title: Key characteristics of knowledge transfer and exchange in healthcare: integrative literature review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper presents the results of a review of literature relating to knowledge transfer and exchange in healthcare.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Treatment, planning and policy decisions in contemporary nursing and healthcare should be based on sound evidence wherever possible, but research knowledge remains generally underused. Knowledge transfer and exchange initiatives aim to facilitate the accessibility, application and production of evidence and may provide solutions to this challenge. This review was conducted to help inform the design and implementation of knowledge transfer and exchange activities for a large healthcare organization.
  
  
  METHODS
  Databases: ASSIA, Business Source Premier, CINAHL, PsychInfo, Medline and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
  
  
  METHODS
  An integrative literature review was carried out including an extensive literature search. English language systematic reviews, literature reviews, primary quantitative and qualitative papers and grey literature of high relevance evaluating, describing or discussing knowledge transfer or exchange activities in healthcare were included for review (January 1990-September 2009).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Thirty-three papers were reviewed (four systematic reviews, nine literature reviews, one environmental scan, nine empirical studies and ten case studies).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Robust research into knowledge transfer and exchange in healthcare is limited. Analysis of a wide range of evidence indicates a number of commonly featured characteristics but further evaluation of these activities would benefit their application in facilitating evidence-based practice in nursing.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, Queen Margaret University Edinburgh, Musselburgh, East Lothian, UK. dpentland@qmu.ac.uk
authors.forename: Duncan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pentland
authors.forename: Kirsty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Forsyth
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maciver
authors.forename: Mike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Irvine
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sikora
mesh_terms: D016206:Databases, Bibliographic; D003659:Decision Making, Organizational; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D033181:Information Dissemination / Q000379:methods; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D016134:Organizational Policy; D012107:Research Design