Navigating knowledge to action: a conceptual map for facilitating translation of population health risk planning tools into practice

A population health risk tool was created that estimates future diabetes risk and provides outputs that can inform practical and meaningful diabetes prevention strategies and support local decision making and planning. A project was designed to inform and understand knowledge translation and application of this novel tool in multiple health-related settings. Lacking published studies in this area, the authors conceived a conceptual map to guide the project that integrates and adapts elements from several planned action theories. This paper describes the rationale and basis for constructing the Population Health Planning Knowledge-to-Action Model and elaborates on the 2 connected structures of the framework: the Tool Creation Path and the Action Cycle. Although created for an express purpose, this model has the potential to inform application of other tools. This work demonstrates how a research team can adapt and integrate existing frameworks to better align with novel real-world knowledge translation issues. Furthermore, the integration of a population risk tool to support health decision making highlights the interaction between continuing education and knowledge translation.