Factors influencing knowledge translation in health and safety: A scoping review applying the consolidated framework...

Workplaces are known to be settings in which interventions and innovations based on the best available evidence can be implemented to achieve positive health and safety outcomes for workers (Teufer et al., 2019). However, despite growing evidence of both successful and less than successful implementations of these interventions, there is still little available guidance for implementation practices in the field of occupational health and safety (OHS) (Schulte et al., 2017). This scoping review aims to identify the factors, barriers, and facilitators that influence the implementation outcomes of knowledge translation (KT) strategies, initiatives, interventions, and efforts in OHS.

Peer-reviewed articles from 1990 to 2023 were obtained from six electronic databases. References from relevant articles were also collected. Data were extracted from the included studies, aligned to the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) to summarize KT-related implementation activities and mapped to the domains and constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to facilitate narrative synthesis.

Thirty studies were retained, including 21 qualitative studies, 7 mixed-method studies, and 2 employing a questionnaire design method. Most interventions resulting from KT strategies encompassed various implementation activities, predominantly involving activities focused on "training and educating stakeholders" and "developing relationships among stakeholders." Fourteen prominent implementation factors and sub-factors were shown to influence the implementation of interventions informed by KT strategies across four CFIR domains: Intervention Characteristics, Inner Setting, Characteristics of the Individuals, and Process.

This scoping review underscores the multifaceted nature of KT strategies by identifying and examining various factors influencing the implementation of interventions resulting from these strategies.

The findings emphasize the need for nuanced, context-specific approaches in their design and implementation in order to improve evidence uptake.