Integrating community readiness assessments into the translational research process

Translating and adapting innovative evidence-based health interventions to communities experiencing health disparities via community-based participatory methods can also help close the gap between science and practice. However, communities may be at different stages of readiness, which largely determines whether an intervention is implemented and accepted by the community. Public health practitioners should implement programs when a community is “ready.” Readiness assessments can determine a project's feasibility and the capacity building strategies needed. Community readiness is multidimensional and different models place emphasis on different components of readiness. This presentation integrates existing assessment models of community and organizational readiness into a practical format. Participants will learn how to assess readiness as part of their prevention planning and implementation efforts. Implications and future recommendations for public health practitioners and scholars are discussed.