Knowledge Exchange Strategies Research Articles

Untangling Circularity: Transitioning to a Regional Circular Economy in the Clothing and Textile Sector in England

The transition to a Circular Economy (CE) presents a paradigm shift, emphasizing sustainability, resource efficiency, and waste reduction. The existing literature extensively covers the principles and benefits of CE, but there is a notable gap in understanding how these practices are implemented at a local level. Specifically, there is a lack of detailed insights into the localized challenges, adaptation processes, and contextual factors influencing the adoption of circular practices. Additionally, the implications for different types of stakeholders and the effectiveness of localized strategies remain underexplored. By employing causal loop diagrams to depict system dynamics, interactions, and connections inherent in the transition to a CE, this research delves into the significance of understanding the complexities of circularity within a specific localized context. We draw qualitative data from semi-structured interviews and workshops with participants from key stakeholders within the textile and clothing sector in the Southwest of England. We find that legislation has a different impact on multinational corporations (MNCs) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in their CE engagement. We also find that, while the flow of materials from MNCs to SMEs fosters regional innovation and knowledge-sharing, it does not always facilitate inter-organizational learning. Finally, both MNCs and SMEs recognize the CE’s potential for job creation, which highlights the need for more effective knowledge exchange strategies between businesses of different sizes. The study concludes that balancing CE principles with profit-driven pressures remains a significant challenge for both those founded on circular principles and those who are gradually incorporating CE principles into their organisation.

Taking knowledge exchange to practice: A scoping review of practical case studies to identify enablers of success in environmental management

AbstractA gap exists in the literature on how to implement theories of knowledge exchange (KE) into practice within an environmental management context. To support the improved practice of KE, we conducted a scoping literature review evaluating 56 empirical case studies globally to identify enabling conditions for implementing effective KE. Identified enabling conditions were organized into a core capacities framework, which highlighted essential elements of effective KE from organizational, individual, financial, material, practical, political, and social capacity dimensions. Results show that major enablers to effective KE relate to practitioners' individual and organizational capacity including the ability of practitioners (often boundary spanners) to establish trust with relevant actors through their interpersonal relationships and possessing sufficient background knowledge and skills to facilitate collaborations across disciplines and sectors. We also identified main challenges to engaging in KE (e.g., insufficient long‐ term funding for projects, lack of interpersonal skills for KE practitioners to build relationships and network, and inadequate background knowledge for practitioners to exchange knowledge in an accessible manner), and the outcomes and impacts that can emerge from effective KE work. We find that practitioners often perform quantitative evaluations that provide instantaneous and measurable impacts for the effectiveness of KE, but do not capture the impact of interpersonal relationships and trust that are best achieved through qualitative approaches. Lastly, the synthesis of enablers, challenges, outcomes, and impacts presented in this paper can be a resource for practitioners to identify what enablers may be missing from their KE strategies and in what capacity the KE work can be strengthened.

Mis-implementation of evidence-based behavioural health practices in primary care: lessons from randomised trials in Federally Qualified Health Centers.

Implementing evidence-based practices (EBPs) within service systems is critical to population-level health improvements - but also challenging, especially for complex behavioral health interventions in low-resource settings. "Mis-implementation" refers to poor outcomes from an EBP implementation effort; mis-implementation outcomes are an important, but largely untapped, source of information about how to improve knowledge exchange. We present mis-implementation cases from three pragmatic trials of behavioral health EBPs in U.S. Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). We adapted the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and its Outcomes Addendum into a framework for mis-implementation and used it to structure the case summaries with information about the EBP and trial, mis-implementation outcomes, and associated determinants (barriers and facilitators). We compared the three cases to identify shared and unique mis-implementation factors. Across cases, there was limited adoption and fidelity to the interventions, which led to eventual discontinuation. Barriers contributing to mis-implementation included intervention complexity, low buy-in from overburdened providers, lack of alignment between providers and leadership, and COVID-19-related stressors. Mis-implementation occurred earlier in cases that experienced both patient- and provider-level barriers, and that were conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multi-level determinants contributed to EBP mis-implementation in FQHCs, limiting the ability of these health systems to benefit from knowledge exchange. To minimize mis-implementation, knowledge exchange strategies should be designed around common, core barriers but also flexible enough to address a variety of site-specific contextual factors and should be tailored to relevant audiences such as providers, patients, and/or leadership.

Implementation of a knowledge translation and exchange intervention for pain management in neonates

Objective To describe the implementation process of a multifaceted knowledge translation and exchange intervention to improve pain management practices, and to evaluate the adoption of this intervention by health professionals during painful procedures in neonates. Methods A quasi-experimental before-and-after study developed in a neonatal unit. The Evidence-Based Practice for Improving Quality intervention guided by the conceptual framework The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services was implemented in two stages (preparation and implementation). Its adoption was measured by clinical indicators related to pain management presented through descriptive statistics. Results After discussion on existing practices in the unit that needed to be changed, synthesis of current scientific evidence and local context data, members of the unit’s Research and Practice Council developed and implemented coherent and achievable goals for the change of practice in pain management, selected knowledge translation and exchange strategies, determined the target audience and indicators, and implemented the interventions. There was a 32.8% reduction in the number of painful procedures performed, an increase of 26.6-50.7% in the use of pain assessment scales and of 25.1% in the administration of oral glucose. Conclusion The multifaceted Evidence-Based Practice for Improving Quality intervention is complex, and has processes that demand knowledge and skills, commitment from the various actors involved, availability of time and financial investment. The analyzed indicators showed that the intervention resulted in positive changes in clinical practice in the management of pain in neonates.

Implementing and evaluating knowledge exchange: Insights from practitioners at the Canadian Forest Service

While there is a growing body of work on the barriers to knowledge exchange (KE) and the development of actionable science, what remains more elusive is an understanding of what strategies and conditions lead to effective KE, how it is operationalized, or how different practitioners define successful exchange of scientific knowledge. We interviewed nine KE practitioners at the Canadian Forest Service (CFS), a national agency, to understand: (1) who at CFS is involved in KE and how they perceive their roles, (2) the strategies for KE used in the CFS and its distribution in a KE typology framework, (3) how KE practitioners define a “successful” exchange of knowledge and KE bright spots, and (4) what conditions enable KE within the CFS. We identified CFS KE practitioners roles as knowledge brokers. They use a cyclical KE strategy that integrates concepts of co-design in operationalizing KE. The CFS KE practitioners engage in a variety of KE activities, but outreach was the most frequently cited. We suggest organizations work closely with intermediary individuals as they hold unique positions of building and maintaining relationships with knowledge users. They can also provide valuable insights in evaluating research impacts such as through contribution stories. The KE typology was a useful tool to inform decisions about KE strategies. Finally, our study emphasizes the need for organizations to adopt more qualitative evaluations to assess the full scope and impact of KE work, and recognizes the integral role of relationships and trust in all aspects of KE work.

Fine-Grained Butterfly Recognition via Peer Learning Network with Distribution-Aware Penalty Mechanism.

Simple SummaryAutomatic species recognition, such as butterflies or other insects, plays a crucial role in intelligent agricultural production management and the study of species diver-sity. However, the quite diverse and subtle interspecific differences and the long-tailed distribution of sample data in fine-grained species recognition are insufficient to learn robust feature representation and alleviate the bias and variance problems of the long-tailed classifier on insect recognition. The objective of this study is to develop a peer learning network with a distribution-aware penalty mechanism proposed to learn discriminative feature representation and mitigate the bias and variance problems in the long-tailed distribution. The results of various contrast experiments on collecting the butterfly-914 dataset show that the proposed PLN-DPM has a higher Rank-1 ac-curacy rate (86.2% on the butterfly dataset and 73.51% on the IP102 dataset). Addi-tionally, we deployed the PLN-DPM model on the smartphone app for butterfly recognition in a real-life environment.Automatic species recognition plays a key role in intelligent agricultural production management and the study of species diversity. However, fine-grained species recognition is a challenging task due to the quite diverse and subtle interclass differences among species and the long-tailed distribution of sample data. In this work, a peer learning network with a distribution-aware penalty mechanism is proposed to address these challenges. Specifically, the proposed method employs the two-stream ResNeSt-50 as the backbone to obtain the initial predicted results. Then, the samples, which are selected from the instances with the same predicted labels by knowledge exchange strategy, are utilized to update the model parameters via the distribution-aware penalty mechanism to mitigate the bias and variance problems in the long-tailed distribution. By performing such adaptive interactive learning, the proposed method can effectively achieve improved recognition accuracy for head classes in long-tailed data and alleviate the adverse effect of many head samples relative to a few samples of the tail classes. To evaluate the proposed method, we construct a large-scale butterfly dataset (named Butterfly-914) that contains approximately 72,152 images belonging to 914 species and at least 20 images for each category. Exhaustive experiments are conducted to validate the efficiency of the proposed method from several perspectives. Moreover, the superior Top-1 accuracy rate (86.2%) achieved on the butterfly dataset demonstrates that the proposed method can be widely used for agricultural species identification and insect monitoring.

Remote work and Knowledge Exchange Strategies in the Opinions of Generation Z

The situation of the Covid-19 pandemic has forced many companies to switch to a remote work system. This phenomenon took a massive form in the first stage of the pandemic mainly due to the lockdown. However, in the following months, many employees found this professional arrangement convenient and conducive to the organisation of work and personal life. Remote work seems to be particularly attractive for employees of the young generation. At the same time, employers have noticed that this form of work definitely has benefits, but also brings disadvantages. Today, management practitioners are increasingly pointing to the hybrid work model as the preferred one. In order to learn about the preferences of the Generation Z employees in terms of the forms of work and their impact on various aspects of work, a survey was designed. The research was conducted in December 2021 on a sample of the Generation Z representatives with the aim to identify their attitudes and opinions about the remote type of work based on their experiences and expectations. For the research purposes, the Likert scale-based questionnaire technique was applied. The data was analysed in the STATISTICA program using Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA on ranks test, Mann-Whitney test, and the Pearson's chi-square test. The strength of the correlation between the variables was assessed using the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. The results of the research reveal interesting dependencies between the reasons for knowledge exchange in the remote work.

Evaluating Public Participation in a Deliberative Dialogue: A Single Case Study.

Deliberative dialogues (DDs) are used in policy-making and healthcare research to enhance knowledge exchange and research implementation strategies. They allow organized dissemination and integration of relevant research, contextual considerations, and input from diverse stakeholder perspectives. Despite recent interest in involving patient and public perspectives in the design and development of healthcare services, DDs typically involve only professional stakeholders. A DD took place in May 2019 that aimed to improve the social environment (eg, safety, social inclusion) and decrease social isolation in a rent-geared-to-income housing complex in a large urban community. Tenants of the housing complex, public health, primary care, and social service providers participated. This study aimed to determine how including community tenants impacted the planning and execution of a DD, including adjustments made to the traditional DD model to improve accessibility. A Core Working Group (CWG) and Steering Committee coordinated with researchers to plan the DD, purposefully recruit participants, and determine appropriate accommodations for tenants. A single mixed-methods case study was used to evaluate the DD process. Meeting minutes, field notes, and researchers' observations were collected throughout all stages. Stakeholders' contributions to and perception of the DD were assessed using participant observation, survey responses, and focus groups (FGs). 34 participants attended the DD and 28 (82%) completed the survey. All stakeholder groups rated the overall DD experience positively and valued tenants' involvement. The tenants heavily influenced the planning and DD process, including decisions about key DD features. Suggestions to improve the experience for tenants were identified. These findings demonstrate the viability of and provide recommendations for DDs involving public participants. Like previous DDs, participants found the use of engaged facilitators, issue briefs, and off-the-record deliberations useful. Similarly, professional stakeholders did not highly value consensus as an output, although it was highly valued among tenants, as was actionability.

Linking knowledge with action when engagement is out of reach: three contextual features of effective public health communication.

Scholars and practitioners often promote direct engagement between policymakers, health workers and researchers as a strategy for overcoming barriers to utilizing scientific knowledge in health policy. However, in many settings public health officials rarely have opportunities to interact with researchers, which is a problem further exacerbated by the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. One prominent theory argues that policy actors will trust and utilize research findings when they perceive them to be salient, credible and legitimate. We draw on this theory to examine the conditions facilitating greater uptake of new knowledge among health officials when engagement is out of reach and they are instead exposed to new ideas through written mass communication. Using data from a survey experiment with about 260 health workers and administrators in Honduras, we find that messages from a technocratic sender based on statistical evidence improved perceptions of salience, credibility and legitimacy (SCL). Additionally, perceptions of SCL are three contextual features that operate as joint mediators between knowledge and action, and several individual characteristics also influence whether officials trust research findings enough to apply them when formulating and implementing health policies. This research can help inform the design of context-sensitive knowledge translation and exchange strategies to advance the goals of evidence-based public health, particularly in settings where direct engagement is difficult to achieve.

Local Partners’ Perspectives on Health Student Service-Learning Placements in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Pilot Qualitative Study with Partners from Vietnam and Timor-Leste

Service-learning programs can provide clinical assistance in low-resourced settings while providing students with intercultural learning opportunities in diverse health contexts; local partners’ perspectives on international service-learning (ISL) programs are integral to ethical, effective and sustainable university-community partnerships; yet the perspectives of local partners remain under-represented in research. Interpretive description methods guided data collection and thematic analysis of qualitative responses from written questionnaires. Four local partners from Vietnam and Timor-Leste responded to questionnaires in this pilot project. Three themes were identified regarding benefits, underpinning factors for program effectiveness, and a further three themes related to desired improvements. According to local partners, benefits of ISL include skill and knowledge exchange, enhanced assessment and intervention strategies, and increased service quality. Communication and relationships were seen as underpinning factors of effective partnerships. Areas for further improvement included drawing more strongly on local partner strengths and perspectives, further collaborative preparation for the placements, and more regular communication. These preliminary findings align with existing research regarding benefits to local partners. Modelling effective practices, formal training and meetings, and ongoing case discussions may be some useful methods for achieving knowledge and skill exchange in ISL.

Can Stereotypes Be Facilitators? Dynamic Stereotype Use in Knowledge Exchanges Across Occupations

This study investigates how inter-occupational stereotypes -i.e., readily available occupational images used by individuals to define selves and members of other occupations- shape knowledge exchanges across occupations. To investigate how occupational members alternate between sharing and non-sharing knowledge during interaction in contexts characterized by multiple boundary spanning, temporariness and absence of pre-existent structures, we conducted an in-depth study about the use of the knower-doer stereotype in a corporate program where academics and practitioners exchanged knowledge about innovation management. Our findings show that stereotypes are used differently across collaboration stages and leading to different knowledge exchange strategies. Anticipatory scripts that include a) inter-occupational stereotypes and b) complementary proposals of knowledge exchange are used to reduce exchange anxiety in the first stages of the collaboration. However, since anticipatory scripts are often self-referential, they trigger the reactive behaviors of those being stereotyped (reactive scripts). Provisional scripts then allow exchange parties to face reactive scripts by switching expertise and circling self and alter stereotypes in search of a mutually acceptable compromise. By showing the flexible and generative role that stereotypes can have in inter-occupational knowledge exchanges, we contribute to the literature on cross-occupational boundary work and to inter-group stereotypes more broadly.

Considerations for Health Researchers Using Social Media for Knowledge Translation: Multiple Case Study.

BackgroundDespite extensive literature describing the use of social media in health research, a gap exists around best practices in establishing, implementing, and evaluating an effective social media knowledge translation (KT) and exchange strategies.ObjectiveThis study aims to examine successes, challenges, and lessons learned from using social media within health research and to create practical considerations to guide other researchers.MethodsThe Knowledge Translation Platform of the Alberta Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research SUPPORT Unit formed a national working group involving platform staff, academics, and a parent representative with experience using social media for health research. We collected and analyzed 4 case studies that used a variety of social media platforms and evaluation methods. The case studies covered a spectrum of initiatives from participant recruitment and data collection to dissemination, engagement, and evaluation. Methods and findings from each case study as well as barriers and facilitators encountered were summarized. Through iterative discussions, we converged on recommendations and considerations for health researchers planning to use social media for KT.ResultsWe provide recommendations for elements to consider when developing a social media KT strategy: (1) set a clear goal and identify a theory, framework, or model that aligns with the project goals and objectives; (2) understand the intended audience (use social network mapping to learn what platforms and social influences are available); (3) choose a platform or platforms that meet the needs of the intended audience and align well with the research team’s capabilities (can you tap into an existing network, and what mode of communication does it support?); (4) tailor messages to meet user needs and platform requirements (eg, plain language and word restrictions); (5) consider timing, frequency, and duration of messaging as well as the nature of interactions (ie, social filtering and negotiated awareness); (6) ensure adequate resources and personnel are available (eg, content creators, project coordinators, communications experts, and audience stakeholder or patient advocate); (7) develop an evaluation plan a priori driven by goals and types of data available (ie, quantitative and qualitative); and (8) consider ethical approvals needed (driven by evaluation and type of data collection).ConclusionsIn the absence of a comprehensive framework to guide health researchers using social media for KT, we provide several key considerations. Future research will help validate the proposed components and create a body of evidence around best practices for using and evaluating social media as part of a KT strategy

Storytelling for a More Equitable Open Science Enterprise

MODERATOR: Dana Compton American Society of Civil Engineers Reston, Virginia SPEAKER: Maryam Zaringhalam National Library of Medicine Washington, DC REPORTER: Madeleine Sendek American Academy of Neurology Minneapolis, Minnesota Within Scientific Discovery, There’s a Story to be Told: Pathways to Open Science and Public Engagement Stories focus on relatable characters and relatable events and can change cultural perceptions. Storytelling in science enables the public to engage with science and to understand that scientists are part of the public, too. Dr Maryam Zaringhalam, the Data Science and Open Science Officer at the National Library of Medicine’s Office of Strategic Initiatives and a senior producer for The Story Collider, presented “Storytelling for a More Equitable Open Science Enterprise” at the Council of Science Editors (CSE) 2020 Annual Meeting. Her presentation emphasized that storytelling in science can help gain public trust in science, help people see the motivations that drive the research, and help the public understand that science has failures. Dr Zaringhalam’s presentation focused on characterizing what successful open science looks like. She supported her research with examples of knowledge exchange strategies to increase public engagement within the scientific enterprise. Dr Zaringhalam cited storytelling and community science as powerful tools in opening the lines of communication between scientists and the general public. Collaborative Science Dr Zaringhalam believes the ultimate goal of open science is to make the research enterprise more cooperative and collaborative. Collaboration helps ensure the products of science discovery extend benefits to as many people as possible. Extending knowledge to as […]

Toward a Better Understanding of Genotype × Environment × Management Interactions-A Global Wheat Initiative Agronomic Research Strategy.

The Wheat Initiative (WI) and the WI Expert Working Group (EWG) for Agronomy (www.wheatinitiative.org) were formed with a collective goal to “coordinate global wheat research efforts to increase wheat production, quality, and sustainability to advance food security and safety under changing climate conditions.” The Agronomy EWG is responsive to the WI’s research need, “A knowledge exchange strategy to ensure uptake of innovations on farm and to update scientists on changing field realities.” The Agronomy EWG aims to consolidate global expertise for agronomy with a focus on wheat production systems. The overarching approach is to develop and adopt a systems-agronomy framework relevant to any wheat production system. It first establishes the scale of current yield gaps, identifies defensible benchmarks, and takes a holistic approach to understand and overcome exploitable yield gaps to complement genetic increases in potential yield. New opportunities to increase productivity will be sought by exploiting future Genotype × Environment × Management synergies in different wheat systems. To identify research gaps and opportunities for collaboration among different wheat producing regions, the EWG compiled a comprehensive database of currently funded wheat agronomy research (n = 782) in countries representing a large proportion of the wheat grown in the world. The yield gap analysis and research database positions the EWG to influence priorities for wheat agronomy research in member countries that would facilitate collaborations, minimize duplication, and maximize the global impact on wheat production systems. This paper outlines a vision for a global WI agronomic research strategy and discusses activities to date. The focus of the WI-EWG is to transform the agronomic research approach in wheat cropping systems, which will be applicable to other crop species.

Assessing care models implemented in primary healthcare for persons with dementia: a mixed-methods study protocol

IntroductionDementia is on the rise in Canada and globally. Ensuring accessibility to diagnosis, treatment and management throughout the course of the disease is a very significant problem worldwide. In order...

Public-private knowledge transfer and access to medicines: a systematic review and qualitative study of perceptions and roles of scientists involved in HPV vaccine research

BackgroundPublic research organizations and their interactions with industry partners play a crucial role for public health and access to medicines. The development and commercialization of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines illustrate how licensing practices of public research organizations can contribute to high prices of the resulting product and affect accessibility to vulnerable populations. Efforts by the international community to improve access to medicines have recognised this issue and promote the public health-sensitive management of research conducted by public research organizations. This paper explores: how medical knowledge is exchanged between public and private actors; what role inventor scientists play in this process; and how they view the implementation of public health-sensitive knowledge exchange strategies.MethodsWe conducted a systematic qualitative literature review on medical knowledge exchange and qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of public sector scientists working on HPV vaccines. We explored the strategies by which knowledge is exchanged across institutional boundaries, how these strategies are negotiated, and the views of scientists regarding public health-sensitive knowledge exchange.ResultsWe included 13 studies in the systematic review and conducted seven semi-structured interviews with high-ranking scientists. The main avenues of public-private medical knowledge exchange were publications, formal transfer of patented knowledge, problem-specific exchanges such as service agreements, informal exchanges and collaborative research. Scientists played a crucial role in these processes but appeared to be sceptical of public health-sensitive knowledge exchange strategies, as these were believed to deter corporate interest in the development of new medicines and thus risk the translation of the scientists’ research.ConclusionMedical scientists at public research institutions play a key role in the exchange of knowledge they generate and are concerned about the accessibility of medicines resulting from their research. Their scepticism towards implementing public health-sensitive knowledge management strategies appears to be based on a biased understanding of the costs and risks involved in drug development and a perceived lack of alternatives to private engagement. Scientists could be encouraged to exchange knowledge in a public health-sensitive manner through not-for-profit drug development mechanisms, education on industry engagement, and stronger institutional and legal backing.

Enhancing physical activity knowledge exchange strategies for Canadian long-haul truck drivers

PurposeCanadian long-haul truck drivers lead sedentary lives, but are receptive to receiving physical activity information to address health risks. This study examined how Canadian long-haul truck drivers would like to receive physical activity information in order to improve their overall health. The purpose of this study was twofold: 1) explore barriers Canadian long-haul truck drivers have to receiving and using physical activity information and 2) understand how physical activity information should be structured and delivered to these drivers to overcome these barriers.Design/methodology/approachSemi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 Canadian long-haul truck drivers. Drivers had, on average, 14.3 years of professional long-haul driving experience.FindingsFew drivers had received any physical activity information. Drivers discussed a culture where they perceived both employers and drivers to be lacking awareness of the importance of physical activity and its impact on health. Drivers explained they were too busy, stressed or tired to be active or to learn about physical activity. Information received by some drivers on this topic was too general to be helpful in changing physical activity behaviours. Drivers mentioned that personalized and accessible physical activity information should be provided to them through multiple methods by their employers, as an aspect of occupational health and safety.Practical implicationsFuture physical activity information strategies should use both passive and interactive mediums to promote physical activity to Canadian long-haul truck drivers.Originality/valueThis is the first study to assess how Canadian long-haul truck drivers would like to receive trustworthy information that can lead to healthful improvements in physical activity behaviour.

Entrepreneurial university strategies in the UK context: towards a research agenda

Purpose Prior research shows that universities differ in the knowledge exchange (KE) activities they pursue, but little is known about universities’ strategies regarding their portfolio of KE activities. The purpose of this paper is to explore the KE strategy of UK universities in specific relation to their portfolio of KE activities with small- and medium-sized enterprises. Design/methodology/approach Based on the 2015–2016 Higher Education Business and Community Interaction Survey data set, this study employs the Preference Ranking Organisation METHod for the Enrichment of Evaluations to assess the KE activities from 162 UK higher education institutions. Findings The study reveals that entrepreneurial universities valorise university knowledge assets through five SME-focussed KE activities most beneficial to measuring the entrepreneurial university. It also uncovers four different archetypal categories (groupings) of universities based on their strategic focus of KE activities. Originality/value This study contributes to the entrepreneurial university literature by considering universities’ overall KE portfolio rather than examining individual KE activity in isolation. It provides a clearer understanding of universities’ KE strategies that help define and delineate entrepreneurial universities regarding their range, focus and the combination of KE activities.

Reflections on the implementation of screening for distress (sixth vital sign) in Canada: key lessons learned.

Accreditation bodies in the USA, the UK, and Europe have mandated that jurisdictions regularly screen patients for distress. While these requirements have been in place for some time, recent reports suggest that facilities still struggle to overcome implementation barriers. In Canada, a Screening for Distress (the sixth vital sign) Initiative was implemented in eight cancer treatment facilities in seven provinces. With national support and coordination from the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, the initiative's primary goal was to provide timely and appropriate response to cancer patients' distress to improve the patient experience. Patient experience is defined as the sum of an individual's perceptions, expectations and interactions related to his or her health and care throughout the cancer journey (CPAC 2012). The implementation included the application of evidence-informed tools by trained health care professionals to identify distress, facilitate intervention or referral, and enhance collaboration among health care providers to meet patient needs. Implementations have expanded in these facilities since the launch of the initiative and the success of this programmatic approach in Canada may assist other jurisdictions with successful implementation of Screening for Distress (sixth vital sign). Lesson learned from the Screening for Distress (sixth vital sign) initiative are described in this article to share the experiences of the earlier adopter facilities that may assist other cancer centres wishing to implement a similar program. A description of the intiative and the evaluation approach is included to provide the context for the chief lessons learned about the implementation and sustainability of a Screening for Distress (sixth vital sign) program. Key lessons about the considerations for effective implementation and sustainability of a Screening for Distress (sixth vital sign) program included the critical significance of an effective change management strategy, leadership, integration, customization, project management, and program evaluation. A number of important knowledge dissemination and exchange strategies were also identified and the importance of overall co-ordination was emphasized. Cancer treatment centers in Canada have embraced the concept of a formal programmatic protocol for distress screening. The Screening for Distress (sixth vital sign) initiative built on early lessons, expanded to other facilities, and was reported to make a positive contribution to patient care. The distress screening model has a formal place in the cancer system. The lessons revealed through this evaluation are useful to other cancer centers planning a programmatic approach for distress screening.

Supporting ethics educators in Canadian occupational therapy and physical therapy programs: A national interprofessional knowledge exchange project

ABSTRACTEthics education is the cornerstone of professional practice, fostering knowledge and respect for core ethical values among healthcare professionals. Ethics is also a subject well-suited for interprofessional education and collaboration. However, there are few initiatives to gather experiences and share resources among ethics educators in rehabilitation. We thus undertook a knowledge exchange project to: 1) share knowledge about ethics training across Canadian occupational and physical therapy programs, and 2) build a community of educators dedicated to improving ethics education. The objectives of this paper are to describe this interprofessional knowledge exchange project involving ethics educators (with a diversity of professional and disciplinary backgrounds) from Canadian occupational and physical therapy programs as well as analyze its outcomes based on participants’ experiences/perceptions. Two knowledge exchange strategies were employed: an interactive one-day workshop and a wiki platform. An immediate post-workshop questionnaire evaluated the degree to which participants’ expectations were met. Structured telephone interviews 9–10 months after the workshop collected participants’ perceptions on whether (and if so, how) the project influenced their teaching or led to further interprofessional collaborations. Open-ended questions from the post-workshop questionnaires and individual interviews were analyzed using qualitative methods. Of 40 ethics educators contacted, 23 participated in the workshop and 17 in the follow-up interview. Only 6 participants logged into the wiki from its launch to the end of data collection. Five themes emerged from the qualitative analysis: 1) belonging and networking; 2) sharing and collaborating; 3) changing (or not) ways of teaching ethics; 4) sustaining the network; and 5) envisioning the future of ethics education. The project attained many of its goals, despite encountering some challenges. While the wiki platform proved to be of limited benefit in advancing the project goals, the interactive format and collaborative nature of the one-day workshop were described as rewarding and effective in bringing together occupational therapy and physical therapy educators to meet, network, and share knowledge.