ABSTRACT
This case study presents a project undertaken in Vietnam to evaluate the effectiveness of facilitation as a knowledge translation intervention for improving neonatal health and survival (Wallin et al., 2011). In terms of the facilitation intervention, key points highlighted include: implementing an external–internal model of facilitation within a large-scale research study; training laypersons to be facilitators; and undertaking implementation within a challenging context. The chapter is structured as follows. First, we present the background to the project and the reasons for choosing to study facilitation in relation to neonatal health and survival within the healthcare system of Vietnam. We then describe the facilitation model we developed for the study and outline the specific methods that were used to address the aim of improving neonatal care, to assess and manage factors relating to the local context and to engage with key stakeholders in the process of implementation. Having described the details of the intervention, we will present the research findings on the impact of the facilitation intervention. The chapter concludes with our reflections on the lessons learnt about facilitation and what we believe our study adds to the knowledge base about facilitating evidence-based healthcare.
