Grant: CIHR New Investigator

Canada is among the most prosperous nations in the world, yet the health and wellness outcomes of Canadian children, when compared to children from other developed nations, are surprisingly poor. There is some evidence to suggest that these poor health outcomes are partly due to variation in health care treatment (clinical practice variation), which stems from a failure to apply the best available research evidence in clinical practice, otherwise known as knowledge translation (KT). Surprisingly, clinical practice variation, even for everyday acute child health conditions, is common. Clinical practice variation results in unnecessary medical treatments, increased suffering, and increased health care costs. My child health services research program focuses on improving health outcomes for common child health problems by developing strategies that improve KT and reduce clinical practice variation. The largest improvement in outcomes for both patients and the health care system will be achieved by decreasing clinical variation in those conditions that most commonly present to Emergency Departments or Urgent Care Centers. The purpose of the research project discussed is to explore the factors that influence how research-based guidelines for croup and gastroenteritis (two common child health problems) are implemented. The application of research findings in policy is a strategic value of many provincial and national health care agencies, yet the KT science specific to child health settings is lacking. Canada has the capacity to become a world leader in child health research however achieving that goal requires commitment and strategic investment in child health research focused specifically on knowledge translation. The research program proposed here will generate new knowledge to capture the distinct characteristics and nuances of the delivery of health care to children -- new knowledge that can facilitate successful future research implementation.