Author: ayokay

As physical therapists, we play a vital role in treating neurological conditions. However, one disorder that demands our immediate attention is Functional Neurological Disorder (FND). Recent research highlights the prevalence and impact of FND, with population studies suggesting 50-100 cases per 100,000 people.

The Urgency of Addressing FND

FND is a real and treatable condition, yet it remains neglected due to outdated perceptions and inadequate health care provider knowledge. This neglect leads to significant iatrogenic harm, which has persisted for centuries despite efforts to address it.

Misdiagnosis and Its Consequences

Misdiagnosis is a major concern in FND. Alarmingly, FND is often mistaken for other neurological conditions like epilepsy or multiple sclerosis. The consequences of such misdiagnosis can be severe:

1. Unnecessary Treatments: Patients misdiagnosed with epilepsy may receive unnecessary and potentially harmful anti-epileptic medications.
2. Invasive Procedures: Some patients have undergone unnecessary intubation, ICU admissions, and even vagal nerve stimulator implantations due to misdiagnosis.
3. Long-term Health Risks: Misdiagnosis can lead to prolonged use of inappropriate medications, increasing the risk of side effects and complications.

Delayed Diagnosis and Treatment

Patients with FND often face significant delays in receiving a correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment. This delay can hinder recovery and prolong suffering1. Physical therapists can identify positive signs to rule in the diagnosis and refer patients for care.

Stigma and Psychological Harm

People with FND frequently encounter stigma in medical settings. They may be dismissed, doubted, or even accused of faking symptoms. This can lead to severe psychological harm and reluctance to seek further medical care. Research from fMRI studies confirms that patients with functional symptoms are not faking or feigning.

The Role of Physical Therapists

As physical therapists, we are uniquely positioned to make a difference in the lives of people with FND. By improving our understanding and approach to FND, we can:

1. Contribute to accurate diagnosis by identifying and documenting rule in signs
2. Provide appropriate, evidence-based treatments that address the underlying neuroscience of FND
3. Reduce stigma and iatrogenic harm

Call to Action: Enhance Your FND Expertise

To address the critical need for improved FND care, the Institute for Knowledge Translation collaborated with two experts in FND care, Julie Maggio and Heather Salon, to develop a course for physical therapists. This course will provide:

• In-depth understanding of FND diagnosis and treatment
• Strategies to avoid iatrogenic harm
• Skills to effectively communicate with and support people with FND.

Register now to enhance your expertise and positively impact people with FND. Learn more here: https://www.knowledgetranslation.org/programs/clinical-implementation-programs/

By improving our collective knowledge and skills in managing FND, we can significantly reduce iatrogenic harm, improve patient outcomes, and elevate the standard of care for this underserved patient population.

Reference

Caoimhe Mcloughlin, Wei Hao Lee, Alan Carson, Jon Stone, Iatrogenic harm in functional neurological disorder, Brain, Volume 148, Issue 1, January 2025, Pages 27–38, https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awae283

The Missing Link in Evidence-Based Care: The Urgent Case for Knowledge Translation Practitioners

Imagine investing months or years-and millions of dollars-into developing a breakthrough health intervention, only to watch it stall before reaching the people who need it most. This is the harsh reality for over 60% of evidence-informed programs: they fail before ever delivering services to clients. The culprit? A persistent chasm between what research tells us and what actually happens in practice. The solution: skilled Knowledge Translation (KT) practitioners. 

Bridging the Gap Between Evidence and Practice

Despite vast investments in health research, there remains a significant gap between what is known (research evidence) and what is done (clinical or policy practice). This “know-do gap” can result in patients not receiving the most effective treatments and decision-makers lacking the best available information. Knowledge translation (KT) practitioners play a critical role in closing this gap by ensuring that high-quality research is actually used to inform real-world decisions, policies, and practices.

The Complex Nature of Knowledge Translation

KT is not simply about disseminating information. It is a dynamic, iterative process that involves synthesizing, evaluating, adapting, and sharing knowledge with a variety of stakeholders—including clinicians, policy-makers, and the public. This process requires navigating barriers such as organizational culture, varying levels of research literacy, and competing interests. KT practitioners are trained to manage these complexities, tailoring strategies to specific contexts and audiences.

Core Competencies of KT Practitioners

Effective KT practitioners possess a unique set of competencies that extend beyond traditional research or clinical skills. According to recent frameworks and reviews, these competencies include:

• Understanding organizational and local contexts

• Mastery of research processes and evidence synthesis

• Skills in knowledge dissemination, including plain language communication

• Ability to adapt knowledge to different settings and audiences

• Proficiency in stakeholder engagement and collaboration

• Familiarity with KT theories, frameworks, and models

These competencies enable KT practitioners to act as knowledge brokers, translating complex research findings into actionable insights and facilitating the exchange of knowledge between researchers and end-users.

Driving Evidence-Based Practice and Policy

Without dedicated KT practitioners, valuable research often remains underutilized, and opportunities for improving health outcomes are lost. KT practitioners support the implementation of evidence-based interventions, help sustain change, and scale up successful innovations. They also play a key role in educating and training others within organizations, fostering a culture that values ongoing learning and adaptation.

Maximizing the Impact of Research Investment

Health systems invest billions in research, but much of this investment fails to translate into improved care or policy unless there are mechanisms in place to facilitate knowledge use. KT practitioners ensure that research findings are not only shared but also understood, adapted, and applied in ways that benefit patients, providers, and society at large.

In summary:
Knowledge translation practitioners are essential for bridging the persistent gap between research and practice. Their specialized competencies, strategic approaches, and collaborative skills ensure that research investments lead to tangible improvements in health outcomes, policy, and practice. Without them, the promise of evidence-based healthcare remains largely unrealized.

Ready to Build Your Skills as a KT Practitioner?

Learn more about our Essential Skills for Knowledge Translation Practitioners course at the Institute for Knowledge Translation—designed for clinicians, leaders, and change agents who are ready to close the gap between research and reality.

Course Faculty:
Jennifer Moore PT, DHSc, NCS, Founder of the Institute for Knowledge Translation
Wendy Romney, PT, DPT, PhD, NCS

Course Description:
This online course empowers healthcare professionals to plan and execute KT projects using evidence-based strategies, interactive coursework, and mentoring. Participants will develop a KT plan tailored to their organization, with support from experienced faculty. The program is ideal for those seeking to implement evidence-based practices and drive real change in healthcare settings.

References

Straus SE, Tetroe J, Graham I. Defining knowledge translation. CMAJ. 2009;181(3-4):165-168. doi:10.1503/cmaj.081229 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2717660/

Davis D, Evans M, Jadad A, et al. The case for knowledge translation: shortening the journey from evidence to effect. BMJ. 2003;327(7405):33-35. doi:10.1136/bmj.327.7405.33

Mallidou AA, Atherton P, Chan L, Frisch N, Glegg S, Scarrow G. Core knowledge translation competencies: a scoping review. BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18(1):502. Published 2018 Jun 27. doi:10.1186/s12913-018-3314-4

Kathy Eljiz, David Greenfield, Anne Hogden, Robyn Taylor, Nazlee Siddiqui, Maria Agaliotis, Marianna Milosavljevic – Improving knowledge translation for increased engagement and impact in healthcare: BMJ Open Quality 2020;9:e000983.

Imagine investing months or years-and millions of dollars-into developing a breakthrough health intervention, only to watch it stall before reaching the people who need it most. This is the harsh reality for over 60% of evidence-informed programs: they fail before ever delivering services to clients[1]. The culprit? A persistent chasm between what research tells us and what actually happens in practice. The solution: skilled Knowledge Translation (KT) practitioners. 

Bridging the Gap Between Evidence and Practice

Despite vast investments in health research, there remains a significant gap between what is known (research evidence) and what is done (clinical or policy practice). This “know-do gap” can result in patients not receiving the most effective treatments and decision-makers lacking the best available information[1][2][3]. Knowledge translation (KT) practitioners play a critical role in closing this gap by ensuring that high-quality research is actually used to inform real-world decisions, policies, and practices[4][1][5].

The Complex Nature of Knowledge Translation

KT is not simply about disseminating information. It is a dynamic, iterative process that involves synthesizing, evaluating, adapting, and sharing knowledge with a variety of stakeholders—including clinicians, policy-makers, and the public[1][2]. This process requires navigating barriers such as organizational culture, varying levels of research literacy, and competing interests. KT practitioners are trained to manage these complexities, tailoring strategies to specific contexts and audiences[6][7].

Core Competencies of KT Practitioners

Effective KT practitioners possess a unique set of competencies that extend beyond traditional research or clinical skills. According to recent frameworks and reviews, these competencies include:

• Understanding organizational and local contexts
• Mastery of research processes and evidence synthesis
• Skills in knowledge dissemination, including plain language communication
• Ability to adapt knowledge to different settings and audiences
• Proficiency in stakeholder engagement and collaboration
• Familiarity with KT theories, frameworks, and models[6][7][8][9]

These competencies enable KT practitioners to act as knowledge brokers, translating complex research findings into actionable insights and facilitating the exchange of knowledge between researchers and end-users[7][9].

Driving Evidence-Based Practice and Policy

Without dedicated KT practitioners, valuable research often remains underutilized, and opportunities for improving health outcomes are lost[2][3]. KT practitioners support the implementation of evidence-based interventions, help sustain change, and scale up successful innovations. They also play a key role in educating and training others within organizations, fostering a culture that values ongoing learning and adaptation[3][7].

Maximizing the Impact of Research Investment

Health systems invest billions in research, but much of this investment fails to translate into improved care or policy unless there are mechanisms in place to facilitate knowledge use[2]. KT practitioners ensure that research findings are not only shared but also understood, adapted, and applied in ways that benefit patients, providers, and society at large[2][3].

In summary:

Knowledge translation practitioners are essential for bridging the persistent gap between research and practice. Their specialized competencies, strategic approaches, and collaborative skills ensure that research investments lead to tangible improvements in health outcomes, policy, and practice[1][2][6][7][8][9]. Without them, the promise of evidence-based healthcare remains largely unrealized.

Ready to Become a KT Practitioner?

Ready to Build Your Skills as a KT Practitioner?

If you are a clinician or leader and want to learn more about the KT practitioner’s role in pre-implementation, consider the Essential Skills for the Knowledge Translation Practitioner offered by the Institute for Knowledge Translation.

Course Faculty:
Jennifer Moore PT, DHSc, NCS, Founder of the Institute for Knowledge Translation
Wendy Romney, PT, DPT, PhD, NCS

Course Description:
This online course empowers healthcare professionals to plan and execute KT projects using evidence-based strategies, interactive coursework, and mentoring. Participants will develop a KT plan tailored to their organization, with support from experienced faculty. The program is ideal for those seeking to implement evidence-based practices and drive real change in healthcare settings.