Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Nov 16;16(1):109.
doi: 10.1186/s12961-018-0379-9.

Knowledge mobilisation for chronic disease prevention: the case of the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre

Sonia Wutzke  1 , Samantha Rowbotham  1   2 , Abby Haynes  3   4 , Penelope Hawe  1   2 , Paul Kelly  5 , Sally Redman  6 , Seanna Davidson  1 , Jackie Stephenson  1 , Marge Overs  1 , Andrew Wilson  1   2
Affiliations

Knowledge mobilisation for chronic disease prevention: the case of the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre

Sonia Wutzke et al. Health Res Policy Syst. .

Abstract

Background: Cross-sectoral, multidisciplinary partnership research is considered one of the most effective means of facilitating research-informed policy and practice, particularly for addressing complex problems such as chronic disease. Successful research partnerships tend to be underpinned by a range of features that enable knowledge mobilisation (KMb), seeking to connect academic researchers with decision-makers and practitioners to improve the nature, quality and use of research. This paper contributes to the growing discourse on partnership approaches by illustrating how knowledge mobilisation strategies are operationalised within the Australian Prevention Partnership Centre (the Centre), a national collaboration of academics, policy-makers and practitioners established to develop systems approaches for the prevention of lifestyle-related chronic diseases.

Methods: We undertook interviews with key academics, policy, and practice partners and funding representatives at the mid-point of the Centre's initial 5-year funding cycle. We aimed to explore how the Centre is functioning in practice, to develop a conceptual model of KMb within the Centre for use in further evaluation, and to identify ways of strengthening our approach to partnership research. Inductive and deductive thematic analysis was used to identify the key mechanisms underpinning the Centre's KMb approach.

Results: Six key mechanisms appeared to facilitate KMb within our Centre, namely Engagement, Partnerships, Co-production, Capacity and Skills, Knowledge Integration, and Adaptive Learning and Improvement. We developed a conceptual model that articulated these mechanisms in relation to the structures and processes that support them, as well as the Centre's goals. Findings also informed adaptations designed to strengthen the Centre.

Conclusions: Findings provide insights into the practical realities of operationalising KMb strategies within a research partnership. Overall, the centre is perceived to be progressing towards its KMb goals, but challenges include stakeholders from different settings understanding each other's contexts and working together effectively, and ensuring knowledge generated across different projects within the Centre is integrated into a more comprehensive understanding of chronic disease prevention policy and practice. Our conceptual model is now informing ongoing developmental evaluation activities within the Centre, where it is being tested and refined.

Keywords: Knowledge mobilisation; chronic disease; co-production; knowledge to action; partnership research; prevention.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

Ethical approval for the interviews was obtained from the Sax Institute low-risk research assessment committee (ref: R2015/12/07) and all participants provided verbal consent to participate and be audio-recorded. To protect stakeholder identity and relationships, all data were de-identified prior to discussion within the research team.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The Australian Prevention Partnership Centre model
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Gray JAM. Evidence-based Health Care and Public Health. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2009.
    1. Redman S, Turner T, Davies H, Williamson A, Haynes A, Brennan S, Milat A, O'Connor D, Blyth F, Jorm L, et al. The SPIRIT Action Framework: a structured approach to selecting and testing strategies to increase the use of research in policy. Soc Sci Med. 2015;136-137:147–155. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2015.05.009. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kessler R, Glasgow RE. A proposal to speed translation of healthcare research into practice: dramatic change is needed. Am J Prev Med. 2011;40(6):637–644. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2011.02.023. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Green LW. Making research relevant: if it is an evidence-based practice, where's the practice-based evidence? Fam Pract. 2008;25(Supplement 1):i20–i24. doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmn055. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Brownson RC, Kreuter MW, Arrington BA, True WR. Translating scientific discoveries into public health action: how can schools of public health move us forward? Public Health Rep. 2006;121(1):97–103. doi: 10.1177/003335490612100118. - DOI - PMC - PubMed