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Profiling knowledge brokers in the rehabilitation sector across Canada: A descriptive study
Author(s) -
Gaid Dina,
Ahmed Sara,
Thomas Aliki,
Bussières André
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
journal of evaluation in clinical practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.737
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1365-2753
pISSN - 1356-1294
DOI - 10.1111/jep.13621
Subject(s) - knowledge translation , facilitator , descriptive statistics , rehabilitation , profiling (computer programming) , health care , medicine , medical education , categorical variable , nursing , psychology , knowledge management , family medicine , computer science , physical therapy , social psychology , statistics , mathematics , economic growth , economics , operating system , machine learning
Rationale Knowledge brokers (KBs) can help promote the uptake of the latest research evidence into clinical practice. Little is known about who they are, the types of roles they perform, and the training they receive. Establishing a portrait of Canadian KBs working in the rehabilitation sector may inform health care organizations and knowledge translation specialists on how best to advance KBs practices. The overall goal was to describe the profile of KBs working to promote the uptake of evidence within rehabilitation settings in Canada. Specifically, this study aimed to describe the sociodemographic and professional characteristics, work activities, and training of KBs. Methods A cross‐sectional online survey was administered to KBs working in rehabilitation settings across Canada. The survey included 20 questions covering sociodemographic and professional characteristics, work activities, and training opportunities. Response frequency and percentage were calculated for all categorical variables, and the weighted average (WA) for each role was calculated across participants. Descriptive analysis was conducted for all open‐ended questions. Results Of 475 participants accessing the website, 198 completed the survey questionnaire, including 99 clinicians, 35 researchers, and 26 managers. While over two‐thirds of respondents had completed a graduate degree, only 38% reported receiving KBs‐related training. The respondents' primary roles corresponded to a linking agent (WA = 1.84), followed by capacity builder (WA = 1.76), information manager (WA = 1.71), facilitator (WA = 1.41), and evaluator (WA = 1.32). Conclusions KBs are mostly expert clinicians who tend to perform brokering activities part‐time targeting their peers. Participants mostly perform the linking agent, capacity builder, and information roles. Moreover, only a few participants received formal training to perform brokering activities.