Knowledge Translation in Dementia Research

Abstract

While health research has a long history, there is a growing awareness that knowledge gained in the scientific arena has not always resulted in matched improvements in the clinical or policy arena. The gap between evidence and practice is recognised. The work of moving research findings to the point where it influences clinical or policy outcomes is called Knowledge Translation (KT). The aim of this paper is to articulate a shared understanding of the term ‘Knowledge Translation’ and to identify the way is which it is evidenced in dementia research. Many different terms have been used to describe the process of, or something similar to, knowledge translation. This variation in terms makes the task of utilising the latest and most relevant literature to translate knowledge difficult. The lack of definitive definition means there is disagreement on what constitutes ‘knowledge translation’. Different definitions have been formally proposed to deal with the variation in research and outcomes for biomedical scientists and health service researchers. These are commonly described as T1 and T2. For biomedical scientists it is the concept of ‘bench to bedside’, moving to a point where innovation results in a new device, treatment, or protocol for the community (T1). And for health service researchers, research that is focused on community interventions and public health policy which incorporates new innovations into common practice (T2). Another way that this can be conceptualised is as two different stages of the KT process, with each stage having a different outcome. Knowledge translation at its core involves collaboration and communication. It is evidenced by the movement of knowledge between researchers and research stakeholders such as medical practitioners, other researchers, policy makers and consumers. In the case of transfer from researchers to stakeholders, the translation allows for the use of knowledge in practice or decision making. For example, the stakeholders may be biomedical scientists who utilise the work completed by researchers using biomarkers to ultimately develop a vaccine. In transferring from stakeholders to researchers, the translation may be in the form of feedback regarding research needs, desired outcomes relevant to specific populations, inapplicability of previous research findings with suggested new directions and so on. Evidence of knowledge translation is being able to articulate the way in which new knowledge has been used in practice or decision making by others. This can occur anywhere along the continuum of knowledge translation between groups. Not all new knowledge is ready to be translated by others. Care needs to be taken to ensure that only research with a sufficient evidence base (sufficiently mature) is targeted for knowledge translation activities. Finally, issues of timeliness should be considered as the translation of knowledge is a complex and people-resource intensive task