Article type
Year
Abstract
Background: Health Evidence and three Ontario health department partners are undertaking a CIHR-funded project to study capacity and contexts for evidence-informed decision making in public health. This project uses both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods as part of an overall case study methodology. Each health department represents a different ‘case’, with the intervention and data collection tailored to meet their individual circumstances.
Objectives: The objective of this project is to explore tailored Knowledge Brokering strategies for assisting public health staff in developing the skills to access and apply relevant research evidence to make evidence informed decisions in practice.
Methods: The intervention involves the Knowledge Broker and the research team providing training workshops and working one-on-one with teams of staff to address practice-based issues in the health departments in an evidence-informed way. While our data collection and subsequent analysis are ongoing, we have baseline and interim data to report on from each health department, particularly related to a social network analysis that was conducted to understand how knowledge flows in an organization—i.e. if and how staff connect with their peers to share and incorporate research evidence into practice.
Results: The analysis of each health department showed strikingly different patterns of density and localization of knowledge; inter-personal connections across and within directorates; and general dispersion of information-seeking and sharing networks. We have been able to use this information, along with our qualitative Knowledge Broker journal entries and semi-structured interviews to better direct interventions at each of the health departments.
Conclusions: During this session, we will share our preliminary findings from ongoing data collection and analysis; discuss the challenges that we have come across along the way; and provide our perceptions of the impact of our knowledge translation and exchange strategy on each of three very unique health departments.
Objectives: The objective of this project is to explore tailored Knowledge Brokering strategies for assisting public health staff in developing the skills to access and apply relevant research evidence to make evidence informed decisions in practice.
Methods: The intervention involves the Knowledge Broker and the research team providing training workshops and working one-on-one with teams of staff to address practice-based issues in the health departments in an evidence-informed way. While our data collection and subsequent analysis are ongoing, we have baseline and interim data to report on from each health department, particularly related to a social network analysis that was conducted to understand how knowledge flows in an organization—i.e. if and how staff connect with their peers to share and incorporate research evidence into practice.
Results: The analysis of each health department showed strikingly different patterns of density and localization of knowledge; inter-personal connections across and within directorates; and general dispersion of information-seeking and sharing networks. We have been able to use this information, along with our qualitative Knowledge Broker journal entries and semi-structured interviews to better direct interventions at each of the health departments.
Conclusions: During this session, we will share our preliminary findings from ongoing data collection and analysis; discuss the challenges that we have come across along the way; and provide our perceptions of the impact of our knowledge translation and exchange strategy on each of three very unique health departments.