A while ago we reproduced a lightbulb joke, relevant to public health research. We now come back with another one! (source)
– How many public health people does it take to change a lightbulb?
– None; they never do it themselves but ask clinicians to do it and then tell them what a lousy job they did.
Regardless of whether you find the joke funny or not, it reveals some criticism on the lack of connection between public health research and clinical practice, something that is part of knowledge translation and exchange. In an Editorial introducing a new section at the International Journal of Public Health , Louise Potvin and Thomas Abel describe define “knowledge translation and exchange practices as activities or functions that bring together researchers or research results and practitioners in order to build bridges that will increase the science base of practice and the relevance of research“. In this vain, we recently published a study on the development of an online knowledge translation methods registry (available to download for free here) which aims to support evidence-based decision making in public health.
– Do you think the criticisms for the gap between public health research and practice are valid?
– How can they be overcome?
– Do you know any other public health related (lightbulb) jokes?
