Title
Public health considerations in knowledge translation in the emergency department
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Emergency Medicine
Date
11-19-2007
Document Type
Article
Medical Subject Headings
Curriculum; Delivery of Health Care; *Diffusion of Innovation; Emergency Medicine; *Emergency Service, Hospital; Health Behavior; Humans; Information Dissemination; Internship and Residency; *Knowledge; Preventive Health Services; Public Health
Disciplines
Emergency Medicine
Abstract
Effective preventive and screening interventions have not been widely adopted in emergency departments (EDs). Barriers to knowledge translation of these initiatives include lack of knowledge of current evidence, perceived lack of efficacy, and resource availability. To address this challenge, the Academic Emergency Medicine 2007 Consensus Conference, "Knowledge Translation in Emergency Medicine: Establishing a Research Agenda and Guide Map for Evidence Uptake," convened a public health focus group. The question this group addressed was "What are the unique contextual elements that need to be addressed to bring proven preventive and other public health initiatives into the ED setting?" Public health experts communicated via the Internet beforehand and at a breakout session during the conference to reach consensus on this topic, using published evidence and expert opinion. Recommendations include 1) to integrate proven public health interventions into the emergency medicine core curriculum, 2) to configure clinical information systems to facilitate public health interventions, and 3) to use ancillary ED personnel to enhance delivery of public health interventions and to obtain successful funding for these initiatives. Because additional research in this area is needed, a research agenda for this important topic was also developed. The ED provides medical care to a unique population, many with increased needs for preventive care. Because these individuals may have limited access to screening and preventive interventions, wider adoption of these initiatives may improve the health of this vulnerable population.
Rights and Permissions
Citation: Acad Emerg Med. 2007 Nov;14(11):1036-41. Epub 2007 Aug 15. Link to article on publisher's site
Comments
At the time of publication, Edwin Boudreaux was not yet affiliated with the University of Massachusetts Medical School.