustain knowledge and the associated evidence-based interventions.
• Implementation research is the scientific study of the use of strategies to adopt and integrate evidence-based health interventions into clinical and community settings in order to improve patient outcomes and benefit population health.

Just as epidemiologists may rely on causal directed acyclic graphs to determine which variables should be included in a regression model as possible confounders and which should be considered as potential mediators or effect modifiers. While it has been widely asserted that epidemiologists’ core function is to observe and analyze the distribution and control of diseases, we may disproportionately focus on the etiological questions at the cost of addressing the solutions. Given the emerging trend in translational sciences and the call by leaders in the field to take a more consequentialist approach.

Reference

Friis, R.H., & Sellers, T.A.(2020). Epidemiology for public health practice(6th ed.).Lones &Bartlett Learning

Neta, G., Brownson, R. C., & Chambers, D. A. (2018). Opportunities for Epidemiologists in Implementation Science: A Primer. American journal of epidemiology, 187(5), 899–910. https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwx323