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AimTo co-create parental presence practice recommendations across Canadian NICUs during pandemics caused by respiratory pathogens such as COVID-19.MethodsRecommendations were developed through evidence, context, Delphi and Values and Preferences methods. For Delphi 1 and 2, participants rated 50 items and 20 items respectively on a scale from 1 (very low importance) to 5 (very high). To determine consensus, evidence and context of benefits and harms were presented and discussed within the Values and Preference framework for the top-ranked items. An agreement of 80% or more was deemed consensus.ResultsAfter two Delphi rounds (n = 59 participants), 13 recommendations with the highest rated importance were identified. Consensus recommendations included 6 strong recommendations (parents as essential caregivers, providing skin-to-skin contact, direct or mothers' own expressed milk feeding, attending medical rounds, mental health and psychosocial services access, and inclusion of parent partners in pandemic response planning) and 7 conditional recommendations (providing hands-on care tasks, providing touch, two parents present at the same time, food and drink access, use of communication devices, and in-person access to medical rounds and mental health and psychosocial services).ConclusionThese recommendations can guide institutions in developing strategies for parental presence during pandemics caused by respiratory pathogens like COVID-19

Abstract Background Connections between individuals and organizations can impact knowledge translation (KT). This finding has led to growing interest in the study of social networks as drivers of KT. Social networks are formed by the patterns of relationships or connections generated through interactions. These connections can be studied using social network analysis (SNA) methodologies. The relatively small yet diverse community in the field of child development and rehabilitation (CD&R) in Canada offers an ideal case study for applying SNA. The purposes of this work are to (1) quantify and map the structure of Canadian CD&R KT networks among four groups: families, health care providers, KT support personnel, and researchers; (2) explore participant perspectives of the network structure and of KT barriers and facilitators within it; and (3) generate recommendations to improve KT capacity within and between groups. Aligning with the principles of integrated KT, we have assembled a national team whose members contribute throughout the research and KT process, with representation from the four participant groups. Methods A sequential, explanatory mixed-method study, within the bounds of a national case study in the field of CD&R. Objective 1: A national SNA survey of family members with advocacy/partnership experience, health care providers, KT support personnel, and researchers, paired with an anonymous survey for family member without partnership experience, will gather data to describe the KT networks within and between groups and identify barriers and facilitators of network connections. Objective 2: Purposive sampling from Phase 1 will identify semi-structured interview participants with whom to examine conventional and network-driven KT barriers, facilitators, and mitigating strategies. Objective 3: Intervention mapping and a Delphi process will generate recommendations for network and conventional interventions to strengthen the network and facilitate KT. Discussion This study will integrate network and KT theory in mapping the structure of the CD&R KT network, enhance our understanding of conventional and network-focused KT barriers and facilitators, and provide recommendations to strengthen KT networks. Recommendations can be applied and tested within the field of CD&R to improve KT, with the aim of ensuring children achieve the best health outcomes possible through timely access to effective healthcare.

BackgroundChildren with disability face long wait times for rehabilitation services. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth adoption was low across pediatric rehabilitation. Owing to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, pediatric therapists were asked to rapidly shift to telehealth, often with minimal training. To facilitate the behavior changes necessary for telehealth adoption, provision of appropriate evidence-based training and support is required. However, evidence to support the effective implementation of such training is lacking. The successful real-world implementation of a training intervention and program of support (TIPS) targeting pediatric therapists to enhance the adoption of family-centered telerehabilitation (FCT) requires the evaluation of both implementation and effectiveness. ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate TIPS implementation in different pediatric rehabilitation settings and assess TIPS effectiveness, as it relates to therapists’ adoption, service wait times, families’ perception of service quality, and costs. MethodsThis 4-year, pan-Canadian study involves managers, pediatric occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech-language pathologists, and families from 20 sites in 8 provincial jurisdictions. It will use a multimethod, prospective, hybrid type 3 implementation-effectiveness design. An interrupted time series will assess TIPS implementation. TIPS will comprise a 1-month training intervention with self-paced learning modules and a webinar, followed by an 11-month support program, including monthly site meetings and access to a virtual community of practice. Longitudinal mixed modeling will be used to analyze indicators of therapists’ adoption of and fidelity to FCT collected at 10 time points. To identify barriers and facilitators to adoption and fidelity, qualitative data will be collected during implementation and analyzed using a deductive-inductive thematic approach. To evaluate effectiveness, a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design will use questionnaires to evaluate TIPS effectiveness at service, therapist, and family levels. Generalized linear mixed effects models will be used in data analysis. Manager, therapist, and family interviews will be conducted after implementation and analyzed using reflective thematic analysis. Finally, cost data will be gathered to calculate public system and societal costs. ResultsEthics approval has been obtained from 2 jurisdictions (February 2022 and July 2022); approval is pending in the others. In total, 20 sites have been recruited, and data collection is anticipated to start in September 2022 and is projected to be completed by September 2024. Data analysis will occur concurrently with data collection, with results disseminated throughout the study period. ConclusionsThis study will generate knowledge about the effectiveness of TIPS targeting pediatric therapists to enhance FCT adoption in pediatric rehabilitation settings, identify facilitators for and barriers to adoption, and document the impact of telehealth adoption on therapists, services, and families. The study knowledge gained will refine the training intervention, enhance intervention uptake, and support the integration of telehealth as a consistent pediatric rehabilitation service option for families of children with disabilities. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05312827; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05312827 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/40218

Program objective – Knowledge brokers (KBs), like clinical librarians (CLs), are information professionals involved in the promotion of evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM). As with CLs, the impact of literature-evaluating KBs on the health sector is sparse, and there is limited consensus on their role. To provide guidance to information professionals and organizations regarding the KB role, this paper describes a typical “day in the life” of a KB in delivering a program to promote EIDM among Canadian public health professionals. Setting – The KB program was implemented in a randomized controlled trial evaluating knowledge transfer and exchange strategies. Participants – Public health managers at various levels within Canadian public health units or regional health authorities. Program – The KB identified decision makers’ (DMs) evidence needs; facilitated access to and use of high-quality evidence; assisted in decision making; and facilitated EIDM skill development. Results – The KB role, activities and related tasks, lessons learned, and challenges are described. Conclusion – Central themes included the importance of relationship development, ongoing support, customized approaches, and individual and organizational capacity development. The novelty of the KB role in public health provided a unique opportunity to assess the need for and reaction to the role and its associated activities.