Moving from research generation to knowledge translation in end-of-life care in long term care

The recognition and importance of the need for palliative or end-of-life care in long term care has, over the last two decades, led to increased research, education and practice development initiatives in most developed countries. The breadth and depth of some of these initiatives has been catalogued by the European Association of Palliative Care Taskforce on Palliative Care in Long Term Care Settings for Older People.1,2 In total over 60 initiatives across 13 European countries were identified. These initiatives were mapped by level of change – that is at the national, regional, organisational, team or individual level, with many targeting more than one level. Unfortunately not possible as part of this mapping activity, was an evaluation to examine if any of these initiatives successfully translated into sustained knowledge or practice change. What is vital for improving end-of-life care for residents and families in long term care is for clinicians, researchers and policy makers to engage, not only in the generation of knowledge by engaging in research and knowledge dissemination from the publication of results in academic journals, but also the transfer of research-based knowledge into a form that can be used. This process is often referred to as knowledge translation (KT).3 KT focuses on methods or processes to increase clinician’s practice knowledge to improve outcomes and reduce the evidence–practice gap. The nexus between knowledge generation and KT is the synthesis of what is known on a topic (the best evidence available) and what will work in a local context.