Integrated Knowledge Translation Guiding Principles for Conducting and Disseminating Spinal Cord Injury Research in Partnership

Heather L Gainforth; Femke Hoekstra; Rhyann McKay; Christopher B McBride; Shane N Sweet; Kathleen A Martin Ginis; Kim Anderson; John Chernesky; Teren Clarke; Susan Forwell; Jocelyn Maffin; Lowell T McPhail; W Ben Mortenson; Gayle Scarrow; Lee Schaefer; Kathryn M Sibley; Peter Athanasopoulos; Rhonda Willms

doi:10.1016/j.apmr.2020.09.393

Integrated Knowledge Translation Guiding Principles for Conducting and Disseminating Spinal Cord Injury Research in Partnership

Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2021 Apr;102(4):656-663. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2020.09.393. Epub 2020 Oct 28.

Authors

Heather L Gainforth¹, Femke Hoekstra², Rhyann McKay², Christopher B McBride³, Shane N Sweet⁴, Kathleen A Martin Ginis⁵, Kim Anderson⁶, John Chernesky⁷, Teren Clarke⁸, Susan Forwell⁹, Jocelyn Maffin³, Lowell T McPhail¹⁰, W Ben Mortenson¹¹, Gayle Scarrow¹², Lee Schaefer¹³, Kathryn M Sibley¹⁴, Peter Athanasopoulos¹⁵, Rhonda Willms¹⁶

Affiliations

¹ School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Electronic address: [email protected].
² School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
³ Spinal Cord Injury British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
⁴ Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal (CRIR), Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
⁵ School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medicine, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
⁶ Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
⁷ Praxis Spinal Cord Institute, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
⁸ Spinal Cord Injury Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
⁹ School of Health and Exercise Sciences, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada; International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
¹⁰ International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
¹¹ International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Faculty of Medicine, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
¹² Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
¹³ Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
¹⁴ Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
¹⁵ Spinal Cord Injury Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
¹⁶ International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Department of Medicine, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

PMID: 33129763
DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2020.09.393

Abstract

Objective: To address a gap between spinal cord injury (SCI) research and practice by rigorously and systematically co-developing integrated knowledge translation (IKT) guiding principles for conducting and disseminating SCI research in partnership with research users.

Design: The process was guided by the internationally accepted The Appraisal of Guidelines for REsearch & Evaluation (AGREE) II Instrument for evaluating the development of clinical practice guidelines.

Setting: North American SCI research system (ie, SCI researchers, research users, funders).

Participants: The multidisciplinary expert panel (n=17) and end users (n=35) included individuals from a North American partnership of SCI researchers, research users, and funders who have expertise in research partnerships.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main outcome measures: Clarity, usefulness, and appropriateness of the principles.

Results: Data regarding 125 principles of partnered research were systematically collected from 4 sources (review of reviews, scoping review, interviews, Delphi consensus exercise). A multidisciplinary expert panel held a 2-day meeting to establish consensus, select guiding principles, and draft the guidance. The panel reached 100% consensus on the principles and guidance document. The final document includes a preamble, 8 guiding principles, and a glossary. Survey data showed that the principles and guidance document were perceived by potential end users as clear, useful, and appropriate.

Conclusions: The IKT Guiding Principles represent the first rigorously co-developed, consensus-based guidance to support meaningful SCI research partnerships. The principles are a foundational tool with the potential to improve the relevance and impact of SCI research, mitigate tokenism, and advance the science of IKT.

Keywords: Consensus; Rehabilitation; Spinal cord injuries.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Consensus*
Health Services Research*
Humans
Information Dissemination*
Spinal Cord Injuries / rehabilitation*
Translational Research, Biomedical*