KT Canada

Knowledge Translation Canada is a network of Canadian experts in knowledge translation joining forces to tackle the greatest challenge in health care today: the fact that although there is a great deal of health research being conducted, there is a gap in applying the results at the patient's bedside and in every day health decisions.

The funding for KT Canada includes $9.8M for research projects from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and $2.4M for infrastructure from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), awarded through the highly competitive peer-reviewed Research Hospital Fund / Clinical Research Initiative. In June, KT Canada was also awarded a Strategic Training in Health Research (STIHR) grant form CIHR, enabling the research network to develop and implement an innovative training program for various stakeholders. The funding will support projects and training opportunities, involving more than 50 researchers, in six centres in Ontario, Québec and Alberta, including Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, McMaster University, the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute at St. Michael's Hospital and University of Toronto, University of Calgary, University of Alberta, and Université Laval.

The overarching goals of the Network are:

• To improve how research results are communicated (for example, by developing guidelines to promote full publication of clinical trial data).
• To develop a consensus on KT terminology and methods for measuring success.
• To evaluate various KT approaches (such as clinical decision rules, audit and feedback, web-based quizzes and workshops).
• To find ways to ensure that KT efforts have a lasting impact across the continuum of care by engaging health professionals, community members and various health decision-making groups.