Grant: Planning Grants - Priority Announcement: International Research Collaborations

Despite recommendations to improve the use of evidence in healthcare and a rapidly developing field of implementation science, the uptake of evidence in practice and policy remains haphazard. Healthcare provider and policy-maker behaviour change is a key factor in the movement toward evidence-based practice and improved health outcomes for Canadians. Understanding health behaviour requires attention to the cognitive, emotional and social factors that impact decision-making. The Theoretical Domains Framework was developed in 2005 by the Psychological Theory Group in the UK to maximize the accessibility and usefulness of psychological theory for understanding the processes associated with the behaviours of healthcare providers and policy-makers. Preliminary work with the framework across a range of settings and behaviours shows great promise; however, further testing is required to refine methods for identifying important constructs and domains, particularly with complex behaviours. The purpose of this planning grant is to convene a meeting of international knowledge translation researchers and trainees who are currently working with the Theoretical Domains Framework. The goal of the meeting is to identify a shared international research agenda, including emerging issues and priorities, related to further development and refinement of the framework. An international collaborative would strengthen the evidence base for the use of theory in developing behaviour change interventions while better leveraging scarce research dollars. A coordinated research agenda would ensure a targeted approach to addressing the gaps and emerging priorities and facilitate the conduct of important replication studies at participating sites. Further, by including the next generation of knowledge translation researchers, we anticipate growth and capacity building in the use of theory to design effective behaviour change interventions.