The Value of Knowledge Translation in an Infectious Disease Context: The COVID-19 Pandemic Perspective

Abstract

As of 2021, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is evident in every facet of life, despite the availability of knowledge to prevent or mitigate the spread of infectious diseases. Infectious disease pandemics will continue to be a global challenge, and yet the hesitancy of decision makers to utilize the plethora of evidence based strategies in a pandemic response threatens the future global health security. Therefore, this paper focuses on exploring how knowledge translation (KT) practices can be integrated into infectious disease prevention and control using the current COVID-19 pandemic to identify KT barriers. By continually synthesizing and incorporating research findings into routine decision making processes, public health institutions can adequately prepare health systems to manage a pandemic. The application of KT can be approached from four different stages: synthesis of information, dissemination of knowledge, exchange of knowledge, and ethical application of knowledge. Using the four stages of KT, the following propositions were made: investing in links between knowledge synthesis and utilization, engaging broader stakeholders in knowledge dissemination activities, creating effective two-way communication lines between knowledge producers and users, and strengthening knowledge utilizing activities. By demonstrating the utility of applying the four KT stages in an infectious disease pandemic context, it is hoped that more discussions and research is stimulated to engage the incorporation of KT into future outbreak responses.