It can take up to 17 years for research findings to make it into practice in hospitals and clinics.
Dal-based is a national knowledge mobilization network looking to change that and get evidence-based pediatric pain management techniques into the hands of those who need them sooner.
The non-profit recently partnered with , Dalhousie鈥檚 health innovation sandbox, to offer a program engaging students from multiple disciplines in a semester-long knowledge mobilization program.
Students from Dal and Mount Saint Vincent University received four weeks of knowledge-mobilization training before a final challenge that required participants to develop and present specific plans for supporting SKIP鈥檚 work.
Pulse aims to promote a creative and innovative mindset by providing a space for experimentation of new ideas in a low-risk environment, while also giving access to resources, support,听and mentorship, which made a partnership with SKIP seamless.
鈥淚 love it,鈥� one participant said. 鈥淭he program was very useful and helpful. It complemented my degree and provided practical skills for my future career.鈥�
Tackling real-world challenges
The knowledge-mobilization challenge offered three options for participants to choose from, related to helping children with pain while at school, information about using numbing cream for needle-pokes, and how to activate and engage more 鈥淧ain Champions鈥� across Canada.
This program involved teaching students about the basics of knowledge mobilization and how to apply them to real-world challenges. Throughout the program, students were taught techniques on how to appropriately bring peer-reviewed information to the public in an accessible, engaging, and effective manner.
These techniques included distinguishing key stakeholders and user groups, outlining the goals of their knowledge-translation product and identifying what knowledge-translation strategies align best with their goals.
Challenge winners:
Ninh Kuong, Dalhousie Master鈥檚 Student (Pharmacology)
Irene Euodia, Dalhousie Undergraduate Student (Microbiology & Immunology, and Neuroscience)
听
听
Ting Xiong, Dalhousie Master鈥檚 Student (Psychiatry)
听
听