Knowledge translation and ethics in public and population health from a knowledge management perspective

Abstract

Summary Theoretical and empirical applications of knowledge translation (KT) are growing in the public and population health literature. However, not much existing literature has addressed ethical considerations of KT in this context. The current paper briefly reviews what is meant by the terms ‘knowledge translation’, ‘knowledge management’, ‘public health’, and ‘population health’, then discusses these areas with ethical considerations in mind. Two specific examples—communities of practice and populomics—are used. The paper aims to begin filling two gaps in the extant KT literature in health by, first, drawing attention to the need for increased consideration of ethics in knowledge translation activities and, second, suggesting that ethical KT in communities of practice and populomics is needed, especially pertaining to the communication of human health determinants in research and decision-making processes.