Year: 2013
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Knowledge translation describes the process of getting knowledge into practice, \nleading to a healthy workforce and economy. Knowledge translation is particularly \nchallenging at the primary healthcare level, which manifests as a research to practice \ngap. \nThis research aimed to explore and describe knowledge translation from both a \nknowledge translation organisation’s and knowledge user’s point of view at the South \nAfrican primary healthcare level. A qualitative dominant, mixed methods approach was \nused. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine organisations to \nevaluate their knowledge translation strategies. An online survey collected responses \nfrom primary healthcare workers to assess their knowledge needs and preferences. \nLastly, the Thinking Processes of Theory of Constraints were applied to the public \nsector to identify ways in which knowledge translation can be optimised within the \nDepartment of Health system. \nThis research found that the organisations’ strategies were inextricably linked to the \nknowledge translation context. Barriers to knowledge translation in the public and \nprivate sector as well as urban and rural areas differed in many respects. \nOrganisations were successful in overcoming many of these barriers, but barriers that \nreside at the Department of Health (DOH) policy level, remain difficult to address. \nThe 82 survey respondents were mostly doctors from the urban private sector. They \nrepresented a distinct subset of practitioners who preferred using the internet to access \nknowledge and identified no significant barriers to staying up to date. \nThe Thinking Processes identified possible solutions to getting new DOH guidelines \ninto practice in a fast, reliable and coordinated manner. This requires increased \ncollaboration between knowledge translation organisations and the DOH as well as the \ndesign of a system for updating the DOH guidelines on an annual basis.
Author: Marcelle Myburgh
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W359085485