Effectiveness of Technology-Enabled Knowledge Translation Strategies in Improving the Use of Research in Public Health: Systematic Review

Abstract

Background Knowledge translation (KT) aims to facilitate the use of research evidence in decision making. Changes in technology have provided considerable opportunities for KT strategies to improve access and use of evidence in decision making by public health policy makers and practitioners. Despite this opportunity, there have been no reviews that have assessed the effects of digital technology-enabled KT (TEKT) in the field of public health. Objective This study aims to examine the effectiveness of digital TEKT strategies in (1) improving the capacity for evidence-based decision making by public health policy makers and practitioners, (2) changing public health policy or practice, and (3) changes in individual or population health outcomes. Methods A search strategy was developed to identify randomized trials assessing the effectiveness of digital TEKT strategies in public health. Any primary research study with a randomized trial design was eligible. Searches for eligible studies were undertaken in multiple electronic bibliographic databases (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online [MEDLINE], Excerpta Medica dataBASE [EMBASE], PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature [CINAHL], and Scopus) and the reference lists of included studies. A hand search of 2 journals (Implementation Science and Journal of Medical Internet Research) and a gray literature search were also conducted. Pairs of independent review authors screened studies, assessed the risk of bias, and extracted data from relevant studies. Results Of the 6819 citations screened, 8 eligible randomized trials were included in the review. The studies examined the impact of digital TEKT strategies on health professionals, including nurses, child care health consultants, physiotherapists, primary health care workers, and public health practitioners. Overall, 5 of the interventions were web-training programs. The remaining 3 interventions included simulation games, access to digital resource materials and the use of tailored messaging, and a web-based registry. The findings suggest that digital TEKT interventions may be effective in improving the knowledge of public health professionals, relative to control, and may be as effective as a face-to-face KT approach. The effectiveness of digital TEKT strategies relative to a control or other digital KT interventions on measures of health professional self-efficacy to use evidence to enhance practice behavior or behavioral intention outcomes was mixed. The evidence regarding the effects on changes to health policy or practice following exposure to digital TEKT was mixed. No trials assessed the effects on individual or population-level health outcomes. Conclusions This review is the first to synthesize the effectiveness of digital TEKT interventions in a public health setting. Despite its potential, relatively few trials have been undertaken to investigate the impacts of digital TEKT interventions. The findings suggest that although a digital TEKT intervention may improve knowledge, the effects of such interventions on other outcomes are equivocal.

Assessing the impact of knowledge communication and dissemination strategies targeted at health policy-makers and managers: an overview of systematic reviews

“…Of the 27 SRs, two only included randomized controlled trials [ 21 , 23 ], six included both experimental and quasi-experimental designs [ 15 , 17 , 19 , 25 , 30 , 32 ], and 19 included both quantitative and qualitative research [ 6 , 16 , 18 , 20 , 22 , 24 , 26 – 40 ]. Thirteen SRs included only policy-makers or managers as the target [ 6 , 18 , 22 , 25 – 27 , 31 – 34 , 37 – 39 ], and the remaining 14 also included healthcare workers, researchers, legislative staff members, the public, patients, students and other stakeholders such as nongovernmental organizations or international organizations.…”

“…Four reviews included only low-income countries [ 22 , 28 , 36 , 37 ], 12 included only high-income countries [ 6 , 20 , 21 , 25 , 26 , 30 – 34 , 39 , 40 ], one did not report [ 15 ], and the remaining 10 included low–medium- and high-income countries.…”

“…“The findings suggest that although a digital TEKT [technology-enhanced knowledge translation] intervention may improve knowledge, the effects of such interventions on other outcomes are equivocal” [ 21 ]. (Digital TEKT could make use of social media, email, internet, electronic databases, electronic prompts or reminders, web-based webinars, or training or interactive websites to facilitate research use by end users)…”

“…Twenty-four reviews assessed the effects of a dissemination strategy [ 6 , 17 – 40 ], but only three [ 21 , 29 , 30 ] provided evidence that was useful for the development of effectiveness statements (Table 2 ).…”

Perspectives: Envisioning healthcare quality and safety in 2030

“…Pull strategies aim to increase the targeted users’ demand for and use of evidence (e.g. webinars to improve research literacy) (Brown et al., 2020).…”