Development of an Emergency Department Violence Intervention Program for Youth: An Integrated Knowledge Translation Approach

Background: Violent interpersonal injury is a common presentation to emergency departments (EDs) and is increasingly being treated as a preventable condition. Given the complexity of the issue, it is key to ensure interventions are feasible and acceptable within the communities that are affected by violence. Our team consists of ED staff, community members who work with youth affected by violence, people who were affected by violence in their youth, and researchers.

Objectives: We describe how an integrated knowledge translation (KT) process was used to develop an ED violence intervention program (EDVIP) for youth affected by violence.

Methods: We used the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Guidelines for integrated KT (iKT) to develop an EDVIP. Specifically, we report the Knowledge to Action process which involves both knowledge creation and an action cycle.

Results: Our team determined the research question, the research approach, assessed feasibility and determined outcomes for our study. Using the iKT approach facilitated initiation of a funded trial that is now active.

Conclusions: This paper highlights the benefit of including community experts at the beginning of and throughout the research process.