TESTING A COMMUNITY-LEVEL RESEARCH UTILIZATION INTERVENTION

Research supports changing practice from heparinized to saline flushes for adults, yet heparin continues to be used in clinical practice. Th e primary aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of a communi ty level innovation diffusion intervention as a method of stimulating research utilization at three acute care facilities in one community s imultaneously. The change advocated was the flushing of intermittent i ntravenous devices (IID) with saline rather than heparin. Pilot IID un its were chosen on which to test the change from the use of heparin to saline flushes. The innovation focused on staff empowerment and was i mplemented in five phases. The change to saline flushes was successful and has been maintained. (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.