Grant: Operating Grant

Context is increasingly recognized as a central influence on healthcare professionals' use of research and an important factor to be considered in knowledge translation (KT) interventions targeting healthcare professionals. Whilst there is growing recognition that 'context' can modify the effects of KT interventions, we lack conceptual clarity about what comprises context. The purpose of this project is to develop, refine and validate with international experts a comprehensive framework of context that identifies the domains of context and their features that can facilitate or hinder: (1) healthcare professionals' use of research in clinical practice and (2) KT interventions aimed to improve healthcare professionals' use of research in clinical practice. We will conduct an analysis of context and related concepts using three separate but related inquiries: (1) a concept analysis of context as it is described in the literature; (2) a secondary analysis of qualitative data from 18 studies of 504 healthcare professionals on factors they perceive as barriers and enablers to their use of research in clinical practice; and, (3) semi-structured key informant interviews with health system stakeholders and change agents to elicit their tacit knowledge about contextual features that influence KT interventions and healthcare professionals' use of research. Following individual analysis of each inquiry, we will synthesize the data using triangulation to refine the framework of context drawn from the concept analysis. This framework will then be assessed for content validity by expert researchers and health system stakeholders and change agents. This project is necessary to develop common assessment tools to measure context to: (i) tailor KT intervention design and delivery, (ii) to better interpret the effects of KT interventions, and (iii) to pragmatically guide knowledge users in their implementation efforts.