The topic I am researching is the prevention of diabetes and its consequences, and the primary intervention is the provision of educational programs for people at high risk of diabetes. This intervention clearly demonstrates that knowledge transfer is one of the main methods of improving public health and health care. Nevertheless, since knowledge is constantly being updated and the target population has different characteristics, the process of transferring knowledge should be flexible. For this reason, the most appropriate model for the chosen intervention is Knowledge-to-Action (KTA) framework.
KTA is a framework developed for collecting and disseminating knowledge and has a flexible and fluent structure. KTA consists of two components, such as Knowledge Creation and Action Cycle (Graham et al., 2006). The first component includes the phases of knowledge acquisition, synthesis, and creation of instruments (Graham et al., 2006). In fact, we performed these phases in this course as we collected individual articles, synthesized them, and created a specific intervention for our problems. The second component includes seven steps: identifying the problem or assessing knowledge, adapting information, assessing barriers, tailoring and conducting an intervention, monitoring results, evaluating results, and sustaining knowledge (Graham et al., 2006). This cycle can start at any step or return to the Knowledge Creation element (White et al., 2021). This approach is most appropriate for implementing educational programs since their practical application requires constant changes and adaptation of educational information to the requirements of the audience and time. Consequently, KTA facilitates intervention and knowledge transfer.
At the same time, this framework also aims to sustain knowledge, which is vital in diabetes prevention. If the population knows about preventive measures and uses them constantly, they are preserved in society and form a culture of behavior that promotes a healthy lifestyle. According to Graham et al. (2006), the stage of knowledge retention should be based on revaluation, adjustment, and redistribution. Since the barriers identified in the initial assessment may change over time, Graham et al. (2006) talk about the need to repeat the Action Cycle to maintain knowledge. According to Field et al. (2014), specific measures in theoretical research are the description of bias or the research process, which helps to eliminate shortcomings in the future. In the case of an intervention such as an educational program, this strategy is also feasible because the participants’ feedback and the intervention results can be tracked, and the deficiencies identified are met. In addition, the use of this cycle is necessary when implementing the program for different demographic groups, for example, people living on reservations or adolescents. Thus, a strategy based on a continuous reassessment of program effectiveness and its adaptation is appropriate for diabetes prevention.
Therefore, the KTA framework is suitable for carrying out such an intervention as an educational program and sustaining the knowledge beyond the intervention. Its advantage is flexibility, which allows the repetition of stages for better results. This flexibility is also a strategy for knowledge sustaining as the model implies continuous monitoring and re-evaluation of programs to improve them and disseminate information more widely. Thus, the KTA focuses on the need to meet the needs of the population of the intervention, which increases the likelihood of the success of the program for them, and the large-scale dissemination of knowledge contributes to their sustainability in society.
References
Field, B., Booth, A., Ilott, I., & Gerrish, K. (2014). Using the Knowledge to Action Framework in practice: A citation analysis and systematic review. Implementation Science, 9(172).
Graham, I. D., Logan, J., Harrison, M. B., Straus, S. E., Tetroe, J., Caswell, W., & Robinson, N. (2006). Lost in knowledge translation: Time for a map? The Journal of Continuing Education in Health Profession, 26(1). DOI: 10.1002/chp
White, K., Dudley-Brown, S., & Terhaar, M. (2021). Translation of evidence into nursing and healthcare (3rd ed.). Springer Publishing Company.