Community engaged scholarship to catalyze innovation: a case study of the uptake of portable inhalers for respiratory medication in a pediatric emergency department in Nova Scotia

Abstract

This commentary, in response to Tamblyn et al. (2016), provides a case study of the uptake of metered-dose inhalers with spacers to deliver respiratory medication in a pediatric emergency department in Nova Scotia. Our objective was to demonstrate the opportunities and challenges in engaging researchers and their trainees in planning and evaluating a clinical practice change to improve drug therapy. We document the use of community engaged scholarship (including experiential learning) to increase the capacity and capability of researchers in academia and healthcare organizations, healthcare providers, and managers. We note lessons learned from Dalhousie University’s Drug Use Management and Policy Residency and four individual research projects conducted between 2006–2016.