Dr Stella Gwini1
1Barwon Health, 2Deakin University
Introduction
Research dissemination is an important step for knowledge translation and practice change. Item 8 of the World Medical Association’s Declaration of Helsinki states that research dissemination is an ethical obligation, and this is reflected in the NHMRC guidelines for ethical research. Consequently, current national ethics application forms ask researchers to describe their planned dissemination actions, and as such expect these to be fulfilled on project completion. However, research and anecdotal accounts suggest that a large number of research activities are not disseminated.
Objectives
To examine dissemination practices at a regional teaching hospital and compare proposed dissemination plans to actual dissemination activities .
Methods
Research projects completed 2017 – 2018 were identified from the institution’s Research Ethics database. Data collected from the database included research type, proposed dissemination strategy and whether the study was single or multi-site. Data on whether and how research findings were disseminated, reasons for not disseminating and barriers/enablers for dissemination were collected through a questionnaire administered by telephone to chief investigators. Where investigators could not be contacted, the an internet was searched for any peer-reviewed or grey literature publications related to the project.
Results and Conclusions
Eighty studies meeting the inclusion criteria were identified. Early results indicate that less than half of the projects were disseminated as planned. The findings suggest the need for continued researcher support to optimise research dissemination, reduce publication bias and research waste, and remove existing barriers to effective dissemination.
Biography:
Bio to come.