Collaboration between practice, policy and
research in local public health
Maria Jansen
EUPHA 2008
Research question
Which barriers prevent the collaborative
development of public health practice,
policy, and research and how can the
gaps between these fields be bridged?
Academic Collaborative Centre Public Health Limburg
Multiple case study:
six cases 1991-2005
1. What is the number of problem youth in
Maastricht?
2. What is the prevalence of sexual transmitted
diseases?
3. How to reduce problematic gambling?
4. A hepatitis B vaccination campaign for risk
groups
5. School health promotion
6. Sustainability of Heartbeat
Academic Collaborative Centre Public Health Limburg
Method: 4 preparatory steps
1. Analysis of work cycles
2. Analysis of actors at administrative,
institutional management and individual
professional level
3. Define practical strategies based on theory
and experts’ opinion
4. Analysis of 6 cases by evaluating the use of
practical strategies
Academic Collaborative Centre Public Health Limburg
1. Analysis of practice, policy and
research work cycle
Step 1
problem
definition
Step 4
Step 2
evaluation
problemanalysis
Step 3
implementation
Academic Collaborative Centre Public Health Limburg
13 differences
1.
2.
3.
Step 1
11. Pace/lifespan
12. Application
13. Accountability
Problem
definition
Step 2
Step 4
evaluation
problemanalysis
Step 3
10. Adjustments
in between
Relevance
Status
Power &
agendasetting
implemen
-tation
Academic Collaborative Centre Public Health Limburg
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Decision power
Transparency of
goals
Effectiveness
Legitimacy
Use of theory
Work attitude
2. Analysis of actors
Administrati
ve
Institutional
managemen
t
Individual
professional
Policy
Research
Practice
Municipal
Council
University
Board
Public health
Board
Director
municipal
dept.
Professor
university
dept.
Head of
Public Health
dept.
Civil servants
Researchers
Practice
professionals
Academic Collaborative Centre Public Health Limburg
3. Change process
Practical strategies (n=30)
Administrative Advocacy, coalition building, lobbying, agenda setting
level
Institutional
management
level
Organizational development, mission statement,
internships, service delivery, access to tools of the
other, professional training, performance indicators
Individual
professional
level
Diagnosis of individual competences, multidisciplinary
working groups , action learning, in-service coaching,
masterclasses
Academic Collaborative Centre Public Health Limburg
4. Results of 6 cases
unsuccesful cases
The cases
Problem STD
youth
successful cases
Gambling
Hep.
B
School
health
Heart
beat
Administrative
6
0
5
0
7
10
Institutional
7
3
12
26
30
28
Individual
11
7
8
9
16
16
Total
24
10
15
35
53
54
Academic Collaborative Centre Public Health Limburg
Conclusions
• Practical strategies are necessary at each level:
coherence between levels and niches
• Special attention for organizational development
with active learning and performance indicators
• Anticipate on the policy work cycle
• Collaboration between practice, policy and
research results in higher levels of public health
evidence
Academic Collaborative Centre Public Health Limburg
Coherence between levels and niches
Policy
Research
Administrative
Institutional
management
Individual
professional
Academic Collaborative Centre Public Health Limburg
Practice
Collaboration
Public health improvements by
Academic Collaborative Centres for Public
Health
Totally 9 such centres in the Netherlands
Academic Collaborative Centre for Public
Health Limburg:
local government,
Public Health Service South Limburg
Maastricht University
Academic Collaborative Centre Public Health Limburg
Thanks for your attention
Thanks for your
attention
Academic Collaborative Centre Public Health Limburg