Knowledge Translation and an Assessment of its Effectiveness in Medical Fields

Background and Aim: Known by different titles in Iran and worldwide, knowledge translation (KT) has been introduced to push the knowledge from theory to action. In medicine and healthcare research fields, KT reads as needs assessment procedures, producing effective knowledge, taking into account all types of audiences, knowledge synthesis, appraisal, and monitoring sustained knowledge use. This research aimed to introduce KT and assess its effectiveness in medical fields. Methods: Description of KT was provided using available literature and ideas from some international KT researchers. KT effectiveness was assessed using some ideas from some experts in the KT field and also conducting a type of systematic review namely scoping review. Using keyword inquires relevant research were retrieved from several online databases and of 316 collected English articles published between 2008 and 2017, 22 articles were included. Selection of articles was based on PRISMA recommendations and flowchart. Findings were presented through C+M=O, i.e. context, mechanism, and outcome pattern configuration. Results: Initially, various dimensions of KT such as its backgrounds, parallel names, knowledge synthesis, knowledge hierarchy, and issues of application of KT in other than medical fields were discussed. Then, through a scoping review general effectiveness of KT in most reviewed subjects was confirmed, so that of 22 assessed articles only 3 were not supportive. Education was the major intervention used for assessing effectiveness of KT. Conclusion: KT has received attentions from some Western countries like Canada, the US and recently Iran. Despite the allegedly insufficient resources on KT, it has good results in practice for delivering knowledge to experts and lay people, with an exception of policy makers. However, there are some doubts as if KT is not a new paradigm but a restatement of traditional strategies in production and application of scientific knowledge.