International Journal of Health Policy and Management

International Journal of Health Policy and Management

When Coproduction Is Unproductive; Comment on “Experience of Health Leadership in Partnering with University-Based Researchers in Canada: A Call to ‘Re-Imagine’ Research”

Document Type : Commentary

Author
Sara A. Kreindler
Department of Community Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
10.15171/ijhpm.2019.140
Abstract
Bowen et al offer a sobering look at the reality of research partnerships from the decision-maker perspective. Health leaders who had actively engaged in such partnerships continued to describe research as irrelevant and unhelpful – just the problem that partnered research was intended to solve. This commentary further examines the many barriers that impede researchers from meeting decision-makers’ knowledge needs, and decision-makers from using knowledge that they have coproduced. It argues that not all barriers can or should be dismantled: some are legitimate and beneficial; some are harmful but deeply entrenched; some arise unpredictably. This being the case, it seems unrealistic to expect either existing or emerging strategies to create a macro-context devoid of barriers to the fruitful coproduction of knowledge. However, it may be possible to identify and support micro-contexts (configurations of participants, settings, and project characteristics) in which partnered research is most likely to achieve its aims.
Keywords
Research Partnerships
Integrated Knowledge Translation
Health Systems
Health System Leadership
Subjects
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International Journal of Health Policy and Management
Volume 9, Issue 9
September 2020
Pages 406-408

  • Received Date 02 November 2019
  • Revised Date 12 December 2019
  • Accepted Date 12 December 2019
  • First Published Date 01 September 2020
  • Published Date 01 September 2020