Knowledge Translation: an overview in relation to the Fourth Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia

Knowledge Translation: an overview in relation to the Fourth Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia

Cheryl Cook 1,2

Kenneth Rockwood 1,2,3

1 Canadian Dementia Knowledge Translation Network 2 Geriatric Medicine Research Unit, Department of Medicine 3 Division of Geriatric Medicine, Dalhousie University & Capital District Health Authority, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Corresponding author Kenneth Rockwood Centre for Health Care of the Elderly, Capital District Health Authority 1421-5955 Veterans' Memorial Lane Halifax, NS, Canada, B3H 2E1 Telephone: 902-473-8687, Fax: 902-473-1050. E-mail: Kenneth.Rockwood@dal.ca.

Introduction

The growing population of persons with dementia in Canada, and the provision of quality care for this population is an issue that no health care authority will escape. Physicians often view dementia as a difficult and time consuming condition to diagnose and manage.1-3 Current evidence must be effectively transformed into usable guidelines for physicians; however, we know that use of evidence-based practice guidelines is a challenge in all realms of medical care, and failure to utilise these leads to less than optimal care for patients.4-7 This is no different in dementia care where physicians often perceive a lack of guidelines even when these exist.8 While continuing professional development (CPD) and continuing medical education (CME) have traditionally attempted to address this need for effective implementation of guidelines, increasingly knowledge translation (KT), with its focus on health outcomes, interdisciplinary approach, and broad outlook which encompasses and expands on many of the concepts of CPD and CME, is being called upon to improve the use of evidence in practice.5

Despite this growing emphasis, KT often appears on the surface to be a daunting, if not confusing, topic. Over 90 terms have been coined to described it9, 10and there are a variety of theories and implementation frameworks for an individual researcher or group to choose from when considering the use of KT.

Here we offer a brief introduction to some KT frameworks, outline practical steps for planning and executing a KT strategy around the implementation of guidelines for practice, and offer recommendations for KT planning in relation to the Fourth Canadian Consensus Conference on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia (CCCDTD4).

رابط

http://www.cccdtd.ca/pdfs/KnowledgeTranslation_Cook_May2.pdf