Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: A national knowledge transfer (KT) strategy is needed to support decision makers' (DM) uptake of high-quality evidence in program planning/policy making. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) evaluated an innovative KT strategy in promoting evidence-informed decision making among DM in local public health units and regional health authorities across Canada.
Methods: This RCT investigated 3 progressively more intense KT interventions: 1) access to an online registry of systematic reviews at health-evidence.ca, 2) registry access plus targeted messages, and 3) registry access, targeted messages, and knowledge brokering services, focused specifically on uptake of evidence pertaining to physical activity and health body weight promotion among children and youth. Public health units (n=108, or 76%) were recruited and stratified by population served using Statistics Canada data prior to randomization. The intervention occurred January-December 2005. A knowledge utilization survey was administered at baseline, one month following baseline, and immediately post-intervention. The final data collection period occurred January 2007, one year post-intervention.
Results: Pilot testing of the survey in June 2004 among DM (n=23) resulted in minor revisions. No significant differences were identified between groups at baseline. Good follow-up (81.5%) was achieved. Findings indicate that health units that received tailored messages (group 2) provided significantly more programming supported by research evidence immediately following the intervention than those exposed to health-evidence (group 1) and the knowledge broker (group 3), P<.009. No difference was found between groups when the intervention was measured in a global outcome as 'extent to which research influenced any decisions related to healthy body weight in children'.
Conclusions: Results demonstrated that tailored messaging can be effective in promoting evidence-informed decision making. Hypotheses concerning lack of effect measured in the broker group will be discussed. Findings also provide an opportunity to discuss measurement issues in KT intervention research.
Methods: This RCT investigated 3 progressively more intense KT interventions: 1) access to an online registry of systematic reviews at health-evidence.ca, 2) registry access plus targeted messages, and 3) registry access, targeted messages, and knowledge brokering services, focused specifically on uptake of evidence pertaining to physical activity and health body weight promotion among children and youth. Public health units (n=108, or 76%) were recruited and stratified by population served using Statistics Canada data prior to randomization. The intervention occurred January-December 2005. A knowledge utilization survey was administered at baseline, one month following baseline, and immediately post-intervention. The final data collection period occurred January 2007, one year post-intervention.
Results: Pilot testing of the survey in June 2004 among DM (n=23) resulted in minor revisions. No significant differences were identified between groups at baseline. Good follow-up (81.5%) was achieved. Findings indicate that health units that received tailored messages (group 2) provided significantly more programming supported by research evidence immediately following the intervention than those exposed to health-evidence (group 1) and the knowledge broker (group 3), P<.009. No difference was found between groups when the intervention was measured in a global outcome as 'extent to which research influenced any decisions related to healthy body weight in children'.
Conclusions: Results demonstrated that tailored messaging can be effective in promoting evidence-informed decision making. Hypotheses concerning lack of effect measured in the broker group will be discussed. Findings also provide an opportunity to discuss measurement issues in KT intervention research.