How Does the Facilitation Effort of Clinical Educators Interact With Aspects of Organizational Context to Affect Research Use in Long‐term Care? Evidence From CHAID Analysis

Purpose Organizational context influences the effect of facilitation efforts on research use in care settings. The interactions of these factors are complex. Therefore, the use of traditional statistical methods to examine their interrelationships is often impractical. Big Data analytics can automatically detect patterns within the data. We applied the chi‐squared automatic interaction detection (CHAID) algorithm and classification tree technique to explore the dynamic and interdependent relationships between the implementation science concepts—context, facilitation, and research use. Design Observational, cross‐sectional study based on survey data collected from a representative sample of nursing homes in western Canada. Methods We assessed three major constructs: (a) Conceptual research utilization (CRU) using the CRU scale; (b) facilitation of research use measured by the frequency of contacts between the frontline staff and a clinical educator, or person who brings new ideas to the care unit; and (c) organizational context at the unit level using the Alberta Context Tool (ACT). CHAID analysis was performed to detect the interactions between facilitation and context variables. Results were illustrated in a classification tree to provide a straightforward visualization. Findings Data from 312 care units in three provinces were included in the final analysis. Results indicate significant multiway interactions between facilitation and various aspects of the organizational context, including leadership, culture, evaluation, structural resources, and organizational slack (staffing). Findings suggested the preconditions of the care settings where research use can be maximized. Conclusions CHAID analysis helped transform data into usable knowledge. Our findings provide insight into the dynamic relationships of facilitators’ efforts and organizational context, and how these factors’ interplay and their interdependence together may influence research use. Clinical relevance Knowledge of the combined effects of facilitators’ efforts and various aspects of organizational context on research use can contribute to effective strategies to narrow the evidence‐practice gap in care settings.