Research as care: practice-based knowledge translation as transformative learning through video-reflexive ethnography

ABSTRACT

Collaborative approaches to knowledge translation seek to make research useful and applicable, by centring the perspectives and concerns of healthcare actors (rather than researchers) in problem formulation and solving. Such research thus involves multiple actors, in interaction with pre-existing ecologies of knowledge and expertise. Although collaboration is emphasised, conflict, dissonance, and other tensions, may arise from the multiplicity of perspectives and power dynamics involved. Our article examines knowledge translation in this space, as both empirical focus and research methodology. Drawing from practice theory and critical pedagogy, we describe knowledge translation as a situated and social process of transformative learning, enabled by reflexive dialogue about practice, and supported by care. With examples from five studies across two countries, we show that practice-based knowledge translation can be mediated by researchers, using video-reflexive ethnography. We describe the importance (and features) of practices of care in these studies, that created psychological safety for transformative learning. We argue that attempts to transform and improve healthcare must account for sustained and reciprocal care, both for, and between, those made vulnerable in the process, and that knowledge translation can, and should, be a process of capacity strengthening, with care as a core principle and practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Care
• knowledge translation
• video-reflexive ethnography
• transformative learning
• psychological safety
• reflexivity

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge their colleagues who led the featured studies: Professor Rick Iedema, Dr. Katie Hammil, Dr. Irene Korstjens; their co-investigators: Prof. Marianne Nieuwenhuijze, Prof. Raymond DeVries, Isabel van Helmond, A/Professor Rola Ajjawi, Professor Stephen Billett, Mrs. Joanne Hilder and Professor Andrew Teodorczuk; and all participants who generously contributed their expertise and time.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data are not available, due to ethical restrictions regarding the privacy of research participants

Additional information

Funding

The work described in this article was supported by the Australian Research Council Discovery Project under Grant DP0879002; the National Health and Medical Research Council under Grant 1116530; the Australian Partnership for Preparedness Research on Infectious Disease Emergencies CRE under Grant 1116530; the Gold Coast Health Collaborative Research Scheme under Grant RGS2017-LG0002; Western Sydney University; as well as Zuyd University and Maastricht University.