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We provided a synthesis of use, summarized key issues in applying, and highlighted exemplary applications in the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. We articulated key RE-AIM criteria by reviewing the published literature from 1999 to 2010 in several databases to describe the application and reporting on various RE-AIM dimensions.
After excluding nonempirical articles, case studies, and commentaries, 71 articles were identified. The most frequent publications were on physical activity, obesity, and disease management. Four articles reported solely on 1 dimension compared with 44 articles that reported on all 5 dimensions of the framework.
RE-AIM was broadly applied, but several criteria were not reported consistently. (Am J Public Health. 2013;103:e38-e46. doi:10. 2105/AJPH.2013.301299)
MANY INTERVENTIONS FOUND to be effective in prevention and disease management research fail to be widely adopted or translated into meaningful outcomes.1-3 Barriers to wide-scale implementation arise at multiple levels: citizens and patients, the practitioner and staff, organizational, and community and policy levels.4 Several evaluation frameworks have been developed to facilitate translation of research findings. Some of these frameworks are intended to help guide both the development and evaluation of an intervention,5 whereas others are designed solely for evaluation.6
The Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework is now 14 years old. The first RE-AIM publication was in the American Journal of Public Health in 1999.7 The model grew out of the need for improved reporting on key issues related to implementation and external validity of health promotion and health care research literature.8 RE-AIM was developed partially as a response to trends in research conducted under optimal efficacy conditions instead of in real-world complex settings.9 The concern was not that this type of research was being conducted, but rather that it was and is still often considered the only type of valid research and the "gold standard" for decisionmaking and guidelines. Although intended to be used at all stages of research from planning through evaluation and reporting, and across different types (e.g., programs, policies, and environmental change interventions),10,11 RE-AIM elements follow a logical sequence, beginning with adoption and reach, followed by implementation and efficacy or effectiveness, and finishing with maintenance.
The dimensions of the framework are defined as follows. Reach is the absolute number, proportion, and representativeness of individuals...