Healthcare Professionals as Study Participants: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Objectives: To conduct a scoping review of studies involving healthcare professionals as study subjects and to describe the methods used, identify the topics researched, and describe the rationale and limitations of using healthcare professionals as subjects. Methods: The study was a scoping review of research utilizing health professionals as study subjects. A comprehensive literature search was conducted in several databases. Two investigators independently screened studies, collected data, and met to resolve discrepancies. Results: Sixty-five studies met the eligibility criteria. Forty-six percent of the studies evaluated cardiovascular events, 25% evaluated cancer, 9% examined ophthalmic events, 5% examined cognitive issues, and 17% miscellaneous topics. Of the 65 studies, 88% were prospective cohort studies. Questionnaires were utilized as the data collection method in 59 studies (91%). Physicians were the primary study subject in 30 studies (46%) and nurses in 20 studies (31%). No study included in the sample identified pharmacists as study subjects. A total of 41 studies (63%) did not list rationales or limitations to utilizing health professionals as subjects. Of the 24 studies that did discuss rationales and limitations, the most frequently cited advantage was reliable self-reporting (38%). The most common limitation to generalizability was high socioeconomic status. Conclusions: Questionnaires were the most common method used to collect data. Physicians were the most often studied health professional. High reliability of data reporting was a common rationale in using health professionals as subjects. The lack of studies utilizing pharmacists as subjects demonstrates an opportunity that should be further evaluated.