Use Of Research Findings Research Articles

Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training.

The Board of Educational Affairs is pleased to bestow the Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training. This award acknowledges psychologists who contribute to new teaching methods or solutions to learning problems through the use of research findings or evidence-based practices. Particular emphasis is placed on the use of psychological knowledge to improve learning in educational settings, including prekindergarten to Grade 12, or in communities. The 2018 recipients of the APA Education and Training Contributions Awards were selected by the 2017 Education and Training Awards Committee appointed by the Board of Educational Affairs (BEA). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Advancing the evaluation of integrated knowledge translation

BackgroundIntegrated knowledge translation (IKT) flows from the premise that knowledge co-produced with decision-makers is more likely to inform subsequent decisions. However, evaluations of manager/policy-maker-focused IKT often concentrate on intermediate outcomes, stopping short of assessing whether research findings have contributed to identifiable organisational action. Such hesitancy may reflect the difficulty of tracing the causes of this distal, multifactorial outcome. This paper elucidates how an approach based on realistic evaluation could advance the field.Main TextRealistic evaluation views outcomes as a joint product of intervention mechanisms and context. Through identification of context–mechanism–outcome configurations, it enables the systematic testing and refinement of ‘mid-range theory’ applicable to diverse interventions that share a similar underlying logic of action. The ‘context-sensitive causal chain’ diagram, a tool adapted from the broader theory-based evaluation literature, offers a useful means of visualising the posited chain from activities to outcomes via mechanisms, and the context factors that facilitate or disrupt each linkage (e.g. activity–mechanism, mechanism–outcome).Drawing on relevant literature, this paper proposes a context-sensitive causal chain by which IKT may generate instrumental use of research findings (i.e. direct use to make a concrete decision) and identifies an existing tool to assess this outcome, then adapts the chain to describe a more subtle, indirect pathway of influence. Key mechanisms include capacity- and relationship-building among researchers and decision-makers, changes in the (perceived) credibility and usability of findings, changes in decision-makers’ beliefs and attitudes, and incorporation of new knowledge in an actual decision. Project-specific context factors may impinge upon each linkage; equally important is the organisation’s absorptive capacity, namely its overall ability to acquire, assimilate and apply knowledge. Given a sufficiently poor decision-making environment, even well-implemented IKT that triggers important mechanisms may fall short of its desired outcomes. Further research may identify additional mechanisms and context factors.ConclusionBy investigating ‘what it is about an intervention that works, for whom, under what conditions’, realistic evaluation addresses questions of causality head-on without sacrificing complexity. A realist approach could contribute greatly to our ability to assess – and, ultimately, to increase – the value of IKT.

Core knowledge translation competencies: a scoping review

BackgroundKnowledge translation (KT) is the broad range of activities aimed at supporting the use of research findings leading to evidence-based practice (EBP) and policy. Recommendations have been made that capacity building efforts be established to support individuals to enact KT. In this study, we summarized existing knowledge on KT competencies to provide a foundation for such capacity building efforts and to inform policy and research. Our research questions were “What are the core KT competencies needed in the health sector?” and “What are the interventions and strategies to teach and reinforce those competencies?”MethodsWe used a scoping review approach and an integrated KT process by involving an Advisory Group of diverse stakeholders. We searched seven health and interdisciplinary electronic databases and grey literature sources for materials published from 2003 to 2017 in English language only. Empirical and theoretical publications in health that examined KT competencies were retrieved, reviewed, and synthesized.ResultsOverall, 1171 publications were retrieved; 137 were fully reviewed; and 15 empirical and six conceptual academic, and 52 grey literature publications were included and synthesized in this scoping review. From both the academic and grey literature, we categorized 19 KT core competencies into knowledge, skills, or attitudes; and identified commonly used interventions and strategies to enhance KT competencies such as education, organizational support and hands-on training.ConclusionsThese initial core KT competencies for individuals provide implications for education, policy, knowledge brokering, and future research, and on the need for future evaluation of the KT competencies presented. We also discuss the essential role of organizational support and culture for successful KT activities/practice.

Engaging young children with climate change and climate justice

Meeting the global challenge of preventing global temperatures rising by more than two degrees Celsius by the end of the century is not going to be easy. With the majority of carbon emissions coming from the developed nations, there is an onus of responsibility on these nations to support the developing nations, who have contributed the least. This would be a significant step towards delivering climate justice. This article demonstrates that gaining traction and support for climate justice can be achieved through the power of education, by translating contemporary research for children, connecting them with it and embedding them in it. Working with 154 primary school children in Glasgow, this article provides: (1) an overview of a climate justice research project, Water for ALL, which was conducted in Malawi and Zambia; and (2) reflection on the challenges of translating the research findings for use in the classroom so it becomes not only meaningful but personally engages children with current issues of climate in/justice. Our findings highlight that it is possible to connect children not only with a complex topic, but also with research findings through the development of practical learning classroom exercises. Arriving at those classroom exercises is a 'process' that requires putting the research through a process of translation and communication before it can be shared with children. The interface between research and education lends itself to the power of practically based science-led education. As shown in this example, the Water for ALL research project has given the school children a sense of 'ownership' of climate change and climate in/justice, to the extent that they can highlight their role and contributions to addressing the climate challenge.

Promoting evidence-informed policymaking through capacity enhancement in implementation research for health researchers and policymakers in Nigeria: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND:Capacity constraints on implementation research among policymakers and researchers are a major challenge to the evidence to policy link. This study was designed to bring together senior policymakers and researchers in Nigeria to consider issues around research-to-policy interface and enhance their capacity on implementation research.METHODS:The design was a cross-sectional study. A 3-day joint implementation research workshop was held for policymakers and researchers using World Health Organization/TDR Implementation Research Toolkit. Assessment of participants’ capacity for evidence-informed policymaking and knowledge on implementation research was done using a 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. A postworkshop key informant interview was also conducted.RESULTS:A total of 20 researchers and 15 policymakers participated in the study. The interaction/partnership between policymakers and researchers was generally rare in terms of priority-setting process, involvement as coinvestigators, and executing strategies to support policymakers’ use of research findings. The mean ratings (MNRs) recorded mostly ranged from 1.80 to 1.89 on the 5-point scale. Researchers were rarely involved in the generation of policy-relevant research that satisfies policymakers’ needs with MNR very low at 1.74. The MNRs for capacity to acquire, assess, and adapt research were generally considerably higher among researchers (3.16–3.82) than policymakers (2.27–3.20). There was a general consensus that the training tremendously improved participants’ understanding and use of implementation research.CONCLUSION:Policymakers and researchers are increasingly recognizing their need to work with each other in the interest of the health systems. There is a need to create more capacity enhancement platforms that will facilitate the interface between them.

Increasing Use of Research Findings in Improving Evidence-Based Health Policy at the National Level

In February 2016, the Minister of Health decided to increase the use of research findings in improving the quality of the national health policy and planning. The Ministry of Health has instructed the National Institute of Health Research and Development or NIHRD to play a stronger role of monitoring and evaluating all health programs, because “their opinion and research findings should be the basis for changes in national health policies and planning”. Compared to the past, the Ministry of Health has increased the research budget for evidence-based research tremendously. However, there is a gap between the information needs of program and policy-makers and the information offered by researchers. A close dialogue is needed between the users (program managers, policy makers and planners) and the suppliers (researchers and evaluators) to ensure that the evidence-based supplied by research is useful for programs, planning and health policy.

Combining clinical practice and academic work in nursing: A qualitative study about perceived importance, facilitators and barriers regarding clinical academic careers for nurses in university hospitals.

To obtain in-depth insight into the perceptions of nurse academics and other stakeholders regarding the importance, facilitators and barriers for nurses combining clinical and academic work in university hospitals. Combining clinical practice and academic work facilitates the use of research findings for high-quality patient care. However, nurse academics move away from the bedside because clinical academic careers for nurses have not yet been established in the Netherlands. This qualitative study was conducted in two Dutch university hospitals and their affiliated medical faculties and universities of applied sciences. Data were collected between May 2015 and August 2016. We used purposive sampling for 24 interviews. We asked 14 participants in two focus groups for their perceptions of importance, facilitators and barriers in nurses' combined clinical and academic work in education and research. We audiotaped, transcribed and thematically analysed the interviews and focus groups. Three themes related to perceived importance, facilitators and barriers: culture, leadership and infrastructure. These themes represent deficiencies in facilitating clinical academic careers for nurses. The current nursing culture emphasises direct patient care, which is perceived as an academic misfit. Leadership is lacking at all levels, resulting in the underuse of nurse academics and the absence of supporting structures for nurses who combine clinical and academic work. The present nursing culture appears to be the root cause of the dearth of academic positions and established clinical academic posts. A culture change would require a show of leadership that would promote and enable combined research, teaching and clinical practice and that would introduce clinical academic career pathways for nurses. Meanwhile, nurse academics should collaborate with established medical academics for whom combined roles are mainstream, and they should take advantage of their established infrastructure for success.

"Now What?" Perceived Factors Influencing Knowledge Exchange in School Health Research.

Increasing the uptake of school health research into practice is pivotal for improving adolescent health. COMPASS, a longitudinal study of Ontario and Alberta secondary students and schools (2012-2021), used a knowledge exchange process to enhance schools' use of research findings. Schools received annual summaries of their students' health behaviors and suggestions for action and were linked with a knowledge broker to support them in making changes to improve student health. The current research explored factors that influenced COMPASS knowledge exchange activities. Semistructured interviews were conducted with researchers (n = 13), school staff (n = 13), and public health stakeholders (n = 4). Interestingly, knowledge users focused more on factors that influenced their use of COMPASS findings than factors that influenced knowledge brokering. The factors identified by participants are similar to those that influence implementation of school health interventions (e.g., importance of school champions, competing priorities, inadequate resources). While knowledge exchange offers a way to reduce the gap between research and practice, schools that need the most support may not engage in knowledge exchange; hence, we must consider how to increase engagement of these schools to ultimately improve student health.

‘Only connect’: researchers and teachers in dialogue

This article responds to recent critiques of the usefulness of research findings to teaching, and the call for teachers to rely on their experiences and intuition. I discuss the fallibility of intuition and then examine the nature of research and of critical thinking and their importance for teachers and teacher education. I provide evidence of how research has been able to broaden and deepen our understanding of teaching and learning in ways that can be applied to both the classroom and to language teaching materials. I end by exploring the ways in which researchers and teachers in the area of second language teaching can continue to support each other: on initial teacher education programmes; through the materials made available to teachers; throughout continuing professional development; and through teacher research. Most importantly, I stress the value of maintaining a two-way dialogue between EFL teachers and researchers.

A psychometric evaluation of the Swedish version of the Research Utilization Questionnaire using a Rasch measurement model.

Evidence-based practice and research utilisation has become a commonly used concept in health care. The Research Utilization Questionnaire (RUQ) has been recognised to be a widely used instrument measuring the perception of research utilisation among nursing staff in clinical practice. Few studies have however analysed the psychometric properties of the RUQ. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Swedish version of the three subscales in RUQ using a Rasch measurement model. This study has a cross-sectional design using a sample of 163 staff (response rate 81%) working in one nursing home in Sweden. Data were collected using the Swedish version of RUQ in 2012. The three subscales Attitudes towards research, Availability of and support for research use and Use of research findings in clinical practice were investigated. Data were analysed using a Rasch measurement model. The results indicate presence of multidimensionality in all subscales. Moreover, internal scale validity and person response validity also provide some less satisfactory results, especially for the subscale Use of research findings. Overall, there seems to be a problem with the negatively worded statements. The findings suggest that clarification and refining of items, including additional psychometric evaluation of the RUQ, are needed before using the instrument in clinical practice and research studies among staff in nursing homes.

Research Use of Nurses Working in the Critical Care Units: Barriers and Facilitators.

There is a distinct gap between theory and practice with respect to research use in clinical practice, particularly in critical care units, that could be related to the presence of a number of barriers that hinder the use of research findings. The aims of the study were to identify barriers and facilitators to research use as perceived by Jordanian nurses in critical care units and to examine the predictors of research use among those nurses. The study used a cross-sectional, correlational design. The self-administered "Barriers Scale" was introduced to 200 registered critical care nurses, using the drop-and-collect technique, between October and November 2015. The results revealed that "nurse does not have time to read research at work" was the top ranked barrier that hinders research use (mean [SD], 3.45 [0.79]). The first 7 ranked barriers were related to the organizational subscale. Managerial support was the top perceived facilitator for research use. Only "attending special training courses in nursing research" was the significant predictor of research use and explained 59.1% of the variance in research use, t(190) = -3.93, P = .003. The most identified barriers toward research use revealed by the qualitative data include dominant routine nursing tasks, existence of gap between theory and practice, shortage of nursing staff, and public negative image about nursing profession. Participants suggested the importance of increasing organizational support and creating an organizational research culture to further promote research use in clinical nursing practice. Research use has not been widely implemented yet in Jordan because of various barriers. The organization-related barriers were the most influential. Factors hindering research use are multidimensional, and optimizing them should be a shared responsibility of nurse managers, researchers, clinicians, and academicians. Further initiatives are required to raise awareness of the importance of using evidence-based practice.

On tests of treatment-covariate interactions: An illustration of appropriate power and sample size calculations.

The appraisals of treatment-covariate interaction have theoretical and substantial implications in all scientific fields. Methodologically, the detection of interaction between categorical treatment levels and continuous covariate variables is analogous to the homogeneity of regression slopes test in the context of ANCOVA. A fundamental assumption of ANCOVA is that the regression slopes associating the response variable with the covariate variable are presumed constant across treatment groups. The validity of homogeneous regression slopes accordingly is the most essential concern in traditional ANCOVA and inevitably determines the practical usefulness of research findings. In view of the limited results in current literature, this article aims to present power and sample size procedures for tests of heterogeneity between two regression slopes with particular emphasis on the stochastic feature of covariate variables. Theoretical implications and numerical investigations are presented to explicate the utility and advantage for accommodating covariate properties. The exact approach has the distinct feature of accommodating the full distributional properties of normal covariates whereas the simplified approximate methods only utilize the partial information of covariate variances. According to the overall accuracy and robustness, the exact approach is recommended over the approximate methods as a reliable tool in practical applications. The suggested power and sample size calculations can be implemented with the supplemental SAS and R programs.

The Role of Philanthropic Funding in Building Research Evidence to Support an Aging Population: A Case Study from Ireland

ABSTRACTThis case study examines the role of philanthropic funding in building capacity for aging research in Ireland, and how this investment has addressed the lack of evidence to support planning for an aging population. The funding has supported a range of initiatives including the national longitudinal study on aging (TILDA), the creation of three professorships/chairs, and the establishment of four new research centers. Important potential outcomes are emerging across other domains including research-informed policy development and the generation of health benefits. The efforts of academic researchers to ensure that their findings are readily accessible to end users and to forge robust working relationships with all stakeholders have helped to enhance the use of research findings. Overall, philanthropy has played a pivotal role in building capacity, infrastructure, and expertise in academic settings in Ireland. Moreover, this work provides an excellent example of how such efforts can begin to inform effective planning and service provision.

Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training.

The Board of Educational Affairs is pleased to bestow the Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training. This award acknowledges psychologists who contribute to new teaching methods or solutions to learning problems through the use of research findings or evidence-based practices. Particular emphasis is placed on the use of psychological knowledge to improve learning in educational settings, including prekindergarten to Grade 12, or in communities. The 2016 recipients of the APA Education and Training Contributions Awards were selected by the 2015 Education and Training Awards Committee appointed by the Board of Educational Affairs (BEA). Members of the 2015 Education and Training Awards Committee were Sharon L. Berry, PhD (Chair); Arthur C. Graesser, PhD; and Thomas R. Kratochwill, PhD; Erica Wise, PhD (Chair-Elect); Ron Rozensky, PhD; and Jane Halonen, PhD. (PsycINFO Database Record

From Research to Practice

Academic researchers dedicated to contributing to quality improvement in professional practice need to find more effective ways to bridge the gap between research and practice. Bridging the gap requires understanding what encourages the use of research findings by practitioners and what discourages it, as well as understanding how practitioners can incorporate research results into program practices. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine how afterschool, camp, and community recreation practitioners make use of research results to inform their quality improvement processes. The study's findings are discussed in light of current research on knowledge utilization, and suggestions are provided for improving practice through more effective application of research results.

Building research capacity in child welfare in Canada.

There is a surprising dearth of information about the services provided to the children and families being reported to Canadian child welfare authorities, little research on the efficacy of child welfare services in Canada, and limited evidence of new policies and programs designed to address these changes. This paper reports on a research capacity building initiative designed to address some of these issues. By fostering mutual co-operation and sharing of intellectual leadership, the Building Research Capacity initiative allows partners to innovate, build institutional capacity and mobilize research knowledge in accessible ways. The model rests on the assumption that by placing the university’s research infrastructure at the service of community agencies, robust research partnerships are developed, access to agency-based research is significantly enhanced and community agencies make better use of research findings which all equate in greater research utilization and research capacity building.

Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training: Cindy Lee Juntunen.

The Award for Distinguished Contributions of Applications of Psychology to Education and Training acknowledges psychologists who contribute to new teaching methods or solutions to learning problems through the use of research findings or evidence-based practices. The 2016 recipient is Cindy Lee Juntunen. She is recognized for "her steadfast commitment to the training of future counseling psychologists, for her leadership in key national organizations focused on education and training, and for her contributions to training competencies and practice guidelines within counseling psychology." Juntunen's award citation, biography, and a selected bibliography are presented here. (PsycINFO Database Record

Collection Methods for Salivary Oxytocin Estimation in Autism Spectrum Disorders

Oxytocin participates in the development of normal social bonds and aberrations in this neuroendocrine system have been hypothesized to contribute to behavioral abnormalities associated with autism. Salivary oxytocin level estimation is now gaining popularity in autism research. Multiple collection techniques have been tried in both high as well as low functioning children with autism. In this paper, we discuss the various techniques which have been standardized for salivary sample collection to estimate oxytocin. It will probably help augment the current research findings for use of exogenous oxytocin therapy in children with autism spectrum disorders while downplaying the ethical issues of invasive sample collection techniques for blood and cerebrospinal fluid.

The barriers to the application of the research findings from the nurses' perspective: A case study in a teaching hospital

Background:The application of the nursing research findings is one of the most important indicators of development in the nursing profession, which leads to providing efficient and effective patient care and improving the quality of nursing care. According the result of some studies, transferring the evidence-based findings to the nurses’ practice and education in the world has been slow and sometimes unsuccessful. This study aimed to investigate the most important barriers to the application of research findings from the nurses’ perspective.Materials and Methods:This cross-sectional study conducted on a sample of 210 nurses in a teaching hospital in Tehran in 2013. The data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire consisted of two parts, including items about nurses’ demographic characteristics and 30 items to identify the most important barriers to the application of research findings from the studied nurses’ perspective.Results:“The lack of sufficient time for reading the studies,” “the lack of sufficient time to implement the new ideas,” “the lack of adequate facilities to implement the ideas,” “nurses’ little interest in conducting studies,” and “the lack of authority to change the methods and patterns of care” with, respectively, 85%, 84.6%, 83.8%, 83.4%, and 80.5% agreement with the existence of barriers were the most barriers to application of research findings from the studied nurses’ perspective.Conclusion:The lack of time was the most important barrier to the use of research findings from the perspective of studied nurses. Therefore, some effective strategies should be used by hospital managers and health policy makers to overcome this barrier. Some of these strategies can be employing new personnel and hiring skilled and efficient human resources in order to decrease the workload of nurses, organizing the nurses’ work shifts, providing right balance between patients and nurses in the wards, etc.

The effect of a translating research into practice intervention to promote use of evidence-based fall prevention interventions in hospitalized adults: A prospective pre–post implementation study in the U.S.

BackgroundFalls are a major public health problem internationally. Many hospitals have implemented fall risk assessment tools, but few have implemented interventions to mitigate patient-specific fall risks. Little research has been done to examine the effect of implementing evidence-based fall prevention interventions to mitigate patient-specific fall risk factors in hospitalized adults. ObjectivesTo evaluate the impact of implementing, in 3 U.S. hospitals, evidence-based fall prevention interventions targeted to patient-specific fall risk factors (Targeted Risk Factor Fall Prevention Bundle). Fall rates, fall injury rates, types of fall injuries and adoption of the Targeted Risk Factor Fall Prevention Bundle were compared prior to and following implementation. DesignA prospective pre–post implementation cohort design. SettingThirteen adult medical-surgical units from three community hospitals in the Midwest region of the U.S. ParticipantsNurses who were employed at least 20hours/week, provided direct patient care, and licensed as an RN (n=157 pre; 140 post); and medical records of patients 21years of age or older, who received care on the study unit for more than 24hours during the designated data collection period (n=390 pre and post). MethodsA multi-faceted Translating Research Into Practice Intervention was used to implement the Targeted Risk Factor Fall Prevention Bundle composed of evidence-based fall prevention interventions designed to mitigate patient-specific fall risks. Dependent variables (fall rates, fall injury rates, fall injury type, use of Targeted Risk Factor Fall Prevention Bundle) were collected at baseline, and following completion of the 15month implementation phase. Nurse questionnaires included the Stage of Adoption Scale, and the Use of Research Findings in Practice Scale to measure adoption of evidence-based fall prevention practices. A Medical Record Abstract Form was used to abstract data about use of targeted risk-specific fall prevention interventions. Number of falls, and number and types of fall injuries were collected for each study unit for 3months pre- and post-implementation. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis. ResultsFall rates declined 22% (p=0.09). Types of fall injuries changed from major and moderate to minor injuries. Fall injury rates did not decline. Use of fall prevention interventions improved significantly (p<0.001) for mobility, toileting, cognition, and risk reduction for injury, but did not change for those targeting medications. ConclusionsUsing the Translating Research Into Practice intervention promoted use of many evidence-based fall prevention interventions to mitigate patient-specific fall risk factors in hospitalized adults.