Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice

Can We Talk? How Do Practitioners and Academics
REALLY Communicate for Effective Partnerships

(Roundtable Session)

Moderators:
Joshua Lipsman, MD, MPH, District Health Director, Alexandria Health Department, VA
C. William Keck, MD, MPH, Director, City of Akron Department of Health, OH

Purpose:
To explore the "cross-cultural" communication issues between academics and practitioners, focusing in the important considerations for both sides when entering into linkage relationships.

Description:
Oftentimes, the relevance of public health education to the demands of public health practice is missed due to misinformation and miscommunications. Sometimes it seems as if each side does not understand the full spectrum of constraints and parameters that affect the other side. Increasing and improving communications between academicians and practitioners is essential if public health professionals and academicians are to form optimally effective partnerships and advance public health. By identifying and discussing together the interests and concerns of both sides, many questions can be addressed. In addition to local health officials attending the session, members of the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice will be present to round out the discussion and represent both the academic and practice perspectives.

Questions

1. What are the essential elements that practitioners need to understand about academia to form effective partnerships? What do academicians need to know about public health practice?
2. Where do academic and practice interests overlap and where are they separate?
3. Why is it that practice is not valued, particularly in relation to tenure? What are advantageous ways to incorporate faculty and student research interests in public health practice settings?
4. How and what ethical dilemmas bar greater communications and better partnerships (e.g. using community members as experimental subject)?
5. When both academicians and practitioners agree about the scope of a topic or project, what are common difficulties in moving forward?
6. Do factors such as differing indirect cost rates and personnel systems create difficulties too great to overcome? What other structural differences are hindrances?

Public Health Practice and Academia: Linking the Two Worlds in Print

Concurrent Session Co-sponsored by the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice
and the University of Texas at Houston School of Public Health

Session: Learn how to transform your practical experiences in public health into published articles or research settings. Discuss the benefits of a wider dissemination of practical information and an increased communication between academia and public health practitioners. A panel of editors and academicians will provide advice and feedback to participants.

Speakers:

Hugh Tilson, MD, MPH
Senior Medical Advisor, Glaxo-Wellcome, NC
Editor, "Notes from the Field" section of the American Journal of Public Health

Thomas Novotny, MD, MPH
CDC Liaison and Assistant Dean, University of CA at Berkeley School of PH
Editor, Journal of Preventive Medicine

Hardy Loe, Jr. MD, MPH
Assistant Dean/Community Health Practice
University of Texas at Houston School of Public Health

Snehendu Kar, MD, MPH
Director of Public Health Practice
University of California at Los Angeles School of Public Health

Goal:

To explore the philosophy, feasibility and strategies for strengthening academic/practice linkages through development and publication of practice-based research.

Objectives:

1. To demonstrate the types, process and outcomes of joint practice-based research which promote and enhance professional publication.
2. To identify joint practice-based research publication opportunities and forums which promote the dissemination of practice relevant knowledge.
3. To discuss and analyze the benefits of academic/practice research in contributing to the scholarship of public health practice.

Questions for CEU/CME credits:

1. As outlined by the panel, trace the steps involved in publishing practice-based research.
2. Identify three venues for publishing practice-based research.
3. Name three ways in which academic/practice research can be beneficial to the field of public health.

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