Knowledge Translation

Knowledge translation is the term used, particularly in North America for the process by which research outcomes are translated into improved health services and products and better health. It is based on four elements - synthesis, dissemination, exchange and the ethically sound application of knowledge.  The latter two may be regarded as involving elements of engagement, especially the exchange with knowledge users which, according to the Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI) is defined as "collaborative problem-solving between researchers and decision-makers that happens through linkage and exchange. Effective knowledge exchange involves interaction between decision-makers and researchers and results in mutual learning through the process of planning, producing, disseminating, and applying existing or new research in decision-making.”