Knowledge translation in Anglo-American paramedicine: a scoping review

To map what is currently known about knowledge translation (KT) in Anglo-American paramedicine. The review focuses on reported barriers and facilitators to the implementation of new knowledge, and the use of models, theories and frameworks to guide implementation practice.

Scoping review reported as per both the Joanna Briggs Institute and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews reporting guidelines.

CINAHL (EBSCO Host) and Medline (OVID interface) were searched from January 2000 to May 2023. Reference lists of all included papers were reviewed, and several key professional journals were hand-searched.

Primary sources that focused on KT models, theories or frameworks, or barriers and facilitators to KT implementation, involving paramedics or Emergency Medical Technicians (Paramedic in America) working in an out-of-hospital, Anglo-American Emergency Medical Service (EMS) system were eligible for inclusion.

One reviewer used a data extraction template developed for this review and 10% of the papers were checked by the second author. Findings were summarised in tables and synthesised both quantitatively and qualitatively.

The search yielded 1268 primary sources, of which 48 were included in the review. Thirty-two papers examining KT interventions and 16 papers examining the barriers and facilitators to KT were found. Only one randomised controlled trial was found, and only one paper made explicit use of any KT framework. Overall, eight themes describing barriers and facilitators to KT arose from the qualitative literature, with clinicians' perception of the evidence being the dominant theme. All 32 papers describing KT interventions included some form of educational intervention.

Overall, there is little depth and breadth in the literature, with many papers focusing on trauma and airway management. There are large gaps in the evidence surrounding the use of KT theories and frameworks in Anglo-American EMS. Further research is needed to identify appropriate KT models and frameworks that are contextualised to EMS to ensure that paramedic-led research finds its way to the clinicians needing to use it.