title: The effectiveness of toolkits as knowledge translation strategies for integrating evidence into clinical care: a systematic review.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of toolkits as a knowledge translation (KT) strategy for facilitating the implementation of evidence into clinical care. Toolkits include multiple resources for educating and/or facilitating behaviour change.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review of the literature on toolkits.
  
  
  METHODS
  A search was conducted on MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and CINAHL. Studies were included if they evaluated the effectiveness of a toolkit to support the integration of evidence into clinical care, and if the KT goal(s) of the study were to inform, share knowledge, build awareness, change practice, change behaviour, and/or clinical outcomes in healthcare settings, inform policy, or to commercialise an innovation. Screening of studies, assessment of methodological quality and data extraction for the included studies were conducted by at least two reviewers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  39 relevant studies were included for full review; 8 were rated as moderate to strong methodologically with clinical outcomes that could be somewhat attributed to the toolkit. Three of the eight studies evaluated the toolkit as a single KT intervention, while five embedded the toolkit into a multistrategy intervention. Six of the eight toolkits were partially or mostly effective in changing clinical outcomes and six studies reported on implementation outcomes. The types of resources embedded within toolkits varied but included predominantly educational materials.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future toolkits should be informed by high-quality evidence and theory, and should be evaluated using rigorous study designs to explain the factors underlying their effectiveness and successful implementation.
authors: The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Janet
authors: J
authors: Yamada
authors: The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Allyson
authors: A
authors: Shorkey
authors: The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Melanie
authors: M
authors: Barwick
authors: The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Kimberley
authors: K
authors: Widger
authors: The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors: Bonnie J
authors: BJ
authors: Stevens
mesh_terms: D055317:Evidence-Based Practice / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D058436:Knowledge Management; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical / Q000379:methods*