JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Knowledge management has a significant role in healthcare institutions. It consists of four process: knowledge creation, knowledge capture, knowledge sharing, and knowledge application. Knowledge sharing is an important process in the knowledge management cycle. The success of healthcare relies on knowledge sharing among employees. Although, knowledge sharing has a vital role in improving patient outcomes and reducing medical errors, it has several facilitators and barriers that control knowledge sharing behaviours. Medical imaging departments are essential in the healthcare sector. Therefore, it requires understanding of the factors that affect knowledge sharing in the medical imaging department in order to increase patient outcomes and reduce medical errors.

Objective:

The aim of this systematic review was to identify the facilitators and barriers that affect knowledge sharing behaviours in medical imaging departments.

Methods:

This review followed PRISMA (2020) guidelines. We conducted a systematic search of the literature on the topic using six databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Ovid Medline, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science. Searches were performed up to a maximum of 20 years. Relevant articles were identified by examining the titles and abstracts. There were two reviewers who screened the full text of relevant papers according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, and case studies with the aim of investigating the facilitators and barriers that affect knowledge sharing among employees in the medical imaging departments were included in this review.

Results:

A total of 52 articles were selected for the full in-depth analysis, and 42 studies were included in the final review with one article being added other selected databases. There were 31 facilitators and 10 barriers that affected knowledge sharing practices in medical imaging department. These facilitators were divided according to their characteristics into three categorises such as: individual, departmental, and technological facilitators. The barriers that affect knowledge sharing were divided into four categorises: financial, administrative, technological, and geographical barriers.

Conclusions:

This study identified the factors that influenced the knowledge sharing practices in the medical imaging departments. Our findings can be used as guidelines in the medical imaging department to support the knowledge sharing framework and boost knowledge sharing behaviours in the medical imaging department. Moreover, these findings can be used to enhance knowledge sharing practices in the medical imaging departments by understanding the facilitators and barriers.