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Background & Purpose

It is widely recognized that interaction between researchers, frontline practitioners, clinicians, managers and policy-makers is needed to enhance the relevance and use of research, and improve health care planning, delivery and outcomes. Such interactions are often referred to as integrated knowledge translation (IKT). These interactions are difficult to initiate and sustain, and must be nurtured over time. The term collaborative health care improvement partnerships (CHIPs) conveys the idea that ongoing interactions are needed among individuals and groups to identify and resolve health care problems by moving research to action. Research shows that many factors challenge IKT, and that it may not be widely or optimally employed. Further efforts are needed to promote and enable IKT.

The purpose of the CHIPs theme group is to:

  • Progress the science underlying IKT by generating knowledge on how to undertake, enable and evaluate IKT, and by demonstrating its impact.
  • Support IKT by understanding the unique perspectives, interests and needs of researchers and decision-makers, and based on this knowledge generate instructional resources and/or tools that guide and foster IKT.
  • Promote collaboration between researchers and decision-makers by brokering relationships through the CAHSPR membership.
  • Contribute to capacity-building by engaging trainees in CHIPs theme group activities, and by educating all CAHSPR members through organizing sub-plenary and concurrent sessions at annual CAHSPR meetings.

Ultimately this may lead to improved use of health services research in decision-making, thus improving the quality of health care delivery and outcomes.

Organization & Leadership

Co-Chairs are:

  • Shannon Sibbald, University of Western Ontario
  • Jennifer Verma, Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement

Steering Committee includes:

  • Melissa Brouwers, McMaster University
  • Kirk Nylen, Ontario Brain Institute
  • Mary Ann O’Brien, University of Toronto
  • Chris McCutcheon, IKT Network