How the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research Can Strengthen Findings and Improve Translation of Research Into Practice: A Case Study

Counseling lifestyle medicine in oncology: A qualitative analysis of interprofessional patient-nurse-physician interactions

OBJECTIVES

Counseling plays a key role in promoting health behaviors, providing evidence-based information, and supporting patients with cancer during and after treatment. This study aimed to evaluate an interprofessional counseling service on Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) for patients being treated at Comprehensive Cancer Centers (CCCs) in Southern Germany.

METHODS

Patients participating in the CCC-Integrativ study received three CIH counseling sessions within three months in addition to their conventional cancer treatment. Medical and nursing staff participated in a study-specific blended learning training program before conducting the counseling. As part of the process evaluation, 30 audio-recorded counseling sessions were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by conducting a content analysis using MAXQDA 2020.

RESULTS

Throughout the counseling, patients were conceded to address various health issues, which mainly revolved around symptom management interlaced with the areas of nutrition, exercise, and relaxation. The interprofessional teams conducted the counseling in a structured and patient-oriented manner. They worked together to motivate the patients to apply procedures from the CIH field independently, even if patients sometimes experienced difficulties in implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Interprofessional collaboration improved healthcare quality, as patients received comprehensive and evidence-based advice on their supportive needs and lifestyle issues. Both professions could equally contribute their areas of knowledge and expertise and apply them to the benefit of the patients.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Providing an integrative counseling service and adequate training on interpersonal communication and CIH for healthcare professionals will improve patient-centered care.

A Qualitative Analysis of Cancer Patients' Perceptions of an Interprofessional Counseling Service on Complementary and Integrative Healthcare

Medical guidelines recommend actively addressing patients' information needs regarding complementary and integrative healthcare (CIH). Within the CCC-Integrativ study, an interprofessional counseling program on CIH was developed and implemented at four comprehensive cancer centers (CCCs) in Germany. As part of the process evaluation, this study examines cancer patients' experiences with interprofessional CIH counseling sessions conducted by a physician and a nurse. Forty problem-centered interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using deductive-inductive content analysis based on Kuckartz and Rädiker's approach. Findings revealed that most participants had prior experience with CIH approaches and were burdened by physiological and psychological symptoms. Counseling sessions focused on cancer- and treatment-related symptoms and appropriate CIH recommendations (e.g., herbal poultice against anxieties and acupressure against nausea). Participants appreciated the mutual exchange and integration of perspectives from different healthcare professions within the interprofessional approach. They noted that the counseling team comprehensively addressed their healthcare and CIH information needs. Suggestions for improvement included the specificity of the CIH recommendations. As the participants only received counseling and no CIH treatments, information about reputable CIH providers was particularly important to many seeking advice. Patients with cancer receiving tailored CIH counseling from two healthcare professionals experienced benefits in CIH counseling for symptom management. The interprofessional teams offered a comprehensive perspective on patients' needs, proposing personalized recommendations for symptom control. These insights may foster collaboration between healthcare professionals interested in CIH counseling, enabling them to expand and consolidate their counseling services.

A Qualitative Investigation of Factors Influencing the Integration of Complementary and Integrative Healthcare Recommendations in the Daily Lives of Patients with Cancer

BACKGROUND

Many patients diagnosed with cancer use complementary and integrative healthcare (CIH) approaches to manage their cancer- and treatment-related symptoms and improve their well-being. Evidence suggests that counseling on CIH can improve health outcomes and decrease healthcare costs by increasing patient activation. This qualitative study explores the experiences of cancer patients who underwent interprofessional counseling on CIH to gain insights into how these patients were able to integrate recommended CIH measures into their daily lives while undergoing conventional cancer treatment.

METHODS

Forty semi-structured interviews were conducted with cancer patients participating in the CCC-Integrativ study and its process evaluation. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis following Kuckartz and Rädiker. A purposeful sampling strategy was used to achieve a balanced sample regarding gender, age, cancer diagnosis, and treatment approach.

RESULTS

Most patients with cancer reported largely implementing the CIH recommendations. Participants acknowledged the efficacy of CIH recommendations in managing their symptoms. They felt strengthened and empowered to actively take part in their healthcare decisions. However, the patients encountered obstacles in incorporating the recommended CIH applications into their daily routines. These challenges encompassed the effort required for treatment application (e.g., baths, compresses), limitations imposed by the cancer disease (e.g., fatigue, pain), difficulties acquiring necessary materials, associated costs, and lack of infrastructure for CIH. Facilitators of CIH implementation included the availability of easily manageable CIH measures (e.g., herbal teas), informative materials on their application, distribution of samples, family support, and a high level of self-efficacy. The patient-centered approach and strong patient-provider partnership within the counseling context were perceived as empowering. Participants expressed a desire for a consistent point of contact to address their CIH concerns.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings underscore the benefits of CIH counseling for cancer patients' symptom management and overall well-being. Healthcare professionals providing CIH counseling to patients with cancer may recognize the barriers identified to better support their patients in the regular use of CIH.

Protocol for the process evaluation of a counselling intervention designed to educate cancer patients on complementary and integrative health care and promote interprofessional collaboration in this area (the CCC-Integrativ study)

Background

Conducting a process evaluation is essential to understand how health interventions work in different healthcare settings. Particularly in the case of complex interventions, it is important to find out whether the intervention could be carried out as planned and which factors had a beneficial or hindering effect on its implementation. The aim of this study is to present the detailed protocol of the process evaluation embedded in the controlled implementation study CCC-Integrativ aiming to implement an interprofessional counselling program for cancer patients on complementary and integrative health care (CIH).

Methods

This mixed methods study will draw upon the “Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research” (CFIR) combined with the concept of “intervention fidelity” to evaluate the quality of the interprofessional counselling sessions, to explore the perspective of the directly and indirectly involved healthcare staff, as well as to analyze the perceptions and experiences of the patients. The qualitative evaluation phase consists of analyzing audio-recorded counselling sessions, as well as individual and group interviews with the involved persons. The quantitative evaluation phase applies questionnaires which are distributed before (T0), at the beginning (T1), in the middle (T2) and at the end (T3) of the intervention delivery.

Discussion

This protocol provides an example of how a process evaluation can be conducted parallel to a main study investigating and implementing a complex intervention. The results of this mixed methods research will make it possible to identify strengths and weaknesses of the team-based intervention, and to target more specifically the key factors and structures required to implement healthcare structures to meet patients’ unmet needs in the context of CIH. To our knowledge, this study is the first applying the CFIR framework in the context of interprofessional CIH counselling, and its results are expected to provide comprehensive and multidisciplinary management of cancer patients with complex supportive healthcare needs.

Types of implementation of the dementia-specific case conference concept WELCOME-IdA in nursing homes: a qualitative process evaluation of the FallDem effectiveness trial

Background

Dementia is regularly associated with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD, also referred to as challenging behavior). Structured dementia-specific case conferences (DSCCs) enable nursing staff in nursing homes (NHs) to analyze and handle the BPSD of residents with dementia. The FallDem trial estimated the effectiveness of the structured DSCC intervention WELCOME-IdA (Wittener model of case conferences for people with dementia – the Innovative dementia-oriented Assessment tool) in NHs in Germany. No significant change in the overall prevalence of challenging behavior was found. A multipart process evaluation was conducted to explain this result.

Methods

This qualitative process evaluation of the response of individuals, perceived maintenance, effectiveness, and unintended consequences was part of the multipart process evaluation that followed the framework by Grant et al. (Trials 14: 15, 2013). It used the data from semi-structured telephone interviews and focus group interviews with nurses and managers as secondary data. Selected domains of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) were used as deductive categories for a directed content analysis.

Results

The interviewees in all NHs appraised WELCOME-IdA as generating positive change, although it proved important that some adjustments were made to the intervention and the organization. Thirteen CFIR constructs out of the domains intervention characteristics, inner setting, and process proved to be essential for understanding the different course that the implementation of WELCOME-IdA took in each of the four NHs. This is reflected in three types of WELCOME-IdA implementation: (1) priority on adjusting the intervention to fit the organization, (2) priority on adjusting the organization to fit the intervention, and (3) no setting of priorities in adjusting either the organization or the intervention.

Conclusion

The unsatisfying results of the FallDem effectiveness trial can in part be explained with regard to the interplay between the intervention and the implementation which was revealed in the processes that occurred in the organizations during the implementation of the WELCOME-IdA intervention. Future implementation of WELCOME-IdA should be tailored based on an analysis of the organization’s readiness, resources, and capacities and should also define custom-made intervention and implementation outcomes to measure success. Furthermore, our results confirm that the CFIR can be used beneficially to conduct process evaluations.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43058-021-00191-0.

An Implementation Strategy to Expand Mobile Health Use in HIV Care Settings: Rapid Evaluation Study Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research

Background

Mobile health (mHealth) apps can provide support to people living with a chronic disease by offering resources for communication, self-management, and social support. PositiveLinks (PL) is a clinic-deployed mHealth app designed to improve the health of people with HIV. In a pilot study, PL users experienced considerable improvements in care engagement and viral load suppression. To promote its expansion to other HIV clinics, we developed an implementation strategy consisting of training resources and on-demand program support.

Objective

The objective of our study was to conduct an interim analysis of the barriers and facilitators to PL implementation at early adopting sites to guide optimization of our implementation strategy.

Methods

Semistructured interviews with stakeholders at PL expansion sites were conducted. Analysis of interviews identified facilitators and barriers that were mapped to 22 constructs of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The purpose of the analysis was to identify the facilitators and barriers to PL implementation in order to adapt the PL implementation strategy. Four Ryan White HIV clinics were included. Interviews were conducted with one health care provider, two clinic managers, and five individuals who coordinated site PL activities.

Results

Ten common facilitators and eight common barriers were identified. Facilitators to PL implementation included PL’s fit with patient and clinic needs, PL training resources, and sites’ early engagement with their information technology personnel. Most barriers were specific to mHealth, including access to Wi-Fi networks, maintaining patient smartphone access, patient privacy concerns, and lack of clarity on how to obtain approvals for mHealth use.

Conclusions

The CFIR is a useful framework for evaluating mHealth interventions. Although PL training resources were viewed favorably, we identified important barriers to PL implementation in a sample of Ryan White clinics. This enabled our team to expand guidance on identifying information technology stakeholders and procuring and managing mobile resources. Ongoing evaluation results continue to inform improvements to the PL implementation strategy, facilitating PL access for future expansion sites.

The effects of an integrated supportive care intervention on quality of life outcomes in outpatients with breast and gynecologic cancer undergoing chemotherapy: Results from a randomized controlled trial

The aim of the Complementary Nursing in Gynecologic Oncology study was to investigate the effects of a complex, nurse‐led, supportive care intervention using Complementary and Integrative Medicine (CIM) on patients’ quality of life (QoL) and associated patient‐reported outcomes. In this prospective, pragmatic, bicentric, randomized controlled trial, women with breast or gynecologic cancer undergoing a new regimen of chemotherapy (CHT) were randomly assigned to routine supportive care plus intervention (intervention group, IG) or routine care alone (control group, CG). The intervention consisted of CIM applications and counseling for symptom management, as well as CIM information material. The primary endpoint was global QoL measured with the EORTC‐QLQ‐C30 before and after CHT. Mixed linear models considering fixed and random factors were used to analyze the data. In total, 126 patients were randomly assigned into the IG and 125 patients into the CG (median age 51 years). The patients’ medical and socio‐demographic characteristics were homogenous at baseline and at follow‐up. No group effects on QoL were found upon completion of CHT (estimate −1.04 [−4.89; 2.81]; P = 0.596), but there was a significant group difference in favor of the IG 6 months later (estimate 6.643 [1.65; 11.64]; P = 0.010). IG patients did also experience significant better emotional functioning (P = 0.007) and less fatigue (P = 0.027). The tested supportive intervention did not improve patients’ QoL outcomes directly after CHT (T3), but was associated with significant QoL improvements when considering the change from baseline to the time point T4, which could be assessed 6 months after patients’ completion of CHT. This delayed effect may have resulted due to a strengthening of patients’ self‐management competencies.

Implementation science and stigma reduction interventions in low- and middle-income countries: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Interventions to alleviate stigma are demonstrating effectiveness across a range of conditions, though few move beyond the pilot phase, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Implementation science offers tools to study complex interventions, understand barriers to implementation, and generate evidence of affordability, scalability, and sustainability. Such evidence could be used to convince policy-makers and donors to invest in implementation. However, the utility of implementation research depends on its rigor and replicability. Our objectives were to systematically review implementation studies of health-related stigma reduction interventions in LMICs and critically assess the reporting of implementation outcomes and intervention descriptions.

METHODS

PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and EMBASE were searched for evaluations of stigma reduction interventions in LMICs reporting at least one implementation outcome. Study- and intervention-level characteristics were abstracted. The quality of reporting of implementation outcomes was assessed using a five-item rubric, and the comprehensiveness of intervention description and specification was assessed using the 12-item Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR).

RESULTS

A total of 35 eligible studies published between 2003 and 2017 were identified; of these, 20 (57%) used qualitative methods, 32 (91%) were type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation studies, and 29 (83%) were evaluations of once-off or pilot implementations. No studies adopted a formal theoretical framework for implementation research. Acceptability (20, 57%) and feasibility (14, 40%) were the most frequently reported implementation outcomes. The quality of reporting of implementation outcomes was low. The 35 studies evaluated 29 different interventions, of which 18 (62%) were implemented across sub-Saharan Africa, 20 (69%) focused on stigma related to HIV/AIDS, and 28 (97%) used information or education to reduce stigma. Intervention specification and description was uneven.

CONCLUSION

Implementation science could support the dissemination of stigma reduction interventions in LMICs, though usage to date has been limited. Theoretical frameworks and validated measures have not been used, key implementation outcomes like cost and sustainability have rarely been assessed, and intervention processes have not been presented in detail. Adapted frameworks, new measures, and increased LMIC-based implementation research capacity could promote the rigor of future stigma implementation research, helping the field deliver on the promise of stigma reduction interventions worldwide.

The effectiveness of a group-based computerized HIV/STI prevention intervention for black women who use drugs in the criminal justice system: study protocol for E-WORTH (Empowering African-American Women on the Road to Health), a Hybrid Type 1 randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

This paper describes the study protocol of a hybrid type I randomized controlled trial that evaluates the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of implementing Empowering African-American Women on the Road to Health (E-WORTH), an Afrocentric, group-based, computerized human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention intervention for controlled substance-using black women in community corrections settings in New York City.

METHODS/DESIGN

We provide an overview of E-WORTH's hybrid type I design, which is guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). E-WORTH combines HIV/STI and intimate partner violence (IPV) prevention components and tests the comparative effectiveness of E-WORTH and streamlined HIV testing versus streamlined HIV testing alone in decreasing biologically confirmed HIV and STI incidence, sexual risk, and IPV, as well as in improving access to HIV and STI prevention services and care.

DISCUSSION

This paper provides an overview of E-WORTH's intervention protocol and serves as a framework for using hybrid type I designs, guided by the CFIR conceptual framework, to evaluate HIV/STI and IPV prevention interventions in community corrections settings. We discuss how E-WORTH's hybrid type I design advances implementation science through its effectiveness and cost-effectiveness aims as well as through a mixed-methods study that evaluates multilevel theory-driven factors (structural, organizational, staffing, and client) guided by the CFIR that influences the implementation of E-WORTH in a criminal justice setting. This study also addresses the novel challenges and opportunities of implementing an intervention that targets specific racial subgroup(s) in a community corrections setting that services all populations, implementing a group-based intervention with technological components in such settings, and employing community-based participatory research strategies to guide recruitment and retention efforts.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02391233 . Registered on 17 March 2015.