Article

OBJECTIVE: To conduct a systematic review examining the effectiveness of
knowledge translation (KT) interventions in changing clinical practice and patient outcomes. METHODS: MEDLINE/PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE and PsycINFO were
searched for studies published from January 1980 to July 2012 that reported and
evaluated an implemented KT intervention in spinal cord injury (SCI) care. We
reviewed and summarized results from studies that documented the implemented KT
intervention, its impact on changing clinician behavior and patient outcomes as
well as the facilitators and barriers encountered during the implementation.
RESULTS: A total of 13 articles featuring 10 studies were selected and abstracted
from 4650 identified articles. KT interventions included developing and
implementing patient care protocols, providing clinician education and
incorporating outcome measures into clinical practice.
The methods (or drivers)
to facilitate the implementation included organizing training sessions for
clinical staff, introducing computerized reminders and involving organizational
leaders. The methodological quality of studies was mostly poor. Only 3 out of 10
studies evaluated the success of the implementation using statistical analyses,
and all 3 reported significant behavior change. Out of the 10 studies, 6 evaluated the effect of the implementation on patient outcomes using statistical
analyses, with 4 reporting significant improvements.
The commonly cited
facilitators and barriers were communication and resources, respectively.
CONCLUSION: The field of KT in SCI is in its infancy with only a few relevant
publications. However, there is some evidence that KT interventions may change
clinician behavior and improve patient outcomes. Future studies should ensure
rigorous study methods are used to evaluate KT interventions.

Langue : ANGLAIS