829
Views
2
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Articles

The unintended negative consequences of knowledge translation in healthcare: A systematic scoping review

ORCID Icon, ORCID Icon & ORCID Icon
Pages 75-93 | Received 30 Jul 2022, Accepted 19 Nov 2022, Published online: 20 Jan 2023
 

ABSTRACT

Knowledge translation represents an avenue to address the oft-cited chasm between what should and what does happen in healthcare. Knowledge translation encompasses myriad processes through which different knowledges coalesce to inform practice. However, some reports suggest that experiences with knowledge translation are less than favourable. To better understand these experiences, a systematic scoping review of academic literature was conducted to unveil the unintended negative consequences of knowledge translation and how they were addressed. After screening 9,598 publications, six reported evidence of unintended negative consequences. The most prevalent was emotional labour – negative emotional or psychological sequelae, depression, anxiety, powerlessness, and frustration. These consequences were experienced by knowledge translation brokers, knowledge translation recipients, and knowledge translation producers. All but one publication offered some discussion of strategies to manage or mitigate these unintended negative consequences, including co-design, collaboration, and supported dialogue. These findings suggest there is limited research that explicates the unintended negative consequences of knowledge translation. Given the importance of knowledge translation, this review indicates there is considerable opportunity to advance it, in a better-informed way. Only by considering the unintended negative consequences of knowledge translation can they be identified, addressed, and potentially moderated, if not averted.

Ethics information

Not applicable.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

Not applicable.

Using third-party material

Not applicable.

Consent

Not applicable.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Maridulu Budyari Gumal -- the Sydney Partnership for Health, Education, Research and Enterprise (SPHERE).

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.