Knowledge management in the care for people with intellectual disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The study aimed to gain insight into knowledge management in the intellectual disabilities (ID) care sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. We explored and described how knowledge producers, intermediaries, and knowledge users experienced knowledge management during this crisis situation, the responses to the specific knowledge needs in the ID-care sector, and changes in roles and collaboration during this period. Twenty-five individual in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with knowledge producers, intermediaries, and knowledge users in the Dutch ID-care sector. An inductive thematic analysis was conducted. Three key themes were identified: (1) knowledge needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, (2) experiences with knowledge management, and (3) roles and collaboration in knowledge management. There was an urgent need for specific ID-related knowledge and how to translate available evidence for the general population into ID-care settings. In knowledge management, the focus was on knowledge production and exchange, with validation and application receiving less attention. Within stakeholder groups, collaboration and knowledge exchange were intensified by existing or new knowledge infrastructures. Between stakeholder groups, knowledge producers and users created short lines to exchange needs and produce knowledge. This paper provides unique insights into knowledge management in the Dutch ID-care sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications are discussed to improve future knowledge management processes. Support with knowledge validation and local knowledge infrastructures (complementary to centralized national knowledge infrastructures) help to assess the reliability and usefulness of knowledge and improve its use in practice during future pandemic-related crisis situations.