Palliative care research promotion in policy and practice: a knowledge exchange process

Area of Science:

• Palliative Care Research
• Knowledge Translation
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Palliative care research often fails to translate into consistent improvements in patient care.
• Palliative care benefits all patients with life-threatening illnesses but is predominantly used by cancer patients.
• Bridging the gap between research evidence and practice is crucial for advancing palliative care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engage stakeholders in a knowledge exchange process to identify implications of research for Scottish palliative care priorities.
• To foster collaboration between research producers and users to coproduce actionable insights.
• To explore the impact of this knowledge exchange on research uptake and utilization.

Main Methods:

• Mapping existing palliative care research evidence in Scotland.
• Organizing evidence review meetings and stakeholder events for collaborative discussion.
• Utilizing questionnaires and feedback meetings to assess the impact on research use.

Main Results:

• Participation fostered strong relationships and diverse perspectives on research evidence.
• The process led to the identification of potential impacts on earlier palliative care identification, education, and commissioning.
• Enthusiastic exploration of research evidence from multiple viewpoints was observed.

Conclusions:

• Knowledge exchange initiatives can effectively translate research into practical implications for palliative care.
• Collaborative approaches involving policymakers, educators, clinicians, and service providers are vital for improving palliative care.
• The study provides suggestions for replicating this successful knowledge exchange model.