• Overview
• Community Advisory Review Committee
• Urban Health Initiative
• Community Connections
• The Office of Community Affairs
• Community-based Participatory Research
• Practice-based Research Network
• Knowledge Transfer Unit
• Building and Sustaining Partnerships to Address Health Disparities

Knowledge Transfer Unit

The purpose of the Knowledge Translation Unit (KTU) is to complete the clinical research cycle by engaging community based clinicians in a bi-directional manner in identifying high priority clinical research questions, developing systems for the efficient translation of new research findings into community based clinical practice, and the promoting the use of information techonology for point of care access to the best research evidence to guide clinical practice.  Led by Bernard Ewigman, MD MSPH, Professor & Chair, Department of Family Medicine, the KTU has three initiatives: 1) Priority Updates from the Research Literature Surveillance System (PURLs), 2) the Community Clinical Questions Panel, 3) the South Side Electronic Medical Knowledge Resource project.

The goal of the PURLs project is to identify and disseminate all new research evidence that, if implemented in community practice, would be expected to lead to improved patient care outcomes. The PURLs project is described in greater detail in an editorial by Dr. Ewigman published in the December, 2007 issue of the Journal of Family Practice, in a PowerPoint presentation on the PURLs, and in a set of Frequency Asked Questions about PURLs.  Dissemination of PURLs began in November, 2007.  Twenty PURLs have been published or accepted for publication up to October, 2008.  These publications can be viewed at www.jfponline.com\purls.

The purpose of the Community Clinicians Questions Panel is to identify high priority clinical research topics from the perspective of community based practitioners.  Research evidence available to address 500 of the most important and common clinical problems faced by practicing family physicians has been identified through structured reviews of the literature.  The strength of this evidence has been rated and 100 of these clinical problems have been prioritized as potential research topics by community based physicians.

The potential for dissemination and implementation of research evidence into community practice is greatly enhanced by the availability of electronic knowledge resources.  Unfortunately, in most community practices, including the South Side of Chicago, currently available information technology that could aid in decision support, access to information at the point of care and systematic quality improvement initiatives is lacking.  As a first step in the South Side Electronic Knowledge Resource project we are conducting an assessment of the access and use of information technology at the point of care for 120 primary care physicians practicing in health centers caring for an underserved population on the South Side of Chicago.

Please contact Dr. Ewigman with any questions regarding the Knowledge Transfer Unit.