Cincinnati Children's Hospital
The use of free, open-access medical education (FOAM) and other online methods for the dissemination of new knowledge and research continues to increase. This scoping review aims to map and synthesize the literature describing the use of novel, online tools for the dissemination of emergency medicine research and create a conceptual model representing a modern understanding of dissemination for researchers. We searched the traditional literature via Pubmed, CINAHL, EMBASE, ERIC, and SCOPUS, and the grey literature via internet search engines. We included 73 out of 874 abstracts and articles identified, 58 of which were from the traditional literature. We identified 7 primary domains represented in the literature: integration with traditional sources, quantitative measurement of novel dissemination methods, online communities of practice, professional development, quality assessment, advantages and disadvantages of FOAM, and a scoping review of FOAM for knowledge translation. Online methods to disseminate new research are reaching new importance for researchers, but significant gaps exist in the understanding and measurement of its potential. Researchers and research networks should leverage their skill and knowledge to help provide better understanding of these novel tools.
