Projects & Tools

Artificial intelligence decision support tool to assess the quality of systematic reviews on the same topic: WISEST

Summary WISEST is an AI tool to help knowledge users choose among reviews on the same topic that overlap in PICO elements. WISEST also assesses and expedites the quality of the systematic review methods, findings and conclusions. Funded By Principal Investigators Co-Principal Investigators Co-Investigators Collaborators KTP Project Staff

Assessing a specialized geriatric care outreach initiative

Summary Many older adults in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) are in unaffordable living situations and/or are experiencing multimorbidity. This, coupled with a lack of supportive housing options, leaves this population at high risk of homelessness and inappropriate placement in shelters. The purpose of this study is to evaluate an outreach initiative that provides specialized […]

Assessing barriers and facilitators to the diagnosis and treatment of iron deficiency anemia among pregnant patients

Summary The project objective is to identify patient and provider barriers and facilitators to the diagnosis and treatment of Iron Deficiency Anemia (IDA) in pregnancy. Initial iterations of IRON MOM will provide a baseline understanding for this formative evaluation. Patient and clinical experts will form the project’s Steering Committee, and will be consulted throughout the […]

At-home COVID-19 testing: A rapid scoping review

Summary This project examines how at-home testing for COVID-19 has been implemented internationally, including details on their performance, their impact, and how at-home testing fits within the broader test-trace-isolate plan for the jurisdiction. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigators

CANHEART

Summary We have conducted a range of activities related to the design and execution of CANHEART’s CHOICES trial, which aims to improve lipid management activities in Ontario. These activities include prioritization surveys and focus groups to understand patient decision-making around cardiovascular health; usability testing of lipid management education tools and decision aids; and surveys to […]

Co-creating a new model of long-term care home for older adults experiencing homelessness: Long-term caring

Summary More than 25% of people experiencing homelessness in Canada are older adults (>50 years); in Toronto alone, more than 3000 adults older than 50 years are homeless. They are at higher risk of adverse outcomes such as death compared with people who have stable housing. These numbers grew during COVID-19 because of the increased […]

Collaboration with Singapore Geriatric Education and Research Institute

Summary We have an ongoing collaboration with Singapore’s Geriatric Education and Research Institute. This collaboration has included developing and delivering training on implementation for institute members and providing knowledge translation coaching and feedback for research teams. Funded By Principal Investigators Co-Investigators KTP Project Staff

Comparing effectiveness of sustainability of knowledge translation interventions for chronic disease management in older adults

Summary This is a systematic review and network meta analysis of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of sustainability of knowledge translation (KT) interventions that target chronic disease management (CDM) for end-users, including older patients, beyond 1 year after implementation. This also entailed an economic analysis of the interventions identified to be effective. Project Resources Funded By Principal […]

Controlled-release hydromorphone and risk of infection in adults: A systematic review

Summary This systematic review included adult people who inject drugs (PWID) exposed to controlled-release hydromorphone and the risk of acquiring endocarditis, hepatitis C virus, or HIV. Very few studies have examined the risk of IE, HCV, and HIV infection after exposure to controlled-release hydromorphone. Very low-quality and scant evidence suggests uncertainty around the risks of […]

Development of a risk of bias tool

Summary The objective of this project was to conduct (a) a Delphi process to determine expert opinion on an item’s inclusion and (b) a knowledge user survey to widen its impact. Most knowledge users and Delphi panelists preferred a tool to assess both bias in individual network meta-analysis (NMA) results and authors’ conclusions. This Delphi […]

Economic analysis of enhanced syphilis screening among HIV-positive men

To compare the cost and effect of the intervention in the ESSAHM trial (opt-out standing orders for syphilis serological testing with HIV viral loads) versus the control condition (the maintenance of current, provider-initiated syphilis testing practice) from the perspective of the Ministry of Health (MoH). This project will be a secondary data analysis of a stepped wedge cluster-randomized controlled trial that introduced a practice change step-wise across four urban HIV clinics in Ontario, Canada. In total, 3,895 men were followed between February 1, 2015 and July 31, 2017.

Economic evaluation of falls prevention interventions among community-residing older adults: We know the “value”, but what about “value for money”?

Falls have a substantial impact on the quality of life, morbidity, and mortality of older adults, and are costly for our healthcare system.

Efficacy of falls prevention interventions: A living systematic review and network meta-analysis

Summary Falls among adults over 65 years are an ongoing public health concern, associated with fractures, hospitalization, and even death. Given the aging global population, the incidence of falls continues to rise. Therefore, reducing falls among older persons with fall-prevention interventions is increasingly important. Given the rapid production of new evidence, World Falls Guidelines (WFG) […]

Efficacy of the trivalent and quadrivalent influenza vaccines relative to one another among adults 60 years of age and older: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Summary This network meta-analysis aimed to compare the efficacy of influenza vaccines of any valency for adults 60 years and older. It demonstrated efficacy associated with IIV3-HD and RIV vaccines in protecting older persons against LCI, and RIV vaccine may reduce all-cause mortality when compared with other vaccines, but the evidence is uncertain. However, differences […]

Evaluating the accuracy of COVID-19 rapid screening and diagnostic tests

Summary This is a rapid review with network-meta analysis to determine the most sensitive and specific rapid test for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2. Rapid molecular tests were associated with both high sensitivity and specificity, while rapid antigen tests were mainly associated with high specificity, according to the minimum performance requirements by WHO and Health Canada. […]

Evaluating the impact of resource navigators to support long-term care and retirement home staff during and beyond COVID-19

Study Recruitment Materials https://redcap.smh.ca/redcap/surveys/?s=HMMMHM3KJ4J7AETW Summary The aim of this project is to better understand how best to provide support to long-term care home (LTCH) and retirement home (RH) staff during and beyond the pandemic to ensure their health and wellness. Participating will involve the completion of two surveys (at the start and end of your […]

Evidence review for the development of recommendations on the treatment of uncomplicated gonococcal infections

Summary An evidence review to identify new guidelines and systematic reviews published after January 2020 on which treatment options should be recommended for genital and non-genital infections caused by Neisseria gonorrhea. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigator KTP Project Staff

Exploring the prevalence of gaming disorder and internet gaming disorder: A rapid scoping review

Summary Aims to describe the prevalence of gaming disorder and internet gaming disorder in people of all ages, across all geographical areas. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigator Co-Investigators KTP Project Staff

Fascia iliaca blocks in hip fracture care

We conducted a barriers and facilitators assessment and developed an implementation plan for the use of FI Blocks as pain management for hip fracture patients at St. Michael’s. We also assisted with the development of an education tool for patients on FI Blocks and a tool for Emergency Department nurses on their role in the FI Block process. We are currently finishing the usability testing of these tools.

Global evidence of gender equity in academic health research: A scoping review

Summary Scoping review with the objective of charting the global literature on gender equity in academic health research. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigator Co-Investigators KTP Project Staff

Global evidence on falls and subsequent social isolation in older adults: A scoping review

Summary This study aims to summarize evidence on the relationship between falls and subsequent social isolation in older adults in any setting, including the role of fear of falling, other risk or protective factors, and how the COVID-19 context affects this relationship. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigator Co-Investigators Collaborators KTP Project Staff

Guidelines for preventing respiratory illness in older adults aged 60 years and above living in long-term care: A rapid review of clinical practice guidelines

Summary This study aims to identify infection protection and control recommendations from published clinical practice guidelines for adults aged 60 years and older in long-term care settings. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigator Co-Investigators KTP Project Staff

Healthy aging in older adults – Priority setting

Study Recruitment Materials If you are an adult 65 years and older, caregiver or healthcare provider and have a health topic or question about healthy aging that is important to you, let us know by participating in our 5-minute survey: https://knowledgetranslation.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eRucX2hqBmR5DBc Recruitment End Date Summary The Healthy Aging in Older Adults Priority Setting Project is […]

Impact of HPV-related diseases among males on healthcare cost in Ontario

The objective of this study is to address the public health policy question “What will be the impact of male vaccination strategies on the long-term burden of HPV infections and associated precancer and cancer among MSM?”

Implementation of pharmacogenetic testing in pediatric oncology:  Barriers and facilitators assessment at eight Canadian academic health centres

Summary Pharmacogenetic (PGx) testing can improve drug safety, improve how well a drug works, and reduce the risk of side effects. However, the use of PGx testing in Canadian children’s cancer centres has been limited. To address this gap, the aim of this study was to assess the barriers and facilitators to using PGx testing for […]

Implementation of the Comparison of Outcomes and Access to Care for Heart Failure (COACH) trial

Summary The KT Program supported implementation of the COACH intervention, which included a point-of-care risk assessment tool and a rapid ambulatory transitional heart failure clinic, across ten acute care hospitals in Ontario. We identified barriers and facilitators to implementation of the COACH intervention and used theoretical mapping to recommend strategies to sites to leverage facilitators […]

Implementation of Vaccine+: A co-created intervention to improve vaccine confidence among long-term care and retirement home staff in Ontario

Summary This project builds on the Wellness Hub study (www.wellness-hub.ca) which aimed to support Ontario’s Long-Term Care Homes (LTCHs) and Retirement Homes (RHs) to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Over a 2-year period, our team co-created a virtual community of practice for 72 LTCH/RH through which we delivered educational resources, newsletters, training (e.g., vaccine champions course), […]

Infection prevention and control measures for Ebola and Marburg virus disease: A series of rapid reviews

Summary Should heavily soiled linen resulting from care to patients with Ebola or Marburg in healthcare, Ebola treatment units or community settings be incinerated versus disinfected? Infection prevention and control measures for Ebola and Marburg Virus disease: A series of rapid reviews. KQ12 Disinfection vs. incineration of linens. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigators KTP […]

Interprofessional primary care teams: Rapid scoping review

Summary This is a rapid scoping review of interprofessional primary care teams with a focus on assessing the impact of adding different health professionals on the capacity of the primary clinician to see more patients. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigator Co-Investigators Collaborator KTP Project Staff

Intersectionality and knowledge translation interventions

Summary The objective of this project was to support the use of an intersectional approach when designing and implementing knowledge translation (KT) interventions. Intersecting social factors (e.g., age, education, gender identity) can have significant impacts on KT projects. We defined an intersectional approach as a way of thinking that considers the combined effect of social […]

Interventions for social isolation in older adults who have experienced a fall or are at risk of falling: A systematic review

Summary This study aims to identify effective interventions to prevent or mitigate social isolation and/or loneliness in older adults who experienced a fall. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigator Co-Investigators Collaborators KTP Project Staff *Patient Partner: These individuals could be patients (an individual with a health condition), family members of a patient (e.g. parent, spouse, […]

Interventions for the prevention and management of occupational stress injury in first responders: An overview of reviews

Summary This study aims to summarize existing evidence on interventions for the prevention and management of occupational stress injury in first responders. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigator Co-Investigators KTP Project Staff

Interventions on gender equity in the workplace: A scoping review

Summary This scoping review identifies and examines evidence from randomized controlled trials on interventions examining gender equity in workplace or volunteer settings. There is a paucity of literature on interventions to promote workplace gender equity. While some interventions elicited positive conclusions across a variety of outcomes, standardized outcome measures considering specific contexts and cultures are […]

Knowledge translation workbook

Summary The KT Program designed a practical workbook to support implementers to do practical knowledge translation. Our workbook was designed using key theories, models and frameworks including the knowledge-to-action model. Implementers are prompted to complete fillable worksheets to design, implement and evaluate evidence-based strategies.  Building upon over a decade of capacity building at the KTP, […]

Models of care

Summary The Knowledge Translation Program and Healthcare Excellence Canada (HEC) identified innovative and promising models of care that were implemented in long-term care homes (LTCHs) during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided suggestions on best practices that could be integrated into LTCHs to potentially improve resident care. The project included a quantitative survey and semi- structured […]

Pandemic Pregnancy Guide

Summary The KT Program assisted the Pandemic Pregnancy Guide (PPG) team with the administration and analysis of a survey of current and former PPG followers that aimed to understand their experience with and use of the account in the past, and determine what content followers would be interested in going forward. Project Resources Funded By […]

Preventing the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) in older adults aged 60 years and above living in long-term care: A rapid review

Summary This study aims to examine the control and management of COVID-19, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in adults 60 years or above living in long-term care facilities. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigator Co-Investigators Collaborators KTP Project Staff

Primary and Integrated Health Care Innovations (PIHCI) network summary report and infographic

Summary This project was commissioned by the Primary and Integrated Health Care Innovations (PIHCIN) Network, to develop an infographic and summary report that provides an overview of Network activities and impact since their launch in 2014. The PIHCI Network is a pan-Canadian network of networks that was launched through the Canadian Institutes for Health Research […]

PRISMA extensions for rapid reviews, scoping reviews, and network meta-analysis

Summary The PRISMA extensions for NMA and ScR were published in 2015 and 2018. Since then, their methodologies and innovations, including automation, have evolved. There is no reporting guideline for RRs. In 2020, an updated PRISMA statement was published reflecting advances in the conduct and reporting of systematic reviews. These advances are not yet incorporated […]

PRISMA-ScR

Summary The PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) checklist was developed by a 24-member expert panel and 2 research leads following published guidance from the EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) Network. The final checklist contains 20 essential reporting items and 2 optional items. The […]

Rapid review for the development of recommendations on the treatment of uncomplicated gonococcal infections

Summary This is a rapid review to inform recommendations to treat uncomplicated Neisseria gonorrhea (NG) in adults and adolescents. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigator KTP Project Staff

Right Review tool update

Summary This project aims to update KT Program’s Right Review tool to include information about qualitative and mixed methods. The Right Review tool is an open-access KT Program tool to support evidence synthesis methods decisions. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigator Co-Investigators Collaborators KTP Project Staff

Royal Society of Canada working group on health research system recovery

Summary The Royal Society of Canada Working Group on Health Research System Recovery, in partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), led an international knowledge exchange initiative to develop actionable recommendations to strengthen Canada’s health research system post-COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative involved a series of knowledge exchange sessions and surveys with leadership from […]

Scoping review of machine learning tools in hospital settings

Scoping review of ML tools in hospital settings. The goal of this study was to identify machine learning tools (ML) in hospital settings and how they were implemented to inform decision-making for patient care through a scoping review. They found limited evidence related to the implementation of ML tools to assist clinicians with patient healthcare decisions in hospital settings. Future research should examine other approaches to integrating ML into hospital clinician decisions related to patient care, and report on PROGRESS-PLUS items.

SPOR Evidence Alliance

Summary The Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) Evidence Alliance is a partnership between researchers, patients and members of the public, healthcare providers, health system managers, policy-makers, and other decision-makers across Canada (and beyond) who are committed to building a Canadian health system that is increasingly informed and improved using the best available health research evidence. […]

Stigma during the COVID-19 pandemic

Summary The KT Program conducted interviews with health care providers, policymakers and members of the public in Canada and Singapore to understand their experiences with misinformation and stigma during the COVID-19 pandemic and compare experiences across countries. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigator Co-Investigators Collaborators KTP Project Staff

Surrey Place – Planning services for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Summary The KT Program’s Team for Implementation, Evaluation and Sustainability provided resources, reviews and consultations on the development of an evaluation plan for the Surrey Place Transition Clinic. Funded By Principal Investigator KTP Science Lead KTP Project Staff

Sustaining knowledge translation interventions for chronic disease management in older adults: A systematic review and network meta-analysis

Summary This is a systematic review and network meta analysis of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of sustainability of knowledge translation (KT) interventions that target chronic disease management (CDM) for end-users, including older patients, beyond 1 year after implementation. This also entailed an economic analysis of the interventions identified to be effective. Project Resources Funded By Principal […]

Systematic Prospective Assessment of Rapid Knowledge Synthesis (SPARKS)

Summary This study compares the quality, efficiency, and decisions made between rapid reviews and systematic reviews on the same topic. Funded By Principal Investigator Co-Principal Investigators Co-Investigators Knowledge Users Collaborators KTP Project Staff *Patient Partner: These individuals could be patients (an individual with a health condition), family members of a patient (e.g. parent, spouse, adult […]

TARGet Kids! PARENT trial

Summary The KT Program conducted two focus groups related to the TARGet Kids! PARENT Trial. The first, conducted with parents who could be eligible, gathered feedback and suggestions for changes to the planned protocol for the trial. The second, conducted with participants from the trial, gathered information on the barriers and facilitators to participation they […]

The assessment of rapid antigen testing for SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza A and B in congregate living settings

Summary This project aimed to evaluate the barriers, facilitators, and economic impact of implementing multiplex rapid antigen testing for COVID-19 and Influenza across congregate living settings in Toronto. Congregate living settings included long-term care homes, retirement homes and shelters. In addition, we explored the accuracy of the multiplex rapid antigen test against the nasopharyngeal (NP) […]

The effects of recreational cannabis use in people with diabetes: A rapid review

Summary This project aims to synthesize available evidence on the effects of recreational cannabis use on metabolic factors and self-management behaviours in people aged 13 years and older who have diabetes. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigators KTP Project Staff

Understanding patient preferences in providing sociodemographic information in an acute care setting

Summary This project aimed to understand patients’ attitudes, beliefs, preferences, and barriers in providing sociodemographic information in acute care settings. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients at St. Michael’s Hospital (SMH), Unity Health Toronto (UHT) to inform the study. We hope to develop recommendations for collecting patient sociodemographic information to advance equity of health services […]

Wellness Hub

Summary The Wellness Hub Program provides tailored interventions to prevent and manage infectious disease outbreaks (IPAC+), as well as the framework and oversight for interventions that promote vaccine uptake (Vaccine+), and optimize occupational and mental health and wellness (CARE+) both during and beyond COVID-19. It includes a multi-disciplinary immunity study to estimate the population-specific prevalence […]

What happened and why? Case studies to determine the extent of equity-lens driven decision-making in response to COVID-19 in Canada and Sierra Leone

Summary The study’s purpose stems from a critical need to address a pressing issue in public health. The current prevalence of homogeneous and uniform public health policies (PHPs) at the population level inadvertently exacerbates underlying inequalities, resulting in inequitable outcomes across various contexts. Recognizing the significance of this problem, it becomes imperative to explore an […]

World Health Organization – Technical Support Centre: Research to Enhance the Adaptation and Implementation of Health Systems Guidelines (RAISE)

Summary Funded by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, the KT Program formed a technical support centre to support six low- and middle-income country (LMIC) research teams to adapt and implement health systems guidelines. We designed our support program using co-creation approaches with input from 22 participants from six […]

World Health Organization technical assistance centre – Embedding rapid reviews in health systems decision-making

Summary The KT Program provided capacity-building and training to 58 researchers and policy-makers from low- and middle-income countries. Project Resources Funded By Principal Investigators Co-Investigator KTP Project Staff