Chapter 5: Research for Change

Overview of Contents

• What is knowledge exchange?
  The language of knowledge exchange
  Case story – A Canadian survey about knowledge exchange
  Thinking about the project in a broader context

• A healthy knowledge exchange environment
  Research about the right questions
  Tailoring evidence and communicating research findings
  Evidence is accessible to research users when they need it
  Evidence is credible and useable
  Mechanisms to build relationships with research users and opportunities to interact
  Case story – A university–peak body collaboration
  Research users have the desire to use evidence
  Research users have the capacity to use evidence

• Factors that can make knowledge exchange challenging
  Peer review system and academic culture
  Inadequate resources to carry out knowledge exchange
  Tips for planning knowledge exchange

• Stories about using research for change
  Case story – Using evidence from a diabetes study to change local clinical guidelines
  Case story – A small research project is leading to better care and outcomes for cardiac patients from remote areas
  Case story - The Elliot survey that changed local liquor rules (online only)
  Case story - Sharing the True Stories: for better communication in healthcare (online only)

• Key messages for researchers

Excerpt from Chapter 5

This chapter defines knowledge exchange in research, and talks about how to make research more effective in the Indigenous health research sector. It identifies factors that impact on knowledge exchange and offers strategies to help ensure that knowledge from research is used to improve Indigenous people’s health and health-related services.

To read the full chapter, purchase a copy of Researching Indigenous Health: A Practical Guide for Researchers.