Knowledge brokering as an intervention in paediatric rehabilitation practice

Introduction Knowledge brokering is an emerging intervention to promote research use in clinical practice. By targeting identified barriers, clinician knowledge brokers have the potential to facilitate evidence-based practice for their peers, while accounting for contextual factors that influence this process. Few accounts in the literature describe the process of implementing a knowledge brokering system, or the specific activities and roles carried out by knowledge brokers in an enabling capacity. Content The aim of this article is to present the theoretical basis for knowledge brokering, and to describe a model used by a brain injury team within a paediatric health care centre. Conclusions Knowledge broker facilitation enabled the compilation and creation of useful resources to assist team members in incorporating evidence into practice. It also yielded increased awareness of, and access to, available research, as well as evidence syntheses on clinical topics of relevance to the group. Clinicians may be well suited to perform this enabling role. An increased emphasis on mentoring and community building to support knowledge brokers and on structured evaluation of knowledge broker activities is recommended.