Table 5.

A classification of knowledge encounters: from whom did the knowledge originate (facets, descriptions and examples)

From whom	Description	Examples from included studies
Practitioner	A healthcare practitioner from any field	Colleague, colleagues via internet, clinical leaders, personal clinical experience, journal club, email discussion list, professional association
Non-practitioner (colleague)	A colleague who is not a healthcare practitioner and who may work within or without the same organisation	Social services, non-medical personnel
Patient	A person or group of patients receiving healthcare interventions	Patients, patient questioning, patients’ experience of illness
Researcher	A person or group of people who have investigated something in an organised and systematic way	Thesis, journal
Educator	A person or organisation providing instruction	Teacher, educational booklet, laboratory manual, patient information
Regulator	A person or organisation that directs or regulates some aspect of healthcare practice	Government documents, health policy
Employer	An individual or organisation that employs the healthcare professional	Policy and procedure manuals, local guidelines
Salesperson	An individual or organisation that sells good or services	Company literature, company representative, drug company functions