Knowledge Translation: Delivering the Benefits of Respiratory Research to Our Patients

Introduction Health sciences research is a global enterprise which is continually expanding in size, sophistication, and productivity, yielding an ever-growing body of new medical knowledge intended to improve health. However, evaluations of delivered care have consistently demonstrated gaps between existing medical knowledge and current practice. In fact, studies examining quality of care across disciplines and jurisdictions have estimated that 30% to 45% of patients are not offered evidence-based best care, and 20% to 30% receive contraindicated and potentially harmful care 1, 2 . These prevalent “care gaps” suggest that despite the considerable resources devoted to generating new knowledge, we have yet to deliver the full health benefits of existing research to our patients.