Knowledge Translation from Research to Clinical Practice: Measuring Participation of Children with Disabilities

"From All, To All": Implementing a collaborative online conference to reflect on the daily living of individuals with cerebral palsy

BACKGROUND

Translating knowledge to improve paediatric rehabilitation has become a research area of interest. This study describes the development and evaluation of an online conference that brought together perspectives of individuals with cerebral palsy (CP), families, health care professionals, and researchers to discuss the daily living of individuals with CP.

METHODS

We anchored the development and implementation of the online conference in the action cycle of the Knowledge to Action Framework. To develop the meeting, we included representatives from each stakeholder group in the programme committee. The conference programme was designed having the lifespan perspective of individuals with CP, from birth to adulthood, as its central core, with themes related to daily living (e.g., self-care, mobility, and continuing education). Participants' satisfaction with the conference was assessed using an anonymized online survey sent to all participants.

RESULTS

The conference had 1656 attendees, of whom 675 answered the online satisfaction survey. Most participants rated the structure of the conference (i.e., quality of the technical support, audio and video, and online platform) and discussed topics (i.e., relevance, content, discussion, speakers, and available time) positively.

CONCLUSION

Collaborative conferences that include stakeholders throughout the planning and implementation are a viable, effective knowledge translation strategy that allows for sharing experiences and disseminating knowledge among families and individuals with CP, health care professionals, and researchers.

Information and Empowerment of Families of Children With Cerebral Palsy in Brazil: The Knowledge Translation Role of Nossa Casa Institute

Knowledge translation (KT) is gaining attention in the pediatric rehabilitation field. Nossa Casa Institute is the first organization in Brazil aiming to foster cerebral palsy (CP) awareness and empower families by discussing reliable information. This study aims to build a network where individuals with CP and their families, researchers, health care professionals, and services can communicate and share experiences. In this article, we describe the experience of planning and conducting an educational and interactive online workshop to foster principles of family-centered service (FCS). We used the action cycle from the Knowledge to Action (KTA) framework to describe and ground the proposed activities. In Module 1, “Challenges and barriers to incorporate family-centered principles,” we discussed the historical perspective, main principles, and challenges related to FCS implementation. Module 2, “What is my contribution to the family-centered service?” was aimed to foster strategies to improve the implementation of principles of FCS in the care of children with disabilities. In Module 3, “What can we do together?” the groups presented their ideas and suggestions. This interactive and educational workshop was an opportunity for Nossa Casa Institute to disseminate accessible and reliable information regarding FCS and to empower families to participate actively in the rehabilitation process and advocate for the best provision of care for their children. Future actions of Nossa Casa Institute include the coordination of a national conference to connect families, individuals with CP, healthcare and rehabilitation professionals, and researchers. There is also a need, and opportunity, for formal evaluation of these KT activities.

A Web-Based Knowledge Translation Resource for Families and Service Providers (The "F-Words" in Childhood Disability Knowledge Hub): Developmental and Pilot Evaluation Study

BACKGROUND

The "F-words in Childhood Disability" (Function, Family, Fitness, Fun, Friends, and Future) are an adaptation and an attempt to operationalize the World Health Organization's (2001) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Since the paper was published (November 2011), the "F-words" have attracted global attention (>12,000 downloads, January 2018). Internationally, people have adopted the "F-words" ideas, and many families and service providers have expressed a need for more information, tools, and resources on the "F-words".

OBJECTIVE

This paper reports on the development and pilot evaluation of a Web-based knowledge translation (KT) resource, the "F-words" Knowledge Hub that was created to inform people about the "F-words" and to provide action-oriented tools to support the use of the "F-words" in practice.

METHODS

An integrated research team of families and researchers at CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability Research collaborated to develop, implement, and evaluate the Knowledge Hub. A pilot study design was chosen to assess the usability and utility of the Web-based hub before implementing a larger evaluation study. Data were collected using a brief anonymous Web-based survey that included both closed-ended and open-ended questions, with the closed-ended responses being based on a five-point Likert-type scale. We used descriptive statistics and a summary of key themes to report findings.

RESULTS

From August to November 2017, the Knowledge Hub received >6,800 unique visitors. In 1 month (November 2017), 87 people completed the survey, of whom 63 completed the full survey and 24 completed 1 or 2 sections. The respondents included 42 clinicians and 30 family members or individuals with a disability. The majority of people visited the Knowledge Hub 1-5 times (n=63) and spent up to 45 minutes exploring (n=61) before providing feedback. Overall, 66 people provided information on the perceived usefulness of the Knowledge Hub, of which 92% (61/66) found the Knowledge Hub user-friendly and stated that they enjoyed exploring the hub, and a majority (n=52) reported that the Knowledge Hub would influence what they did when working with others. From the open-ended responses (n=48), the "F-words" videos (n=21) and the "F-words" tools (n=15) were rated as the best features on the Knowledge Hub.

CONCLUSIONS

The "F-words" Knowledge Hub is an evidence-informed Web-based KT resource that was useful for respondents, most of whom were seen as "early adopters" of the "F-words" concepts. Based on the findings, minor changes are to be made to improve the Knowledge Hub before completing a larger evaluation study on the impact at the family, clinician, and organizational levels with a wider group of users. Our hope is that the "F-words" Knowledge Hub will become a go-to resource for knowledge sharing and exchange for families and service providers.