How can evidence-based ehealth interventions be best translated to end users?
, a Senior Research Fellow with the and member of the at the University of Sydney鈥檚 (the Matilda Centre), is developing an Integrated Translation and Engagement Model (ITEM). The model will guide the implementation of evidence-based ehealth interventions into health and community settings as part of the , funded by an NHMRC Project Grant and led by .
Dr Milena Heinsch
鈥淲hile there have been extraordinary research advances in healthcare, translating these advances into tangible social benefits has remained a significant challenge,鈥� says Dr Heinsch.
鈥淢ultiple models for the translation of evidence into policy and practice have been articulated. However, most are linear and very few come close to reflecting the dense and intricate relationships, systems, politics and processes required to enact sustainable improvements. The inherent complexity of knowledge translation highlights the need for multidimensional, iterative and flexible approaches that transcend disciplinary boundaries.鈥�
eCliPSE provides an exciting opportunity for Dr Heinsch to build on her , which investigated how researchers conceive, explain and experience the knowledge translation process, and the individual, organisational and relational factors that impact on this. The distinct contribution of Dr Heinsch鈥檚 lies in the synthesis and application of a wide conceptual and theoretical framework to interrogate and better understand the relationship between research and practice.
鈥淢y research draws on creative and critical perspectives from a range of fields, including philosophy, sociology, social work, public health, economics and organisation science to understand how knowledge is created, constructed, embodied and collectively negotiated,鈥� Dr Heinsch explains.
鈥淚n keeping with Milena鈥檚 commitment to developing interdisciplinary scholarship, the ITEM brings together the latest theoretical and empirical evidence for effective translation and engagement from the social, health and technological sciences, into a sophisticated and coherent framework to guide the implementation of eCliPSE into four local health districts,鈥� says Professor Kay-Lambkin. 聽聽
Dr Heinsch is developing the ITEM with Professor Kay-Lambkin in collaboration with multiple researchers and disciplines across Universities, including and 聽(The Matilda Centre, University of Sydney), and 聽(University of Newcastle), and (Deakin University), 聽(Black Dog Institute), 聽(University of Sydney) and ,听聽(University of Sydney).