Development of knowledge should also be implemented

Development of knowledge is an ongoing process, that continues after implementation. In addition, the implementation of knowledge and innovations in health care practice is part of the organisational and economic context, as a publication by researchers of NIVEL, iBMG and IQ healthcare shows in BMJ Quality & Safety.
 

In the Netherlands, it has been a common policy for quite some time now to try to implement knowledge quickly in health care practice. ZonMw (The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development) plays an important role in this policy. In 2009, a consortium consisting of NIVEL (Netherlands institute for health care research), iBMG and IQ healthcare, studied the implementation policy of ZonMw. The recommendations resulting from this study have been integrated largely in the policy plans of ZonMw. One of these is the recommendation to pay more attention to the organisational and economic context, in which the implementation of innovations takes place. Also, to account for the continuation of knowledge development. After all knowledge changes as soon as it has been implemented. Therefore, rigidly focussing on ‘unchangeable’ knowledge frustrates the possibilities for change.

Long term
The researchers observe a dominance of strategies to communicate with professionals, but far less attention for strategies that are aimed at influencing the organisation around these professionals. Also, they indicate that the infrastructure for implementation (the pillars of quality improvement) can be made stronger by evaluating the used methods more systematically. The study into the improvement of health care needs to mature. Additionally, it seems more useful to go for long term programmes in which all relevant parties together focus on improvement of a certain area of care.

Funding
- ZonMw

Cooperating partners
- iBMG
- IQ healtcare