Summer 2023 (Volume 33, Number 2)

Joint Count Survey Results: Barriers to Incorporating Research into Practice

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The Joint Count survey for the Summer 2023 issue of the Journal of the Canadian Rheumatology Association (CRAJ) focused on the barriers to incorporating research into practice. CRA members were asked to rank their most important potential barriers. A total of 63 surveys were completed out of a possible 568. Overall, the barriers chosen from a provided list of possibilities, ranked from most to least significant were:
1) time; 2) lack of access to new products/aids; 3) lack of knowledge of the most recent research; 4) uncertainty of the added benefit/risk of new research compared to standard of care; and 5) uncertainty about how the information applied to their practice.

In the comments, lack of funding and financial resources came up as barriers, along with lack of access to staff needed to undertake or implement research. One participant wrote that barriers consisted of the “financial cost of doing research instead of clinical work, and having available time to do research”. Another comment cited “limited access to multiple team members needed to set up research effectively, (e.g., stats and analysis, methodology, funding, publication)”.

It appears comments related to two different issues facing CRA members:

1. The difficulties of performing research activities while running a clinical practice.

2. The challenge of keeping up with research findings and deciding which are sufficiently proven to justify a change in therapeutic approach.

For any further feedback or questions regarding the survey, please contact Erin Stewart at estewart@rheum.ca.