ERIC Number: ED227430
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1982-Aug
Pages: 51
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Information Utilization and Non-Utilization and Executive Summary.
Larsen, Judith K.
Community mental health centers have been faced with mandates to introduce new programs or improve old ones often without the necessary information or expertise to implement such changes. Community mental health centers (N=39) were studied to identify the nature and extent of information use and factors related to information use. Experts visited local community centers, conducted sessions with staff and provided both general and research based information in the area of proposed program change. Trained observers recorded each idea suggested by the experts and provided copies to the consultant staff. Followup interviews with staff at four- and eight-month periods were used to determine the nature and extent of utilization. Approximately 75% of the suggestions provided to local organizations were used in the process of implementation. Information that was rejected tended to be relatively difficult to implement. Utilization in which information was adapted was the most time consuming and involved only six percent of the ideas suggested. The findings suggest that information utilization takes time, especially implementation of more complex information or adaptation of ideas. Research studies which fail to take into account the time required for utilization to occur may not provide accurate data on the extent of utilization. (MCF)
Publication Type: Reports - Research; Speeches/Meeting Papers
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Inst. of Mental Health (DHHS), Rockville, MD.
Authoring Institution: American Institutes for Research in the Behavioral Sciences, Palo Alto, CA.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Note: Paper presented at the Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association (90th, Washington, DC, August 23-27, 1982). For related document, see CG 016 564.