Knowledge Translation in Knowledge Translation in Child Welfare: Child Welfare:

Researcher-on-call toolResearcher-on-call tool Christine Wekerle, Ph.D.

The University of Western Ontariocwekerle@uwo.ca

Presented to Practice and Research Together (PART) OntarioJune 2009

Visit the MAP Knowledge Translation Website directlyGo to: www2.oacas.org

Graham et al. (2006)Graham et al. (2006)

Knowledge Translation (KT)Knowledge Translation (KT)- Definition of KT- Definition of KT

• Canadian Institute of Health Research Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR, 2004): (CIHR, 2004): • The exchange, synthesis and The exchange, synthesis and ethically-sound ethically-sound

application of research findings within a complex application of research findings within a complex set of interactions among researchers and set of interactions among researchers and knowledge usersknowledge users. .

• transformation of knowledge for use in clinic transformation of knowledge for use in clinic practice and policypractice and policy

Importance of KTImportance of KT• Knowledge translation (KT) has

taken the center stage in health (Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 2006)

• Change in behaviour is the ultimate goal in KT (Schryer-Roy, 2005)

What to change?

Purpose of KTPurpose of KT KT addresses the gap between the large volume of KT addresses the gap between the large volume of

research production and its implementation into practice research production and its implementation into practice – on MAP KT “mental health” most searched on Google – on MAP KT “mental health” most searched on Google Scholar and Researcher-on-CallScholar and Researcher-on-Call

Need for: Need for: (1) quality assurance re: research(1) quality assurance re: research(2) integration of different research to common (2) integration of different research to common conclusions on positive (what to do) and negative (what conclusions on positive (what to do) and negative (what not to do) practicesnot to do) practices(3) translation to case-level(3) translation to case-level(4) quick turn-around to queries(4) quick turn-around to queries(5) archiving and search prior queries(5) archiving and search prior queries

Problems with Research Problems with Research to KTto KT Moving from group-based data to single-case Moving from group-based data to single-case

in servicein service Lack of context: Population comparisons Lack of context: Population comparisons

neededneeded Lack of consistent operational definitionsLack of consistent operational definitions Standardized measures not normed on child Standardized measures not normed on child

welfare populationwelfare population Gold-standard treatments not tested with Gold-standard treatments not tested with

child welfare (multi-problem) groups or take child welfare (multi-problem) groups or take into account maltreatment (trauma-context)into account maltreatment (trauma-context)

Lack of translation to practical strategies, and Lack of translation to practical strategies, and conducting implementation researchconducting implementation research

Child Welfare Worker-Based Themes of Investigation*

No. of Peer-reviewed Articles(General

Youth Pop.)-PsycInfo-1998-2008

No. of Peer-reviewed Articles (Child

Welfare)-PsycInfo-1998-2008

Mental Health and Substance Use (Prevalence, screening, intervention, treatment)

3012 126

Child Protection System Investigation --- 18

Pregnancy & Parenting, Recidivism 2765 36

Child Welfare System Characteristics Stats. --- 46

Foster Care --- 253

Custody, Legal Issues, Adpotion 3130 79

Youth Placement & Transition 1186 123

Child Protection Practices --- 5

Sexual Orientation, Aboriginal, Homelessness 1735 48

Education 3864 69

Workers-theme Google Scholar Search vs. Child Workers-theme Google Scholar Search vs. Child Welfare Research BaseWelfare Research Base

Child Welfare Researcher-Based Themes of Investigation in the

MAP Research Project

No. of Peer-reviewed Articles(General

Youth Pop.)-PsycInfo-1998-2008

No. of Peer-reviewed Articles (Child

Welfare)-PsycInfo-1998-2008

Mental Health – Anxiety 2382 9

Mental Health – Depression 3977 19

Mental Health – PTSD 492 4

Self-harm / Suicide 1761 18

Self-esteem / Self-confidence 1634 10

Substance (Drug) Use 3228 25

Alcohol Use 3386 21

Dating Violence 167 2

Legal Issues 2468 43

Socioeconomic Status / Poverty 1269 9

Sexual Health / Sexual Behaviour 820 5

Physical / Medical Health 196 1

* CAS worker thems were derived by coding the worker-initiated searches on the MAP KT portal. All PsycInfo searches included “youth” and “adolescent” as an additive

search term

Leung et al. (in press) KT Leung et al. (in press) KT paperpaper

A significant association in the A significant association in the contingency between 1) workers’ contingency between 1) workers’ judgment on the presence of mental judgment on the presence of mental health difficulty and youth self-report on health difficulty and youth self-report on scoring above clinical cut-off on the BSI scoring above clinical cut-off on the BSI the past 7 days at initial MAP testing the past 7 days at initial MAP testing and 2) the decrease in incidence of and 2) the decrease in incidence of scoring above clinical cut-off on the BSI scoring above clinical cut-off on the BSI from initial to 6-month follow-up testings from initial to 6-month follow-up testings

Current KT websitesCurrent KT websitesLinks to Various Institutes or Organizations Active in the Field

- World Health Organization http://www.who.int/kms/en/  

- Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/

-Centres of Excellence for Children’s Well-being (CECW) http://www.cecw-cepb.ca/

- Child Welfare Information Gateway http://www.childwelfare.gov/

- Canadian Health Services Research Foundation http://www.chsrf.ca/home_e.php   - Research in Practice in United Kingdom (R.I.P.) http://www.rip.org.uk/

- Knowledge Translation Program, Faculty of Medicine - University of Toronto http://www.ktp.utoronto.ca/

MAP KT PortalMAP KT Portal

Researcher-on-callResearcher-on-call

10

13

813

5

15

5Article Request

Assessment Tool

Education Outcome/Policy Related

Case Management

Parenting

Treatment Outcome

Youth Justice/Legal Issues

Researcher-on-call Researcher-on-call (Requests)(Requests)

# requests filed:  60 # of total questions asked: 73 # single-time requesters: 26  # of repeat requesters: 9

ReferencesReferences Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR). 2004. Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR). 2004. The CIHR Knowledge Translation Strategy The CIHR Knowledge Translation Strategy

2004-2009: Innovation in Action. 2004-2009: Innovation in Action. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Lomas, J. (2000). Lomas, J. (2000). Knowledge Translation: Basic Theories, Approaches and Applications.Knowledge Translation: Basic Theories, Approaches and Applications. Retrieved August 28, 2008, from: http://www.idrc.ca/research-matters/ev-90105-201-1-Retrieved August 28, 2008, from: http://www.idrc.ca/research-matters/ev-90105-201-1-DO_TOPIC.htmlDO_TOPIC.html

National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research. (2008). National Center for the Dissemination of Disability Research. (2008). What is knowledge What is knowledge translation?.translation?. (Technical Brief. No. 10). Retrieved August 28, 2008, from: (Technical Brief. No. 10). Retrieved August 28, 2008, from: http://www.ncddr.org/kt/products/focus/focus10/http://www.ncddr.org/kt/products/focus/focus10/

Schryer-Roy, A.-M., (2005). Schryer-Roy, A.-M., (2005). Knowledge translation: Basic theories, approaches and applications.Knowledge translation: Basic theories, approaches and applications. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Retrieved August 28, 2008, from: Ottawa, ON: Canadian Institutes of Health Research. Retrieved August 28, 2008, from: http://www.chsrf.ca/kte_docs/Knowledge_Translation_-http://www.chsrf.ca/kte_docs/Knowledge_Translation_-_Basic_Theories,_Approaches_and_Applications_-_May_2006.pdf_Basic_Theories,_Approaches_and_Applications_-_May_2006.pdf

World Health Organization. (2006). World Health Organization. (2006). Bridging the “know-do” gap: Meeting on knowledge translation Bridging the “know-do” gap: Meeting on knowledge translation in global health.in global health. Retrieved December 3, 2007, from: Retrieved December 3, 2007, from: http://www.who.int/kms/WHO_EIP_KMS_2006_2.pdfhttp://www.who.int/kms/WHO_EIP_KMS_2006_2.pdf