What is K2A
Knowledge into Action is the term is used to encompass the combined processes of identifying, retrieving, evaluating, sharing and applying knowledge in a practical context.
Definition: Knowledge into Action is an iterative sequence of activities and support which together bridge the gap between knowledge and practice, by converting knowledge into decisions and actions to deliver safer, more effective care.
You may hear Knowledge into Action referred to as Knowledge Translation, Knowledge Mobilisation, Information Literacy, Evidence Informed Practice, Evidence Based Practice. All these terms have slightly different meanings but are in essence about helping decisions to be based on the best evidence from research and practice.
Knowledge into Action (K2A) Strategy
Knowledge into Action (K2A) is a national strategy which aims to develop the skills of frontline health and social-care practitioners in applying knowledge in frontline practice and service improvement.
Two strategies and action plans were produced in 2012 and later combined into a single Implementation plan 2013-2016.
Strategy for Health
Getting Knowledge into Action to Improve Healthcare Quality: Report of Strategic Review and Recommendations. NHS Education for Scotland and Healthcare Improvement Scotland, 2012
Strategy for social services
A strategy and ActionPlan for Embedding Knowledge in Practice in Scotland's Social Services. Scottish Government, 2012
Further information and reviews of the implementation of the strategy contact knowledge@nes.scot.nhs.uk.
The Knowledge into Action Cycle and Steps explained
Building on the evidence base for methods that work in converting knowledge into action, NHS Scotland has combined these approaches into an integrated Knowledge into Action cycle.
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Define a knowledge need - What do you need to know? You must ask the right question to get the right answer. Source and Quality Assure- Identify and use a range of sources include people as well as written materials. Have you found ‘good’ information? Look closely at what your search has recovered to check whether your question has been answered. Create and Combine- Making use of your results to support implementation of knowledge in practice and policy making. Share - simple ideas to connect people to share ideas and experience using a range of tools. Evaluate - Researching and evaluating the impact of K2A approaches helps to build the evidence base for knowledge into action methods, and to identify transferable approaches that can be used in different settings. |
Origins of Knowledge into Action
Knowledge into Action has its roots in clinical medicine where the gap between what is known and what is practiced was identified in the Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) movement, which highlighted the need for practitioners to understand and use research in every-day clinical decision making. This led to the creation of the Cochrane Collaboration – a not-for-profit group that conducts systematic reviews of clinical trials for various diseases and provides syntheses of the research evidence, allowing clinicians to be confident of using best evidence for common clinical questions. Although EBM was a much-needed shift in research and practice, it had limited impact, suggesting a fundamental gap between what was known and what was done with relevant knowledge.
Knowledge into Action aims to build on the foundations laid by Evidence-Based Medicine to deliver greater impact through methods that widen access to knowledge and actively bridge the knowledge-practice gap by enabling the translation of knowledge into practice in all settings not restricted to healthcare.
Implementing Knowledge into Action in Scotland
A review of the evidence identified four categories of methods to bridge the knowledge-practice gap. These are summarised as:
Implementation methods
These methods present structured and codified evidence in formats to support decision-making at point of need. Examples of implementational methods include:
Social methods
These support interpretation, creation and use of knowledge through formal and informal relationships and interactions created by individuals. Examples of social methods include:
Organisational methods
Addressing factors in the broader organisational environment. These methods take into account the environmental conditions necessary for organisational change
Dedicated knowledge into action roles
These roles serve as change agents to promote access and use of knowledge. Examples of dedicated knowledge into action roles include clinical librarians and knowledge brokers collaborating closely with practitioners to ensure that they have access to knowledge when and where they need it, including at point of delivery of care.
Summary report of implementation
Read the outcomes of the three year implementation plan, Knowledge into Action in Scotland's Health and Social Services.
- Clinical and care pathways
- Decision aids
- Mobile apps incorporating calculators and reference resources
- Prompts and reminders
- Feedback of audit results
- Social networks and ‘communities of practice” such as Facebook, LinkedIn and others.
- Interactive learning methods which focus on dialogue and sharing learning from experience – e.g. through case studies
- One-to-one educational dialogue focused on specific practice issues (“educational detailing”)
- Strong leadership from clinical, managerial and political leaders; ensuring that frontline professionals are actively engaged
- Using – and sustaining – a range of interventions at different levels (i.e. individual, team, organisation, the wider health and care systems)
- Collecting robust and timely data to monitor changes
- Ensuring that there are adequate resources to support the change