Facilitating large-scale implementation of evidence based health care: insider accounts from a co-operative inquiry

Table 1 Comparison of roles that facilitate the implementation of EBHC

Criteria	Opinion Leader	Facilitator	Champion	Change agent	Knowledge broker	Knowledge transfer associate KTA
Theory	Social influence	Problem solving models	Social influence	Change theory	Rational linear model of EBHC	The PARIHS model (Promoting action on research implementation, Kitson et al., [2]);
Specific purpose	Evaluate	Achieve change/goal	Promote	Change behaviour	Implement research into health care	Implement research into health care
Role	Informal	Formal	Informal	Formal	Formal	Formal
Nature of evidence	Expert, experiential	Collective construction	Expert, experiential	Rational, experiential, expert	Rational	Integrated approach - theoretical, experiential, contextual and empirical
Who are they?	Individual	Individual	Individual or organisational	Individual or organisational	Individual or Organisational	Individual and Organisational
Trained or employed for role	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Domain of influence	Work unit, speciality	Boundary spanning	Project specific	Boundary spanning	Boundary spanning	Boundary spanning
Relationships	On-going	Short-term	On-going	Short-term	Short-term	Short-term
Organisational orientation	Internal	Internal or external	Internal	Internal or external	Internal or External	Internal or External

ISSN: 1472-6963