Going further together: working together towards evidence-based healthcare in Finland
As representatives of a small organisation, the Finnish Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care: A JBI Centre of Excellence, we understand the importance of a broad network and meaningful partnerships. During our time, we have formed close partnerships with different organisations, both nationally and internationally.
We work towards our shared goal of supporting high-quality patient safety and evidence-based health care. Our JBI Centre of Excellence has four official co-partners and seven affiliated partners representing various universities, institutes and hospital districts around Finland. In addition, we have several other partner organisations at the national level.
Collaboration in conducting systematic reviews
Our Centre's expertise is around systematic reviews and evidence implementation methods in the broad area of health care, including acute care, primary health care and continuing care. We deliver a high-quality JBI Comprehensive Systematic Review Training Program, general lectures on evidence-based practice, and follow-up implementation of evidence into practice. Providing the JBI Comprehensive Systematic Review Training Program allows us to reach experts all over Finland. It opens up opportunities to collaborate with them later on, for example, to conduct a systematic review together.
Systematic reviews are utilised in national clinical guidelines as well. The most recent example is a qualitative systematic review: Experiences of people with progressive memory disorders participating in non-pharmacological interventions, published in JBI Evidence Synthesis. It was written in collaboration with representatives from the University of Oulu, the Nursing Research Foundation, the University of Eastern Finland and Oulu University of Applied Sciences. Conducting systematic reviews provides great opportunities to implement previously acquired skills into practice and, at the same time, learn new knowledge and skills regarding evidence synthesis. The authors participating in the recent systematic review reported that the process provided learning opportunities and the opportunity to share knowledge on evidence quality evaluation using the ConQual approach. The authors also mentioned how the process reminded them of the importance of limiting the review question and conducting preliminary searches during the development of the protocol. These are good lessons for future systematic review projects.
National collaboration in clinical guideline development
Working with guideline development groups is an essential and meaningful partnership for us in working toward evidence-based healthcare in Finland. We have published 21 guidelines, and a further 23 guidelines are in the development process. We have over 160 experts from the different social services and health care fields working in these guideline development groups. These experts represent various organisations (university hospitals, universities, different educational organisations, primary health care, and so on) around Finland. Our role is to support the guideline development groups in their work; for example, by arranging education about critical appraisal of clinical evidence. We use JBI critical appraisal tools in our guideline development process to assess the trustworthiness, relevance and results of studies included in clinical guidelines. Experts in the guideline development groups work on the guidelines in their free time, meaning challenges in the health services (e.g., lack of health care personnel) affect the guideline development process by making it slower. We are very grateful for the group members and support the groups in the process as much as possible.
Collaboration creates good partnerships
We consider these partnerships to be ‘good partnerships’ because the benefit is mutual. Without these partners, we would be unable to develop guidelines and work toward our common goal of evidence-based health care, and these experts benefit by gaining new skills and knowledge, networking and meriting. This mutual benefit is an essential element to support a good partnership, with both partners giving and receiving. Establishing and maintaining this kind of good partnership also requires mutual respect and gratitude, and it’s important to express thanks when there is a reason for it.
Authors
Kristiina Heikkilä1,2,3, Kaisa Marin1,2, Arja Holopainen1,2.
1. Nursing Research Foundation, Helsinki, Finland
2. The Finnish Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care: A JBI Centre of Excellence, Nursing Research Foundation, Helsinki, Finland
3. University of Turku, Turun Yliopisto, Finland
Disclaimer
The views expressed in this World EBHC Day Blog, as well as any errors or omissions, are the sole responsibility of the author and do not represent the views of the World EBHC Day Steering Committee, Official Partners or Sponsors; nor does it imply endorsement by the aforementioned parties.
