Abstract
BACKGROUND: Linking agents connect program developers with end users, enhancing implementation and sustainability of health promotion programs. However, little is known about how linkage systems work in practice and research settings. OBJECTIVE: This article describes the activities and communication patterns of field coordinators in a 4-year, national study of the dissemination of an effective skin cancer prevention program. METHODS: Descriptive and content analyses were completed for all e-mails between field coordinators and program staff and for field coordinator activity logs. RESULTS: A total of 5,215 e-mails were sent to or from 62 field coordinators from 2003 to 2006. E-mails most often concerned program administration, data collection, and management of program materials. The most common activities recorded in activity logs were communication with program staff and study sites, management of surveys, and delivery and management of program materials. CONCLUSION: Field coordinators carried out activities related to program administration and data collection across a large number of study sites. The high volume of e-mails and their emphasis on program administration issues demonstrate the importance of communication between program staff and field coordinators. It is recommended that public health researchers and practitioners implement similar linkage systems when taking effective programs to scale.