The case for knowledge translation: shortening the journey from evidence to effect

A large gulf remains between what we know and what we practise. Eisenberg and Garzon point to widespread variation in the use of aspirin, calcium antagonists, blockers, and anti-ischaemic drugs in the United States, Europe, and Canada despite good evidence on their best use. 1 Such variation is common not only internationally but within countries. 2 Large gaps also exist between best evidence and practice in the implementation of guidelines. Failure to follow best evidence highlights issues of underuse, overuse, and misuse of drugs 3 and has led to widespread interest in the safety of patients. ot surprisingly, many attempts have been made to reduce the gap between evidence and practice. These have included…