Knowledge Translation in Primary Care Initiative

The Knowledge Translation in Primary Care Initiative is aimed at developing and disseminating health information and clinical tools to support primary care providers.  The purpose of the initiative is to improve engagement and enhance communication with primary care providers across Ontario.  We will achieve this by:

• Engaging primary care providers to determine relevant topics, and identifying how we can best meet their information needs and communication preferences


• Developing and disseminating health information and clinical tools to primary care providers


• Aligning and coordinating with the activities of stakeholders in the primary care sector including the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

This multi-year initiative is funded by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and is a collaboration between Centre for Effective Practice (CEP), the Ontario College of Family Physicians (OCFP), and Nurse Practitioners’ Association of Ontario (NPAO).

The Preconception Health Care Tool is the first clinical tool developed under the Knowledge Translation in Primary Care Initiative.  The tool is intended to support primary care providers to improve maternal and infant health outcomes. The need for this tool is supported by recommendations in the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care's No Time to Wait: The Healthy Kids Strategy and by well-documented evidence that good health begins even before conception. It has been shown that healthy individuals have a much better chance of having babies who enjoy good health throughout their lives.

The Centre for Effective Practice launched a Needs Assessment Survey in the Fall of 2014.  The purpose of this survey was to engage primary care providers (specifically family physicians and primary care nurse practitioners) to determine topics of interest, how best meet their information needs and communication preferences.  The results of this survey will help inform the development of clinical tools that are effective and relevant for primary care providers.