Research Question: What barriers do investigators experience undertaking knowledge translation research?

 

Article: From research to daily clinical practice: What are the challenges in “translation”?

Feifer C, Fifield J, Ornstein S, Karson AS, Bates DW, Jones KR, Vargas PA. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Safety 2004;30(5):235-45. PubMed Abstract

 

Summary

Primary investigators of projects funded by The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality 2000 ‘Translating Research into Practice’ (TRIPII) initiative were surveyed to examine challenges experienced carrying out their respective studies.  The intervention subcommittee of the TRIP II steering committee mailed questionnaires to the 13 principal investigators 6 months after the grants were awarded and 18 months into project implementation to identify the barriers encountered at each of these stages and successful solutions. Seven principal investigators responded to both questionnaires, 3 responded at 6 months and the other 3 at 18 months. The most common barriers experienced in the earlier months were related to recruiting human subjects and implementing new responsibilities at the study sites; in the later months behavioural (patient or staff), structural (skill or system limitations at the study site), and process (such as complications with access to data) barriers were more prevalent. The article lists in greater detail the barriers and strategies for each project stage.  The authors suggest that the framework developed can guide future research translation initiatives and that further studies can assist in the development of tools and supports required for effective translation of research into practice and improved health care quality. 

 

 

Implications:

§         Collaborating with participants in the design and implementation of research projects would contribute to smoother translation of research into practice.

§         Regular barriers analysis, feedback mechanisms, and participatory planning would enable problem identification and appropriate intervention. 

 

 

Further reading: Translating research into practice: the future ahead. Farquhar CM, Stryer D, Slutsky J. International Journal for Quality in Health Care 2002;14(3):233-49. PubMed Abstract

 

Search the RDRB (Research & Development Resource Base): For more articles search the RDRB - available at no cost online at: http://www.cme.utoronto.ca/search.

Some keywords to use: research AND (study design OR clinical practice)

 

 

Do you have a topic for us? Write to Laure Perrier at rdrb.cme@utoronto.ca.

---

Research Digest is compiled by Joanne Goldman and Laure Perrier of the Knowledge Translation Program at the University of Toronto (www.ktp.utoronto.ca).  Its goals are to highlight and summarize recent publications, stimulate discussion and reading, and generate research in the subject area.