A New Perspective on Emerging Knowledge Translation Practices; Comment on “Sustaining Knowledge Translation Practices: A Critical Interpretive Synthesis”

Document Type : Commentary

Authors

1 School of Health Studies, Western University, London, ON, Canada

2 School of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia

3 Department of Social Work, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia

Abstract

The critical interpretive synthesis by Borst and colleagues offered a new perspective on knowledge translation (KT) sustainability from the perspective of Science and Technology Studies. From our applied health services perspective, we found several interesting ideas to bring forward. First, the idea that KT sustainability includes the ongoing activation of networks led to several future research questions. Second, while not entirely a new concept, understanding how KT actors work strategically and continuously with institutional rules and regulations to sustain KT practice was noteworthy. We add to the discussion by emphasizing the importance of non-researcher voices (clinicians, administrators, policy-makers, patients, carers, public) in sustaining KT practice. We also remind readers that the health ecosystem is dynamic and interdependent, where one system level influences and is influenced by another, and that these constant adaptations suggest that understanding KT practices cannot be a one-off event but represent repeated moments for transformative learning.

Keywords


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  • Receive Date: 16 July 2022
  • Revise Date: 15 November 2022
  • Accept Date: 15 November 2022
  • First Publish Date: 19 November 2022