Gambling Research Reveals - Issue 3, Volume 9 - February/ March 2010

7/31/2019 Gambling Research Reveals - Issue 3, Volume 9 - February/ March 2010

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Knowledge Translation (KT): Questionsand answers with Donna Angus, Managerof Knowledge Transfer Initiatives forAlberta InnovatesHealth SolutionsDonna Angus is Manager of Knowledge Transfer Initiatives for Alberta Innovates

Health Solutions. At the invitation of the Institute, she will be leading a discussio

about KT concepts and planning at the Institutes April 2010 Stakeholder Meeting

in Banff, Alberta. In preparation for the event, she graciously provided the following

answers to a variety of knowledge translation-related questions:

What is your background with respect to Knowledge Translation?

The short answer is that Ive worked in and around health care all my working li

despite having a degree in Education, frst as a research assistant in government, an

later as a communications person or various organizations. Because health care seemed

to be where I was going with my career, I completed a Masters in Health Administrationand pursued my accreditation as a medical writer. About ten years ago, I moved into

health research. Initially, knowledge transla-

tion (KT) activities were an add-on to my com-

munications role. Over time, the KT feld itsel

evolved into its own separate discipline and I

now work and teach knowledge translation ull-

time at Alberta InnovatesHealth Solutions in

Edmonton, Alberta.

What is KT and why has it received so much buzz?

You will see many defnitions o KT and several terms used to describe the same thingIn essence, it is about using evidence and other knowledge to inorm decisions. It is

a two way process that involves both the creators and users o knowledge.

What activities are associated with KT?

The cycle o evidence to policy and practice includes fguring out what the question

is that you want to answer, generating knowledge (i.e., doing research), synthesizing

research evidence (i.e., looking at all the research on a given subject), moving research

fndings out into the world (e.g., publication o an article, holding a research day

with stakeholders, etc.), implementing the evidence (e.g., changing the way a program

operates), and evaluating its impact.

Knowledge translation

works best when it is

part and parcel of the

research process...


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Why is it important for research bodies, government policymakersand individual researchers to better understand KT?

KT works best when it is part and parcel o the research process; that is, policy makers

practitioners, and researchers working together throughout the research process. The bet

ter everyone understands KT, the more meaningul the relationships between producerand users o research will be and the more relevant the outcomes.

How do we know when KTefforts are making a difference?Are there any metrics that havebeen developed for assessingsuccess?

Evaluation o KT is the least well devel-

oped part o the KT cycle or many reasons,

not the least o which is the complexity

o how decisions are made in health careand in act any feld o endeavor. How

do you attribute your success or ailure

to a KT strategy alone? That said, some

progress is being made and it centres

on measuring the impact o research or,

to put it another way, measuring the

return on investment. The metrics vary

depending on what it is youre try-

ing to measure; or example, i you

want to measure the research impact o

an article, youd look at bibliometrics

(e.g., citation analysis). Measuring chang-

es in behaviour would necessitate very

dierent metrics and perhaps even

a separate research project.

Are there distinctions betweenthe utilization of KT by researchgranting organizations vs.individual researchers orgrant holders?

Most granting agencies require some indi-

cation o how the research results will be

disseminated. By asking researchers or

a KT plan in their application, it sets the

expectation or that to happen. Making

unding contingent on an approved plan

is a great motivator.

What is Research Transfer?

Imagine two mountains. On one moun-tain are the researchers who generatea staggering amount of research resultsevery year. On the other mountain arethe decision makerspolicy-makers,

administrators, health care providers,patients, and consumers.

There is a tremendous differencebetween the two and between what weknow from research and what we do inhealth care. So, how can we bridge thegap between the two mountains so thatresearch results can effectively informdecisionmaking in health care?

Research or knowledge transfer (KT)is a deliberate process of information

exchange between producers and po-tential users of research that supportsevidence-informed decision making anddecision-informed research, ultimatelyfor the betterment of peoples lives.

KT activities at Alberta InnovatesHealth Solutions include capacitybuilding for knowledge transfer withinthe health system (training, mentoring,networking, and resources); facilitatinglinkage and exchange between research-

ers and decision makers; disseminationof research results; ethical oversight ofall knowledge generating projects; sup-port for the development of innovativeproducts and services; and advancementof knowledge on knowledge transfer.

SOURCE: Health Research TransferNetwork of Alberta

For individuals interestedin learning more aboutknowledge translation,

Donna Angus recommendsthe following onlineresources:

KT Canada Clearinghouse

http://ktclearinghouse.ca/

Canadian Institutes

of Health Research

Knowledge Translation

& Commercialization

http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/29529.html

Research Transfer

Network of Alberta

http://www.ahfmr.ab.ca/rtna/


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Do you feel that research relating to gambling poses any specialchallenges when it comes to KT?

The players may be dierent and the context, but the process will be the same. KT is

about establishing relationships between researchers and decision makers and developing

processes together to get the most impact rom research results.

In conclusion, if there was only one thing that you could tell peopleabout KT what would it be?

It would be that no one thing will work. KT needs to be customized or each situation.

Recently Initiated Institutefunded

investigationsAssessing the performance of a brief problem gambling screen ina clinically validated sample of at-risk, problem and pathologicalgamblers (#53)

Dr. Robert Williams (Co-Principal Investigator)

Faculty o Health Sciences, University o Lethbridge

Dr. Rachel A. Volberg (Co-Principal Investigator)

Gemini Research, Northampton, MA

Screening or problem gambling takes place in both clinical settings and in population

research. We propose to conduct secondary analyses to investigate the perormance o a

brie, three-item problem gambling screen in relation to clinically adjudicated at-risk

problem and pathological gamblers.

The determinants of problem and recreational gambling and the effectof gambling on health (#52)

Dr. Jane E. Ruseski (Co-Principal Investigator)

Department o Economics, University o Alberta

Dr. Brad R. Humphreys (Co-Principal Investigator)

Department o Economics, University o Alberta

Co-investigator:

Dr. John A. Nyman

School o Public Health, University o Minnesota

This project investigates the determinants o classes o gamblers, their health problems

and health care utilization. The intent o the proposal is to investigate whether there is a

dierence between the characteristics that predict classes o gambling and to investigate

the health problems and medical care utilization or dierent classes o gamblers.


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ALbeRTA GAmInG ReseARChInsTITUTe boARd oF dIReCToRs

Dr. Nady el-Guebaly, Chair,University o Calgary

Dr. Jo-Anne Fiske,University o Lethbridge

Dr. Douglas West,University o Alberta

Dr. Chris Hosgood,University o Lethbridge

Mrs. Sheila Murphy,Public Member

Dr. Erin Gibbs Van Brunschot,University o Calgary

Dr. Renee Elio,University o Alberta

exeCUTIVe dIReCToR

Vickii Williams([email protected])

node CooRdInAToRs

University o Alberta:Dr. Garry Smith([email protected])

University o Calgary:Dr. David Hodgins([email protected])

University o Lethbridge:Dr. Robert Williams([email protected])

InsTITUTe LIbRARIAn

Rhys Stevens([email protected])

Your comments and queries are welcome

either by e-mail: [email protected]

phone: 780.492.2856

Donna Angusand Rhys Stevens Writers

Leena Vanhala Editor

Epigrafx Design/Layout

Media queries 780.492.2856

* The Institute is funded by the Albertagovernment through the Alberta Lottery

Fund.

ISSN 1499-2647

AGRI 2010

Calling their bluff: Investigating the accuracy of skill assessment amongpoker players (#S23)

Ms. Terri-Lynn MacKay (Principal Investigator)

Department o Psychology, University o Calgary

Co-investigators:

Dr. Michael Bowling

Department o Computing Science, University o Alberta

Dr. David Hodgins (Grant Holder)

Department o Psychology, University o Calgary

The purpose o the present study is to investigate the relationship between cognitive

distortions and actual play using a poker interace with a low-variance analysis estimato

o player skill. The proposed study will ocus on each participants assessment o his or he

perormance compared with that measured by empirical skill.

Motivational interviewing and solution-focused counseling for problemgamblers: Prevalence and considerations for a mesh of clinical andadministrative discourses in Alberta (#S24)

Dr. Tom Strong (Principal Investigator)

Faculty o Education, University o Calgary

Co-investigator:

Ms. Tanya Mudry

Faculty o Education, University o Calgary

The proposed pilot research will survey publicly unded Alberta counsellors regarding thei

use, and institutional experience o using, solution-ocused and motivational interviewing

approaches to counselling problem gamblers. It will also involve a comprehensive literatur

review pertaining to understanding use o such clinical discourses in institutional health

settings.

Documents

Gambling Research Reveals - Issue 3, Volume 9 - February/ March 2010