Background: This Viewpoint argues for consumers (people with lived experience and their families) to be amplified as key partners in dissemination and implementation science and practice.
Method: We contend that consumer opinion and consumer demand can be harnessed to influence practitioners and policymakers.
Results: Amplifying consumers' voices can improve the fit of evidence-based interventions to the intended end user. We offer recommendations of frameworks to engage consumers in the dissemination and implementation of health interventions. We discuss the primary types of evidence consumers may rely upon, including testimonials and lived experience.
Conclusions: Our intention is for this Viewpoint to continue the momentum in dissemination and implementation science and practice of engaging consumers in our work.
Keywords: consumers; dissemination; implementation; lived experience; participatory research; partners.
Dissemination and implementation science has insufficiently acknowledged the importance of consumers (people with lived experience and their families) as partners in implementation initiatives. In this viewpoint, we highlight the role consumer opinion can play in influencing practitioners’ and policymakers’ decisions to sustainably implement evidence-based practices. We encourage implementation researchers and practitioners to solicit and respond to consumer perspectives during their implementation efforts.
© The Author(s) 2023.