Knowledge Translation
Knowledge translation (or KT for short) is the process of taking scientific research and turning it into practical information that can be used and understood by everyone. This information should be used to provide better health, health services and products, and strengthen our healthcare system (Straus, Tetroe, and Graham 2009; Government of Canada and Canadian Institutes of Health Research 2012).
What is Knowledge Translation ?
There are many stages of KT. We have outlined the four key stages (creation, distillation, dissemination and translation) in the diagram below.
Creation
Knowledge is created from primary sources (e.g. randomized controlled trials)
Distillation
Primary studies / sources are summarized to create secondary sources (e.g., systematic reviews)
Dissemination
Presenting both primary and secondary sources as conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications
Translation
Takes information and research findings and making them understandable and usable for a wider audience
Why is Knowledge Translation important?
KT is important for advancing research and practice, for example, by sharing information about new discoveries, research gaps and strategies to improve care. Below we have listed some of the many benefits of KT.
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Implementing evidence-based practices
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Maximizing research impact
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Improving health outcomes for patient care
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Enhancing decision-making
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Involving knowledge users to contribute and implement findings
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Enhancing collaboration in multidisciplinary teams
KT is a central piece of the work that we do at TRANSCENDENT. Through this research program, we aim to not only lead the way in concussion research but also work alongside key knowledge users to develop outputs that share information about our research with those who can use it, including, but not limited to, healthcare professionals, parents, coaches, teachers, and caregivers.
The Knowledge to Action Framework
The KT initiatives at TRANSCENDENT are broadly guided by something called the Knowledge to Action (KTA) Framework. The KTA framework is a conceptual framework developed by Graham and colleagues that describes the process of translating knowledge into action in an iterative, dynamic, and complex way. It shows the creation and application of knowledge. Although it is drawn as a cycle, users may need to use the phases out of sequence, depending on the project. It is important that during this process, the end-users or knowledge users are included to make sure that the knowledge is relevant to their needs. For example, a TRANSCENDENT community advisory committee member could comment on the relevance of the research or provide their own input from their own experiences. The funnel of knowledge creation and the major action steps or stages comprising the model for translating knowledge to action are illustrated in the diagram below.
An adapted version of the KTA Framework developed by Graham and colleagues (2006).
Citations
Government of Canada, and Canadian Institutes of Health Research. 2012. “Guide to Knowledge Translation Planning at CIHR: Integrated and End-of-Grant Approaches.” December 6, 2012. https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/45321.html.
Graham ID, Logan J, Harrison MB, Straus SE, Tetroe J, Caswell W, et al. Lost in knowledge translation: time for a map? J Contin Educ Health Prof. 2006;26(1):13-24.
Straus, Sharon E., Jacqueline Tetroe, and Ian Graham. 2009. “Defining Knowledge Translation.” CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal, Journal de l’Association Medicale Canadienne 181 (3–4): 165–68.