Building bridges from research outcomes to clinical practice decisions.

Area of Science:

• Orthodontics
• Clinical Research
• Knowledge Translation

Background:

• Clinicians encounter challenges integrating research findings into their practice.
• Effective knowledge translation is crucial for advancing orthodontic care.
• Current reporting of research results often lacks clinician-friendly interpretations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify common knowledge translation barriers for clinicians in orthodontics.
• To propose strategies for improving communication between orthodontic research and practice.
• To enhance the clinical utility of research findings for practitioners.

Main Methods:

• Review and synthesis of common knowledge translation barriers.
• Development of suggestions for improved communication strategies.
• Analysis of research reporting elements impacting clinical decision-making.

Main Results:

• Seven key knowledge translation barriers for clinicians were identified.
• Specific recommendations for enhancing research reporting were proposed, including attention to expected benefit, cost, generalizability, effect size, variance, and practice-relevant probabilities.
• Examples of improved communication bridging research and practice were provided.

Conclusions:

• Improving the reporting and interpretation of orthodontic research is essential for better clinical practice.
• Clinician-friendly descriptions of research results and their impact are needed.
• Enhanced communication bridges can facilitate the implementation of research findings into orthodontic care.