Effect of a tailored multi-faceted knowledge translation intervention on allied health professionals' treatment implementation behaviours for children with cerebral palsy: A before and after study.

This study investigated whether a multi-strategy knowledge translation intervention would increase healthcare professionals' routine use of valid and reliable assessment tools when working with children with cerebral palsy. We implemented the study in five community disability service organisations. As part of the intervention, new routine assessment practices were introduced in four organisations (‘commencing KT’ group; 213 allied health professionals, 273 children). Routine assessment practices were already in in place at the fifth organisation (comparison group; 142 allied health professionals, 942 children). We showed that evidence-based assessment practices could be increased with support provided to health care professionals (tailored education and training; knowledge brokers as champions within the organisations) and organisational structures and processes (provision of an online-database for recording child-assessment findings; education and support of knowledge brokers; an electronic library of evidence-based approaches in cerebral palsy. We also found that changes in professionals' assessment behaviour were not dependent on changes in knowledge.