Promoting new practices to increase access to and retention in addiction treatment: An analysis of five communication channels

Addiction treatment programs adopt evidence-based practices slowly, in part because adopting a new practice is a process, not an event. Using different communication channels may have a different effect at different points in the process. This paper reports the effectiveness of five communication channels in getting substance abuse treatment programs to adopt new business practices. In this study, national trade media coverage produced the greatest interest among programs and the greatest number of decisions to adopt. Conference presentations produced fewer decisions to adopt than national media, but were the most effective channel when compared to the number of programs they reached. Peers were the greatest influence in moving clinic staff from the decision to adopt to implementation. These findings give preliminary evidence for using different communication channels at different times during an effort to promote the adoption of best practices.

► We examined provider response to communication channels in the ACTION Campaign.
► National trade media produced the highest number of decisions to adopt a practice.
► Peer communication had the greatest influence on implementing a practice.
► Identifying communication strategies is an important part of research planning.