The Role of Economic Evaluation in Dissemination and Implementation Research

This chapter presents an overview of how dissemination and implementation (D&I) research can be evaluated from an economic point of view. It begins with a brief review of economic concepts followed by a discussion of cost and outcome estimation from a D&I perspective. Using the Breakthrough Series Collaborative as a case study, a suggested approach is outlined to costing this implementation strategy and comparing its costs versus a "usual" implementation. Finally, observations are provided regarding the implications of economic evaluations for the field of D&I research in particular, and for policy in general.