AHSCs as Health Policy Transfer: Some Emergent Evidence From Australia Comment on “Academic Health Science Centres as Vehicles for Knowledge Mobilisation in Australia? A Qualitative Study”

Abstract

This commentary discusses Edelman et al 2020’s recent exploratory study of the early development of 4 Academic Health Services Centres (AHSCs) in Australia. AHSCs were originally invented in the United States, but have then diffused to the United Kingdom and Canada over the last decade or so and now to Australia so they are a good example of health policy transfer. They are dedicated to advancing more speedy knowledge translation (KT)/mobilization (‘from bench to bedside’) and also the more effective commercialization of scientific inventions. The commentary argues some interesting if preliminary findings are identified in their study. Its limitations will also be considered. Finally, suggestions for future research are made, including more cross national and comparative studies.

Keywords: Health Sciences Centres, Australian Healthcare, Knowledge Translation, Knowledge Mobilization, Health Policy Transfer, Governance