Knowledge Translation and Implementation Specialist

Reporting to the Clinical Research Supervisor and Chief Research Scientist, the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) is seeking a Knowledge Translation & Implementation (KTI) Specialist to work with researchers and key partners in the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of effective knowledge translation and communication strategies that enable uptake of research findings for use in practice, program, and policy decisions. The KTI Specialist will foster open, bespoke collaboration with all internal and external partners to permit robust, credible, public, and transparent knowledge translation, feedback, and refinement.

A major part of this role will be to lead the spread and scale of an innovative e-tool that standardizes goals of care discussions (known as “ASKmeGOC”) to primary, acute care, and long-term care facilities across Ontario. The KTI Specialist will develop the education, training, and promotional materials for the project, as well as select, onboard, and monitor sites who have implemented the ASKmeGOC e-tool. The primary goal of this project is to solicit unique implementation, process, patient, substitute decision maker, and provider level outcomes for iterative feedback and refinement. This project is funded by the Healthcare Unburdened Grant.

This is a full-time, two-year contract position, with a possibility of renewal.

Experience & Qualifications:

Skills

• Demonstrated ability to perform research literature searches as well as critical appraisals and analysis of research.
• Proven project management skills with ability to effectively manage multiple projects and prioritize time.
• Experience in conducting surveys and focus groups and related data analysis.
• Demonstrated success working within teams and in partnerships with groups such as expert-volunteers, researchers, and clinicians.
• Demonstrated experience in working with various stakeholder groups on knowledge translation initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience with patient/public engagement and policy development.
• Strong oral and written communication and experience working with various stakeholder audiences.
• Facilitation and presentation skills with ability to facilitate meetings and conversations to ensure full participation of all parties.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and oral communication skills.
• Highly proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, reference management programs, web design and development, and REDCap.
• Knowledge of goals of care discussions.

Education

• Advanced degree in life or health sciences (MSc, PhD) or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience is preferred.
• Knowledge translation training or certification an asset.
• Project management training or certification an asset.

Experience

• 5+ years' experience in a health research environment; and
• 3+ years' experience in knowledge translation environment.

Responsibilities:

Knowledge Translation Activities

• Develop strategic plans and objectives related to knowledge translation.
• Develop concepts when adding activities to knowledge transfer and communication strategies.
• Contribute to the planning, design, development, and implementation of strategy and programs/services to make research evidence available and accessible for practice, planning, and policy making.
• Integrate and reflect current and emerging evidence-based knowledge translation strategies.
• Conduct ongoing market research and benchmarking including, but not limited to, administering surveys and planning, coordinating, and facilitating focus groups.
• Conduct initial and ongoing needs assessments of key stakeholder groups and organizations and analyze findings.
• Synthesize research knowledge and develop plain language summaries for wide audience dissemination.
• Develop and implement evidence-based strategies for the transfer of evidence and research messages to specific audiences.
• Identify and implement strategies to transfer research findings to policy and program decision makers.
• Conduct both qualitative and quantitative and other mixed-methods analyses.
• Conduct knowledge translation activities in accordance with the project protocol.
• Develop and lead communities of practice among internal and external partners, including healthcare providers, academic partners, patients, families, and others, as needed.
• Work with investigators to identify the optimal ways to disseminate results to the research community and stakeholders.
• Provide advice and expertise to decision makers on the use of evaluation activities to measure the effectiveness of the knowledge translation strategy.
• Bring a perspective on equity, diversity, and inclusion to patient engagement and knowledge translation efforts and work with subject matter experts to ensure a multi-faceted approach to best reach intended audiences.
• Adapt knowledge translation activities for different audiences using creative approaches and different channels to ensure that the information reaches and resonates with the target audience.
• Liaise with internal contacts, external partners, community organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Develop, maintain, and update information in project databases.
• Identify relevant outcomes, including penetration and fidelity of the intervention, change in patient-centred processes, patient and provider satisfaction and experience, system-wide adaptability, ease of implementation, and healthcare utilization.
• Research best practices and emerging issues in patient engagement, knowledge translation, and implementation. Identify strategies and learn from other areas of research or regions that have successfully improved treatments, access to care, and quality of life.
• Enable patient-centred guidelines and process through co-design with patients and families.

Reporting Activities

• Provide descriptive and analytic information to key stakeholders.
• Compile and disseminate ad-hoc reports and products to broad audiences and stakeholders.
• Submit reports to granting agencies and/or project sponsors, as needed.
• Develop strategic communication initiatives that act as knowledge transfer mechanisms and raise the awareness of the work and outcomes of the research enterprise and other departmental initiatives.
• Write and design communications, marketing, and dissemination tools for diverse audiences in print and electronic formats.
• Prepare media releases and communications to announce key research/project findings, adoption of evidence-based innovation, and other departmental initiatives.
• Establish, maintain, and facilitate communication between all internal and external partners.
• Develop and implement various interactive activities including, but not limited to, website and app updates.
• Evaluate websites, apps, and other digital tools and make necessary changes regarding graphic layout, content, usability and relevance.
• Develop and maintain social media platforms.
• Source vendors and obtain pricing information.
• Remain current with frequent developments in social media platforms and trends.

Manuscript and Protocol Writing

• Assist investigators in writing manuscripts for submission to peer reviewed journals, ensuring the journal requirements are fulfilled and follow-up reviewer and editorial queries are answered.
• Assist investigators in preparing and submitting abstracts and presentations for meetings/conferences at the local/provincial/national/international level.

Innovation Mobilization and Partnerships

• Build and maintain robust relationships with academic and industry partners to promote current and future collaborations, while ensuring alignment with institutional goals.
• Work with business incubators, accelerators, catalysts, and startups to support growth of knowledge translation activities and commercialization efforts.
• Identify, source, develop, and promote new research, administrative, and clinical technologies and methodologies.

Research Operations

• Assist in conducting clinical research activities under the direction of the principal investigator and/or institution, including preparing and acquiring appropriate ethics and institutional approvals, recruiting and consenting research participants, data collection and management, and data analysis.
• Perform all duties in compliance with established regulatory, legislative, and institutional requirements.
• Develop and apply novel clinical data curation techniques and approaches to research data.
• Clean and prepare data for analysis, including writing code or queries (e.g. in STATA, SQL, SPSS), programming, scripting, and similar forms of automation.