Sustaining Knowledge Translation Practices: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis
Background The health policy and systems research literature increasingly observes that knowledge translation (KT) practices are difficult to sustain. An important issue is that it remains unclear what sustainability of KT practices means and how it can be improved. The aim of this study was thus t...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Kerman University of Medical Sciences
2022-12-01
|
| Series: | International Journal of Health Policy and Management |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4225_6c54704888534eb89b810ae18cd1abc7.pdf |
| _version_ | 1827997432277893120 |
|---|---|
| author | Robert A.J. Borst Rik Wehrens Roland Bal |
| author_facet | Robert A.J. Borst Rik Wehrens Roland Bal |
| author_sort | Robert A.J. Borst |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background The health policy and systems research literature increasingly observes that knowledge translation (KT) practices are difficult to sustain. An important issue is that it remains unclear what sustainability of KT practices means and how it can be improved. The aim of this study was thus to identify and explain those processes, activities, and efforts in the literature that facilitate the sustaining of KT practices in health policy-making processes.Methods We used a critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) to review the health policy and systems research and Science and Technology Studies (STS) literature. The STS literature was included as to enrich the review with constructivist social scientific perspectives on sustainability and KT. The CIS methodology allowed for creating new theory by critically combining both literatures. We searched the literature by using PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and qualitative sampling. Searches were guided by pre-set eligibility criteria and all entries were iteratively analysed using thematic synthesis.Results Eighty documents were included. Our synthesis suggests a shift from sustainability as an end-goal towards sustaining as actors’ relatively mundane work aimed at making and keeping KT practices productive. This ‘sustaining work’ is an interplay of three processes: (i) translating, (ii) contexting, and (iii) institutionalising. Translating refers to activities aimed at constructing and extending networks. Contexting emphasises the activities needed to create contexts that support KT practices. Institutionalising addresses how actors create, maintain, and disrupt institutions with the aim of sustaining KT practices.Conclusion The ‘sustaining work’ perspective of our CIS emphasises KT actors’ ongoing work directed at sustaining KT practices. We suggest that this perspective can guide empirical study of sustaining work and that these empirical insights, combined with this CIS, can inform training programmes for KT actors, and thereby improve the sustainability of KT practices. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:28:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a89199c59dba4cd8919e0ace5e49027b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2322-5939 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T05:28:16Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Kerman University of Medical Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Health Policy and Management |
| spelling | doaj.art-a89199c59dba4cd8919e0ace5e49027b2023-03-07T09:12:01ZengKerman University of Medical SciencesInternational Journal of Health Policy and Management2322-59392022-12-0111122793280410.34172/ijhpm.2022.64244225Sustaining Knowledge Translation Practices: A Critical Interpretive SynthesisRobert A.J. Borst0Rik Wehrens1Roland Bal2Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The NetherlandsErasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The NetherlandsErasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The NetherlandsBackground The health policy and systems research literature increasingly observes that knowledge translation (KT) practices are difficult to sustain. An important issue is that it remains unclear what sustainability of KT practices means and how it can be improved. The aim of this study was thus to identify and explain those processes, activities, and efforts in the literature that facilitate the sustaining of KT practices in health policy-making processes.Methods We used a critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) to review the health policy and systems research and Science and Technology Studies (STS) literature. The STS literature was included as to enrich the review with constructivist social scientific perspectives on sustainability and KT. The CIS methodology allowed for creating new theory by critically combining both literatures. We searched the literature by using PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and qualitative sampling. Searches were guided by pre-set eligibility criteria and all entries were iteratively analysed using thematic synthesis.Results Eighty documents were included. Our synthesis suggests a shift from sustainability as an end-goal towards sustaining as actors’ relatively mundane work aimed at making and keeping KT practices productive. This ‘sustaining work’ is an interplay of three processes: (i) translating, (ii) contexting, and (iii) institutionalising. Translating refers to activities aimed at constructing and extending networks. Contexting emphasises the activities needed to create contexts that support KT practices. Institutionalising addresses how actors create, maintain, and disrupt institutions with the aim of sustaining KT practices.Conclusion The ‘sustaining work’ perspective of our CIS emphasises KT actors’ ongoing work directed at sustaining KT practices. We suggest that this perspective can guide empirical study of sustaining work and that these empirical insights, combined with this CIS, can inform training programmes for KT actors, and thereby improve the sustainability of KT practices.https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4225_6c54704888534eb89b810ae18cd1abc7.pdfknowledge translationinstitutionalisationsustainabilitycontextcritical interpretive synthesisreview |
| spellingShingle | Robert A.J. Borst Rik Wehrens Roland Bal Sustaining Knowledge Translation Practices: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis International Journal of Health Policy and Management knowledge translation institutionalisation sustainability context critical interpretive synthesis review |
| title | Sustaining Knowledge Translation Practices: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis |
| title_full | Sustaining Knowledge Translation Practices: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis |
| title_fullStr | Sustaining Knowledge Translation Practices: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sustaining Knowledge Translation Practices: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis |
| title_short | Sustaining Knowledge Translation Practices: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis |
| title_sort | sustaining knowledge translation practices a critical interpretive synthesis |
| topic | knowledge translation institutionalisation sustainability context critical interpretive synthesis review |
| url | https://www.ijhpm.com/article_4225_6c54704888534eb89b810ae18cd1abc7.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robertajborst sustainingknowledgetranslationpracticesacriticalinterpretivesynthesis AT rikwehrens sustainingknowledgetranslationpracticesacriticalinterpretivesynthesis AT rolandbal sustainingknowledgetranslationpracticesacriticalinterpretivesynthesis |