Knowledge Translation in Health Care: Moving from evidence to practice
Ellen McIntyre, PHC RIS
Given the increasing focus on knowledge exchange to move evidence into practice, this text, Knowledge Translation in Health Care, is very timely. Written in an easy to read format by a who’s who of experts in this field, key topics include knowledge creation, the knowledge-to-action cycle, theories and models of knowledge to action, knowledge exchange and evaluation of knowledge to action.
As mentioned in the foreword, to improve the uptake of health research into practice requires a willingness to consider new ways of doing business. This book identifies them as a cultural change toward more relevant, good quality research and greater attention to the application of findings; new structures, activities and processes to provide better communication between researchers and decision makers; and better understanding of each other’s environments along with the need for new human resource skills in bridging the significant cultural gaps between the two communities.
This introductory guide to the rapidly developing field of knowledge translation in health care outlines strategies for successful knowledge translation in practice and policy making. The knowledge translation interventions are diverse, ranging from educational, linkage and exchange, audit and feedback, informatics, patient-mediated, and organisational. While the selection of intervention remains an art, it is supported by structured methods based on objectives, barriers and enablers.
It is an essential read for health policy makers, researchers, managers, clinicians and trainees.
The book is available from <http://au.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1405181060.html>
Reference
Straus S, Tetroe J, Graham I. (Eds) (2009). Knowledge Translation in Health Care: Moving from evidence to practice. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.
The Spirit Level: Why more equal societies almost always do better
Nova Reinfeld-Kirkman, PHC RIS
The Spirit Level: Why more equal societies almost always do better presents a powerful argument that it is the relative inequality within a society (rather than, for example, low average incomes) that foster detrimental outcomes across the society. Using a surprisingly large range of indices, from obesity to homicide rates, Wilkinson and Pickett show that inequality harms not only those who are most disadvantaged, but whole populations.
Although most of the empirical evidence is drawn from large scale population surveys, Wilkinson and Pickett nicely use stories to flesh out the meaning and importance of their findings. For example: when discussing the social implications of the high rates of distrust that emerge in unequal societies, they quote the Louisiana Governor on troop deployment in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina “They have M16s that are locked and loaded. These troops know how to shoot and kill and I expect they will”. As the musician Kanye West noted “You see a white family [the media] says ‘they’re looking for food’. You see a black family it says ‘they’re looting’”. Wilkinson and Pickett demonstrate that the inequalities exemplified by such reasoning are powerfully related to Louisiana’s poor performance in all manner of social and well-being measures, and that analogous results can be found in most societies with severe inequities.
Although many studies are referred to, this book is intended for a general audience and the technicalities of the research are often glossed over. However, for those who are interested in the methodological basis of studies there are full references for all data sources and journal articles. Many readers of PHC RIS infonet will be familiar with issues relating to inequality and poor health outcomes (covered in some detail in this book), but The Spirit Level provides a methodologically sound and well-written introduction to the wider implications of inequity.
The book is available from <www.penguin.com.au/lookinside/spotlight.cfm?SBN=9780141032368>
Reference
Wilkinson RG, Pickett K. (2009). The Spirit Level: Why more equal societies almost always do better. London: Allen Lane.
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