Using Mixed Methods to Facilitate Translation of Research Findings Into Professional and Community Practice

• In Event: Using Mixed Methods in Translational Research: Methodological Advantages and Practical Applications

Abstract

Translational research (TR) is a cornerstone for translating evidence-based generated findings into practice. TR embraces three sets of concepts: translating knowledge from the basic sciences into the development of new treatments and programs (T1 research), translating the research findings into professional practice (T2 research), and to the community (T3 research) (Abernethy & Wheeler, 2011; Woolf, 2008). Using the skills in translational science, the investigator integrates evidence-based practices (EBP) and individuals’ preferences to best produce outcomes that impact population well-being. TR is a complex process that is more cyclical rather than linear and necessitates both research and result implementation (Callard, Rose, & Wykes, 2011; Layde et al., 2012). Five interdisciplinary methodologies– EBP, adaptation, dissemination and implementation, community-based participatory approach, and action research–are integral to the TR process as they help bring research findings to clinical and community settings, thereby addressing the needs of T2 and T3 research. These methodologies can be easily integrated with mixed methods research and jointly provide a rigorous methodological framework for TR. The purpose of this paper is to introduce a mixed methods methodological framework for TR (MMTR) and discuss its application for enhancing the translation of generated evidence into professional and community practice.

The MMTR methodological framework integrates mixed methods into each phase of the community-based participatory action research (CBPAR) cycle and captures the synergistic interplay among the five methodologies–EBP, adaptation, dissemination and implementation, community-based participatory approach, and action research–at different stages and levels in the TR process as informed and enhanced by mixed methods research procedures and designs. The intersection of mixed methods research with each of these methodologies expands their scope and adds rigor to the assessment of the TR process and its outcomes. The CBPAR phases (diagnosing, reconnaissance, planning, acting, evaluation, and monitoring) follow each other sequentially but also interact with each other in multiple ways depending on the purposes and needs of TR. The CBPAR cycle is embedded in the processes of adaptation, dissemination, and implementation that help translate the innovation informed by EBP. Because adaptation, dissemination, and implementation are ongoing until the innovation is adopted and its sustainability is established in the community or practice, these processes can strategically influence the purpose and design of each phase in the CBPAR cycle.

We will illustrate the utility of the MMTR framework based on empirical TR projects in several disciplines. We will show how the five methodologies interrelate with each other within an MMTR project and jointly facilitate the TR process by shaping the varied methodological decisions. The advantage and significance of the MMTR framework is that it integrates mixed methods research into each step of the CBPAR process with the purpose of enhancing the processes of adaptation, dissemination, and implementation of EBP in professional and community settings. The framework captures the synergistic interplay among these methodologies during the TR process as informed and enhanced by mixed methods research, thereby providing a solid theoretical foundation for promoting sustainability of knowledge translation process and bridging the gap between science and practice.

Authors

• Nataliya V. Ivankova, The University of Alabama - Birmingham

• Ivan Herbey, University of Alabama at Birmingham

• Linda Roussel, University of Alabama at Birmingham