Reflections on a conversation with Brian Postl: can healthcare research make a difference to policy and practice? Interview by Anton Hart.

RESEARCH IS KEY IN THE PROCESS OF CHANGE.” THAT’S HOW DR. BRIAN Postl begins a conversation on strategies to ensure a stable and reliable bridge between researchers and policy makers in healthcare. He suggests “evidence” as one of four themes that the journal Healthcare Policy should consider as it looks at knowledge and its impact on policy and practice. And he is quick to agree that we need to reach audiences that influence the policy and decision-makers; the direct approach won’t be enough. He believes there are untapped ways and means to share the collected evidence and change behaviour. Finally, he underscores the importance of real cases – using evidence – as valuable translation tools.