Pragmatic Applications of RE-AIM for Health Care Initiatives in Community and Clinical Settings

Feasibility and Effectiveness of Virtual Group Advance Care Planning Visits During the COVID-19 Pandemic

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the transition from in person to virtual advance care planning (ACP) engagement efforts. This pilot initiative evaluated virtual group visits (GVs) and in-person GVs for ACP to determine their feasibility and effectiveness.

METHODS

Participants included patients in a Geriatric Medicine clinic who were referred by their primary care physician to an ACP GVs intervention. The ACP GVs had 2 sessions, led by clinicians with ACP expertise who facilitated a discussion on patients' values, goals, and preferences. Participants were provided with technical assistance to support use of the virtual platform. Evaluation included an ACP readiness survey, post-session feedback, GV observations, and electronic health record review at baseline and a 6 month follow-up for goals of care documentation and advance directives.

RESULTS

Seventy patients attended 46 ACP GVs from August 2019 to February 2022, including 16 in-person GVs and 54 virtual GVs. At a 6 month follow-up, for virtual GVs participants (n = 54), goals of care documentation increased from 31% to 93%, and advance directives increased from 22% to 30%. For in-person GVs participants (n = 16), goals of care documentation increased from 25% to 100%, and advance directives increased from 69% to 75%. All surveyed patients in both formats would recommend ACP GVs.

CONCLUSION

ACP GVs are feasible and effective for supporting ACP, demonstrating an increase in both goals of care conversations and advance directives completion.

Evaluating a multifaceted implementation strategy and package of evidence-based interventions based on WHO PEN for people living with HIV and cardiometabolic conditions in Lusaka, Zambia: protocol for the TASKPEN hybrid effectiveness-implementation stepped wedge cluster randomized trial

BACKGROUND

Despite increasing morbidity and mortality from non-communicable diseases (NCD) globally, health systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have limited capacity to address these chronic conditions, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There is an urgent need, therefore, to respond to NCDs in SSA, beginning by applying lessons learned from the first global response to any chronic disease-HIV-to tackle the leading cardiometabolic killers of people living with HIV (PLHIV). We have developed a feasible and acceptable package of evidence-based interventions and a multi-faceted implementation strategy, known as "TASKPEN," that has been adapted to the Zambian setting to address hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia. The TASKPEN multifaceted implementation strategy focuses on reorganizing service delivery for integrated HIV-NCD care and features task-shifting, practice facilitation, and leveraging HIV platforms for NCD care. We propose a hybrid type II effectiveness-implementation stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial to evaluate the effects of TASKPEN on clinical and implementation outcomes, including dual control of HIV and cardiometabolic NCDs, as well as quality of life, intervention reach, and cost-effectiveness.

METHODS

The trial will be conducted in 12 urban health facilities in Lusaka, Zambia over a 30-month period. Clinical outcomes will be assessed via surveys with PLHIV accessing routine HIV services, and a prospective cohort of PLHIV with cardiometabolic comorbidities nested within the larger trial. We will also collect data using mixed methods, including in-depth interviews, questionnaires, focus group discussions, and structured observations, and estimate cost-effectiveness through time-and-motion studies and other costing methods, to understand implementation outcomes according to Proctor's Outcomes for Implementation Research, the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, and selected dimensions of RE-AIM.

DISCUSSION

Findings from this study will be used to make discrete, actionable, and context-specific recommendations in Zambia and the region for integrating cardiometabolic NCD care into national HIV treatment programs. While the TASKPEN study focuses on cardiometabolic NCDs in PLHIV, the multifaceted implementation strategy studied will be relevant to other NCDs and to people without HIV. It is expected that the trial will generate new insights that enable delivery of high-quality integrated HIV-NCD care, which may improve cardiovascular morbidity and viral suppression for PLHIV in SSA. This study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05950919).

Pilot Process Evaluation of the Supporting Older Adults at Risk Model: A RE-AIM Approach

ABSTRACT

Despite evidence supporting transitional care models, hospitals report challenges implementing and sustaining them. The Discharge to Assess (D2A) Model is an innovative solution to this problem but required translation from a national health system context to an U.S.-based context. We translated the central tenets of the D2A model to establish the Supporting Older Adults at Risk (SOAR) Model, which unfolds in three phases: Prepare, Transition, and Support. The purpose of this project was to conduct a process evaluation of the SOAR Model in practice using the RE-AIM Framework (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance). Forty patients completed all SOAR Model components for a Reach of 21%. Patients averaged 80 years of age, 53% were female, and 64% Black/AA. SOAR significantly improved discharge before noon, time to first home visit, and use of the in-house pharmacy. SOAR also improved length of hospital stay, emergency department visits, and readmissions. Twenty-one of the 26 Implementation measures unfolded with 75% or greater fidelity. Sixteen of the 24 Adoption measures unfolded with 75% or greater fidelity. COVID-19 limited Maintenance. Given the model unfolds across settings over time, requiring adoption from interprofessional team members, patients, and families, future work should focus on improving reach and adoption.

The Impact of Video-Based Microinterventions on Attitudes Toward Mental Health and Help Seeking in Youth: Web-Based Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Mental health (MH) problems in youth are prevalent, burdening, and frequently persistent. Despite the existence of effective treatment, the uptake of professional help is low, particularly due to attitudinal barriers.

OBJECTIVE

This study evaluated the effectiveness and acceptability of 2 video-based microinterventions aimed at reducing barriers to MH treatment and increasing the likelihood of seeking professional help in young people.

METHODS

This study was entirely web based and open access. The interventions addressed 5 MH problems: generalized anxiety disorder, depression, bulimia, nonsuicidal self-injury, and problematic alcohol use. Intervention 1 aimed to destigmatize and improve MH literacy, whereas intervention 2 aimed to induce positive outcome expectancies regarding professional help seeking. Of the 2435 participants who commenced the study, a final sample of 1394 (57.25%) participants aged 14 to 29 years with complete data and sufficient durations of stay on the video pages were randomized in a fully automated manner to 1 of the 5 MH problems and 1 of 3 conditions (control, intervention 1, and intervention 2) in a permuted block design. After the presentation of a video vignette, no further videos were shown to the control group, whereas a second, short intervention video was presented to the intervention 1 and 2 groups. Intervention effects on self-reported potential professional help seeking (primary outcome), stigma, and attitudes toward help seeking were examined using analyses of covariance across and within the 5 MH problems. Furthermore, we assessed video acceptability.

RESULTS

No significant group effects on potential professional help seeking were found in the total sample (F2,1385=0.99; P=.37). However, the groups differed significantly with regard to stigma outcomes and the likelihood of seeking informal help (F2,1385=3.75; P=.02). Furthermore, separate analyses indicated substantial differences in intervention effects among the 5 MH problems.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions to promote help seeking for MH problems may require disorder-specific approaches. The study results can inform future research and public health campaigns addressing adolescents and young adults.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

German Clinical Trials Register DRKS00023110; https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00023110.

RE-AIM for rural health innovations: perceptions of (mis) alignment between the RE-AIM framework and evaluation reporting in the Department of Veterans Affairs Enterprise-Wide Initiatives program

Background

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Rural Health (ORH) supports national VA program offices' efforts to expand health care to rural Veterans through its Enterprise-Wide Initiatives (EWIs) program. In 2017, ORH selected Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM), an implementation science framework, to structure the EWI evaluation and reporting process. As part of its mandate to improve EWI program evaluation, the Center for the Evaluation of Enterprise-Wide Initiatives conducted a qualitative evaluation to better understand EWI team' perceptions of, and barriers and facilitators to, the EWI evaluation process.

Methods

We conducted 43 semi-structured interviews with 48 team members (e.g., evaluators, program office leads, and field-based leads) representing 21 EWIs from April-December 2020. Questions focused on participants' experiences using strategies targeting each RE-AIM dimension. Interviews were inductively analyzed in MAXQDA. We also systematically reviewed 51 FY19-FY20 EWI annual reports to identify trends in misapplications of RE-AIM.

Results

Participants had differing levels of experience with RE-AIM. While participants understood ORH's rationale for selecting a common framework to structure evaluations, the perceived misalignment between RE-AIM and EWIs' work emerged as an important theme. Concerns centered around 3 sub-themes: (1) (Mis)Alignment with RE-AIM Dimensions, (2) (Mis)Alignment between RE-AIM and the EWI, and (3) (Mis)Alignment with RE-AIM vs. other Theories, Models, or Frameworks. Participants described challenges differentiating between and operationalizing dimensions in unique contexts. Participants also had misconceptions about RE-AIM and its relevance to their work, e.g., that it was meant for established programs and did not capture aspects of initiative planning, adaptations, or sustainability. Less commonly, participants shared alternative models or frameworks to RE-AIM. Despite criticisms, many participants found RE-AIM useful, cited training as important to understanding its application, and identified additional training as a future need.

Discussion

The selection of a shared implementation science framework can be beneficial, but also challenging when applied to diverse initiatives or contexts. Our findings suggest that establishing a common understanding, operationalizing framework dimensions for specific programs, and assessing training needs may better equip partners to integrate a shared framework into their evaluations.

Artificial intelligence predictive analytics in heart failure: results of the pilot phase of a pragmatic randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVES

We conducted an implementation planning process during the pilot phase of a pragmatic trial, which tests an intervention guided by artificial intelligence (AI) analytics sourced from noninvasive monitoring data in heart failure patients (LINK-HF2).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A mixed-method analysis was conducted at 2 pilot sites. Interviews were conducted with 12 of 27 enrolled patients and with 13 participating clinicians. iPARIHS constructs were used for interview construction to identify workflow, communication patterns, and clinician's beliefs. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using inductive coding protocols to identify key themes. Behavioral response data from the AI-generated notifications were collected.

RESULTS

Clinicians responded to notifications within 24 hours in 95% of instances, with 26.7% resulting in clinical action. Four implementation themes emerged: (1) High anticipatory expectations for reliable patient communications, reduced patient burden, and less proactive provider monitoring. (2) The AI notifications required a differential and tailored balance of trust and action advice related to role. (3) Clinic experience with other home-based programs influenced utilization. (4) Responding to notifications involved significant effort, including electronic health record (EHR) review, patient contact, and consultation with other clinicians.

DISCUSSION

Clinician's use of AI data is a function of beliefs regarding the trustworthiness and usefulness of the data, the degree of autonomy in professional roles, and the cognitive effort involved.

CONCLUSION

The implementation planning analysis guided development of strategies that addressed communication technology, patient education, and EHR integration to reduce clinician and patient burden in the subsequent main randomized phase of the trial. Our results provide important insights into the unique implications of implementing AI analytics into clinical workflow.

Feasibility and Acceptability of the Project Faith Influencing Transformation Intervention in Faith-Based Settings

African Americans (AAs) are disproportionately burdened with diabetes and prediabetes. Predominately AA churches may be optimal settings for reaching AAs at greatest diabetes risk, along with related morbidities and mortalities. The current study used the RE-AIM framework to qualitatively examine the feasibility, acceptability, and satisfaction with the Project Faith Influencing Transformation (FIT) intervention, a diabetes risk reduction intervention in AA churches. Participants were (N = 21) church and community members who also participated in the larger Project FIT intervention and were primarily female, with an average age of 60 years (SD = 11.1). Participants completed a brief survey and focus group discussion. Participants discussed intervention effectiveness in changing health behaviors and outcomes, with high rates of adoption, acceptability, and satisfaction across churches that conducted the intervention. Participants also discussed outreach to members of the broader community, the role of the pastor, and challenges to intervention implementation and maintenance-tailored strategies to improve intervention effectiveness are discussed. Given the significant diabetes disparities that exist for AAs, it is imperative to continue to investigate best practices for reaching communities served by churches with sustainable, relevant health programming. This study has the potential to inform more effective, tailored diabetes prevention interventions for high-risk AAs in faith-based settings.

Assessing equity in the uptake of remote foot temperature monitoring in a large integrated US healthcare system

OBJECTIVE

We assessed equity in the uptake of remote foot temperature monitoring (RTM) for amputation prevention throughout a large, integrated US healthcare system between 2019 and 2021, including comparisons across facilities and between patients enrolled and eligible patients not enrolled in RTM focusing on the Reach and Adoption dimensions of the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

To assess whether there was equitable use of RTM across facilities, we examined distributions of patient demographic, geographic, and facility characteristics across facility RTM use categories (e.g., no RTM use, and low, moderate, and high RTM use) among all eligible patients (n = 46,294). Second, to understand whether, among facilities using RTM, there was equitable enrollment of patients in RTM, we compared characteristics of patients enrolled in RTM (n = 1066) relative to a group of eligible patients not enrolled in RTM (n = 27,166) using logistic regression and including all covariates.

RESULTS

RTM use increased substantially from an average of 11 patients per month to over 40 patients per month between 2019 and 2021. High-use RTM facilities had higher complexity and a lower ratio of patients per podiatrist but did not have consistent evidence of better footcare process measures. Among facilities offering RTM, enrollment varied by age, was inversely associated with Black race (vs. white), low income, living far from specialty care, and being in the highest quartiles of telehealth use prior to enrollment. Enrollment was positively associated with having osteomyelitis, Charcot foot, a partial foot amputation, BMI≥30 kg/m2, and high outpatient utilization.

CONCLUSIONS

RTM growth was concentrated in a small number of higher-resourced facilities, with evidence of lower enrollment among those who were Black and lived farther from specialty care. Future studies are needed to identify and address barriers to uptake of new interventions like RTM to prevent exacerbating existing ulceration and amputation disparities.

Adopting the RE-AIM analytic framework for rural program evaluation: experiences from the Advance Care Planning via Group Visits (ACP-GV) national evaluation

Introduction

To support rigorous evaluation across a national portfolio of grants, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Office of Rural Health (ORH) adopted an analytic framework to guide their grantees' evaluation of initiatives that reach rural veterans and to standardize the reporting of outcomes and impacts. Advance Care Planning via Group Visits (ACP-GV), one of ORH's Enterprise-Wide Initiatives, also followed the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. ACP-GV is a national patient-centered intervention delivered in a large, veterans integrated healthcare system. This manuscript describes how RE-AIM was used to evaluate this national program and lessons learned from ORH's annual reporting feedback to ACP-GV on their use of the framework to describe evaluation impacts.

Methods

We used patient, provider, and site-level administrative health care data from the VA Corporate Data Warehouse and national program management databases for federal fiscal years (FY) spanning October 1, 2018-September 30, 2023. Measures included cumulative and past FY metrics developed to assess program impacts.

Results

RE-AIM constructs included the following cumulative and annual program evaluation results. ACP-GV reached 54,167 unique veterans, including 19,032 unique rural veterans between FY 2018 to FY 2023. During FY 2023, implementation adherence to the ACP-GV model was noted in 91.7% of program completers, with 55% of these completers reporting a knowledge increase and 14% reporting a substantial knowledge increase (effectiveness). As of FY 2023, 66 ACP-GV sites were active, and 1,556 VA staff were trained in the intervention (adoption). Of the 66 active sites in FY 2023, 27 were sites previously funded by ORH and continued to offer ACP-GV after the conclusion of three years of seed funding (maintenance).

Discussion

Lessons learned developing RE-AIM metrics collaboratively with program developers, implementers, and evaluators allowed for a balance of clinical and scientific input in decision-making, while the ORH annual reporting feedback provided specificity and emphasis for including both cumulative, annual, and rural specific metrics. ACP-GV's use of RE-AIM metrics is a key step towards improving rural veteran health outcomes and describing real world program impacts.

Population health interventions for cardiometabolic diseases in primary care: a scoping review and RE-AIM evaluation of current practices

Introduction

Cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) are the leading cause of death in high-income countries and are largely attributable to modifiable risk factors. Population health management (PHM) can effectively identify patient subgroups at high risk of CMD and address missed opportunities for preventive disease management. Guided by the Reach, Efficacy, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework, this scoping review of PHM interventions targeting patients in primary care at increased risk of CMD aims to describe the reported aspects for successful implementation.

Methods

A comprehensive search was conducted across 14 databases to identify papers published between 2000 and 2023, using Arksey and O'Malley's framework for conducting scoping reviews. The RE-AIM framework was used to assess the implementation, documentation, and the population health impact score of the PHM interventions.

Results

A total of 26 out of 1,100 studies were included, representing 21 unique PHM interventions. This review found insufficient reporting of most RE-AIM components. The RE-AIM evaluation showed that the included interventions could potentially reach a large audience and achieve their intended goals, but information on adoption and maintenance was often lacking. A population health impact score was calculated for six interventions ranging from 28 to 62%.

Discussion

This review showed the promise of PHM interventions that could reaching a substantial number of participants and reducing CMD risk factors. However, to better assess the generalizability and scalability of these interventions there is a need for an improved assessment of adoption, implementation processes, and sustainability.

Reducing Ileostomy Readmissions: Using Implementation Science to Evaluate the Adoption of a Quality Improvement Initiative

BACKGROUND

Translating empirical evidence into clinical practice remains challenging. Prevention of morbidity from new ileostomies may serve as an example. Despite evidence demonstrating improvements in electrolyte levels, kidney function markers, and hospital readmissions, widespread adoption of oral rehydration solutions among patients with new ileostomies has not occurred. The causes of low uptake are unknown and likely multifactorial.

OBJECTIVE

We used the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance implementation science framework to identify barriers and facilitators in the adoption of a quality improvement initiative aimed at decreasing emergency department visits and hospital readmissions because of dehydration among patients with new ileostomies using oral rehydration solutions.

DESIGN

Qualitative interviews were conducted with stakeholders based on the domains of the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance framework.

SETTINGS

Participating community and academic hospitals across Michigan (n = 12).

PATIENTS

Convenience sampling was used to recruit 25 key stakeholders, including wound, ostomy, and continence nurses; registered nurses; nurse practitioners; nurse managers; colorectal surgeons; surgery residents; physician assistants; and data abstractors (1-4 participants per site).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Through qualitative content analysis, we located, analyzed, and identified patterns using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance framework.

RESULTS

We identified the following factors to increase the adoption of quality improvement initiatives at the provider level: 1) selection and coaching of champions, 2) broadening of multidisciplinary teams, 3) performing structured patient follow-up, and 4) addressing long-term sustainability concerns regarding cost and equity.

LIMITATIONS

Limited to high-volume ileostomy surgery hospitals, did not include in-person site visits to each hospital before and after implementation, and did not consider the hospital- and patient-level factors that impact the widespread adoption of quality improvement initiatives.

CONCLUSIONS

Integrating implementation science frameworks to rigorously study quality improvement initiatives may reveal the determinants of the widespread adoption of evidence-based practices.

REDUCCIN DE REINGRESOS POR ILEOSTOMA USO DE LA CIENCIA DE LA IMPLEMENTACIN PARA EVALUAR LA ADOPCIN DE UNA INICIATIVA DE MEJORA DE LA CALIDAD

ANTECEDENTES:Traducir la evidencia empírica a la práctica clínica sigue siendo un desafío. La prevención de la morbilidad por nuevas ileostomías puede servir como ejemplo. A pesar de la evidencia que demuestra mejoras en los niveles de electrolitos, marcadores de función renal y reingresos hospitalarios, no se ha producido una adopción generalizada de soluciones de rehidratación oral entre pacientes con nuevas ileostomías. Las causas de la baja captación son desconocidas y probablemente multifactoriales.OBJETIVO:Empleamos Alcance, Eficacia, Adopción, Implementación y Mantenimiento, un marco de las ciencias de implementación, para identificar barreras y facilitadores en la adopción de una iniciativa de mejora de la calidad destinada a disminuir las visitas al departamento de emergencias y los reingresos hospitalarios debido a la deshidratación entre los pacientes con nuevos ileostomías utilizando soluciones de rehidratación oral.DISEÑO:Se realizaron entrevistas cualitativas con las partes interesadas basadas en los dominios del marco de Alcance, Efectividad, Adopción, Implementación y Mantenimiento.CONFIGURACIÓN:Hospitales académicos y comunitarios participantes a través de Michigan (n = 12).PARTICIPANTES:Se utilizó un muestreo por conveniencia para reclutar a 25 partes interesadas clave, incluyendo enfermeras de heridas, ostomía y continencia; enfermeras registradas; enfermeras practicantes; gerentes de enfermera; cirujanos colorrectales; residentes de cirugía; asistentes médicos; y extractores de datos (1-4 participantes por sitio).PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:A través del análisis de contenido cualitativo, localizamos, analizamos e identificamos patrones utilizando el marco de Alcance, Eficacia, Adopción, Implementación y Mantenimiento.RESULTADOS:Identificamos los siguientes factores para aumentar la adopción de iniciativas de mejora de la calidad a nivel de proveedores: 1) selección y entrenamiento de campeones, 2) ampliación de equipos multidisciplinarios, 3) seguimiento estructurado de pacientes y 4) abordaje a largo plazo. preocupaciones de sostenibilidad con respecto al costo y la equidad.LIMITACIONES:Limitado a hospitales de cirugía de ileostomía de alto volumen, incapaz de realizar visitas en persona a cada hospital antes y después de la implementación, no considera los factores a nivel del hospital y del paciente que afectan la adopción generalizada de iniciativas de mejora de la calidad.CONCLUSIONES:La integración de marcos científicos de implementación para estudiar rigurosamente las iniciativas de mejora de la calidad puede revelar los determinantes de la adopción generalizada de prácticas basadas en la evidencia. (Traducción-Dr. Aurian Garcia Gonzalez ).

Do in-person and computer-based brief alcohol interventions reduce tobacco smoking among general hospital patients? Secondary outcomes from a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND

At-risk alcohol use and tobacco smoking often co-occur. We investigated whether brief alcohol interventions (BAIs) among general hospital patients with at-risk alcohol use may also reduce tobacco smoking over 2 years. We also investigated whether such effects vary by delivery mode; i.e. in-person versus computer-based BAI.

METHODS

A proactively recruited sample of 961 general hospital patients with at-risk alcohol use aged 18 to 64 years was allocated to three BAI study groups: in-person BAI, computer-based BAI, and assessment only. In-person- and computer-based BAI included motivation-enhancing intervention contacts to reduce alcohol use at baseline and 1 and 3 months later. Follow-ups were conducted after 6, 12, 18 and 24 months. A two-part latent growth model, with self-reported smoking status (current smoking: yes/no) and number of cigarettes in smoking participants as outcomes, was estimated.

RESULTS

Smoking participants in computer-based BAI smoked fewer cigarettes per day than those assigned to assessment only at month 6 (meannet change = - 0.02; 95% confidence interval = - 0.08-0.00). After 2 years, neither in-person- nor computer-based BAI significantly changed smoking status or number of cigarettes per day in comparison to assessment only or to each other (ps ≥ 0.23).

CONCLUSIONS

While computer-based BAI also resulted in short-term reductions of number of cigarettes in smoking participants, none of the two BAIs were sufficient to evoke spill-over effects on tobacco smoking over 2 years. For long-term smoking cessation effects, multibehavioural interventions simultaneously targeting tobacco smoking along with at-risk alcohol use may be more effective.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT01291693.

Clinical decision support tools for paediatric sepsis in resource-poor settings: an international qualitative study

OBJECTIVE

New paediatric sepsis criteria are being developed by an international task force. However, it remains unknown what type of clinical decision support (CDS) tools will be most useful for dissemination of those criteria in resource-poor settings. We sought to design effective CDS tools by identifying the paediatric sepsis-related decisional needs of multidisciplinary clinicians and health system administrators in resource-poor settings.

DESIGN

Semistructured qualitative focus groups and interviews with 35 clinicians (8 nurses, 27 physicians) and 5 administrators at health systems that regularly provide care for children with sepsis, April-May 2022.

SETTING

Health systems in Africa, Asia and Latin America, where sepsis has a large impact on child health and healthcare resources may be limited.

PARTICIPANTS

Participants had a mean age of 45 years, a mean of 15 years of experience, and were 45% female.

RESULTS

Emergent themes were related to the decisional needs of clinicians caring for children with sepsis and to the needs of health system administrators as they make decisions about which CDS tools to implement. Themes included variation across regions and institutions in infectious aetiologies of sepsis and available clinical resources, the need for CDS tools to be flexible and customisable in order for implementation to be successful, and proposed features and format of an ideal paediatric sepsis CDS tool.

CONCLUSION

Findings from this study will directly contribute to the design and implementation of CDS tools to increase the uptake and impact of the new paediatric sepsis criteria in resource-poor settings.

Improving HIV testing, linkage, and retention in care among South African men through U=U messaging: A study protocol for two sequential hybrid type 1 effectiveness- implementation randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Increasing HIV testing and treatment coverage among people living with HIV (PLHIV) is essential for achieving global AIDS epidemic control. However, compared to women, cis-gender heterosexual men living with HIV are significantly less likely to know their HIV status, initiate anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and achieve viral suppression. This is particularly true in South Africa, where men are also at increased risk of mortality resulting from AIDS-related illnesses. While there is growing knowledge of Treatment as Prevention or the concept Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U) among PLHIV in Western and high-income countries, the reach and penetration of the U=U message in sub-Saharan Africa remains limited, and few studies have evaluated the impact of accessible and relatable U=U messages on ART initiation and adherence. To address these gaps, rigorous evaluations of interventions that incorporate U=U messages are needed, especially among men in high prevalence settings.

METHODS

Building on our U=U messages that we previously developed for men using behavioral economics insights and a human-centered design, we will conduct two sequential hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation trials to evaluate the impact of U=U messages on men's uptake of community-based HIV testing and ART initiation (Trial 1), and retention in care and achievement of viral suppression (Trial 2). A cluster randomized trial will be implemented for Trial 1, with HIV testing service site-days randomized to U=U or standard-of-care (SoC) messages inviting men to test for HIV. An individual-level randomized control trial will be implemented for Trial 2, with men initiating ART at six government clinics randomized to receive U=U counselling or SoC treatment adherence messaging. We will incorporate a multi-method evaluation to inform future implementation of U=U messaging interventions. The study will be conducted in the Buffalo City Metro Health District of the Eastern Cape Province and in the Cape Town Metro Health District in the Western Cape Province in South Africa.

DISCUSSION

These trials are the first to rigorously evaluate the impact of U=U messaging on HIV testing uptake, ART initiation and achievement of viral suppression among African men. If effective, these messaging interventions can shape global HIV testing, treatment and adherence counselling guidelines and practices.

Application of Participatory Ergonomics to the Dissemination of a Quality Improvement Program for Optimizing Blood Culture Use

BACKGROUND

Blood cultures are overused in pediatric ICUs (PICUs), which may lead to unnecessary antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance. Using a participatory ergonomics (PE) approach, the authors disseminated a quality improvement (QI) program for optimizing blood culture use in PICUs to a national 14-hospital collaborative. The objective of this study was to evaluate the dissemination process and its impact on blood culture reduction.

METHODS

The PE approach emphasized three key principles (stakeholder participation, application of human factors and ergonomics knowledge and tools, and cross-site collaboration) with a six-step dissemination process. Data on interactions between sites and the coordinating team and site experiences with the dissemination process were collected using site diaries and semiannual surveys with local QI teams, respectively, and correlated with the site-specific change in blood culture rates.

RESULTS

Overall, participating sites were able to successfully implement the program and reduced their blood culture rates from 149.4 blood cultures per 1,000 patient-days/month before implementation to 100.5 blood cultures per 1,000 patient-days/month after implementation, corresponding to a 32.7% relative reduction (p < 0.001). Variations in the dissemination process, as well as in local interventions and implementation strategies, were observed across sites. Site-specific changes in blood culture rates were weakly negatively correlated with the number of preintervention interactions with the coordinating team (p = 0.057) but not correlated with their experiences with the six domains of the dissemination process or their interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors applied a PE approach to disseminate a QI program for optimizing PICU blood culture use to a multisite collaborative. Working with local stakeholders, participating sites tailored their interventions and implementation processes and achieved the goal of reducing blood culture use.

Expanding community pharmacists' scope of practice in relation to contraceptive counselling and referral: a protocol for a pragmatic, stepped-wedge, cluster randomised trial (ALLIANCE)

INTRODUCTION

Improving access to effective contraception has the potential to reduce unintended pregnancy and abortion rates. Community pharmacists could play an expanded role in contraceptive counselling and referral to contraceptive prescribers particularly when women are already attending community pharmacy to obtain emergency contraceptive pills (ECPs) or to have medical abortion (MA) medicines dispensed. The ALLIANCE trial aims to compare the subsequent uptake of effective contraception (hormonal or intrauterine) in women seeking ECP or MA medicines, who receive the ALLIANCE community pharmacy-based intervention with those who do not receive the intervention.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

ALLIANCE is a stepped-wedge pragmatic cluster randomised trial in Australian community pharmacies. The ALLIANCE intervention involves community pharmacists delivering structured, patient-centred, effectiveness-based contraceptive counselling (and a referral to a contraceptive prescriber where appropriate) to women seeking either ECPs or to have MA medicines dispensed. Women participants will be recruited by participating pharmacists. A total of 37 pharmacies and 1554 participants will be recruited. Pharmacies commence in the control phase and are randomised to transition to the intervention phase at different time points (steps). The primary outcome is the self-reported use of effective contraception at 4 months; secondary outcomes include use of effective contraception and the rate of pregnancies or induced abortions at 12 months. A process and economic evaluation of the trial will also be undertaken.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval has been obtained from the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee (#34563). An explanatory statement will be provided and written consent will be obtained from all participants (pharmacy owner, pharmacist and women) before their commencement in the trial. Dissemination will occur through a knowledge exchange workshop, peer-reviewed journal publications, presentations, social media and conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ACTRN12622001024730.

Healthcare worker perceived barriers and facilitators to implementing a tuberculosis preventive therapy program in rural South Africa: a content analysis using the consolidated framework for implementation research

BACKGROUND

South African national tuberculosis (TB) guidelines, in accordance with the World Health Organization, recommend conducting routine household TB contact investigation with provision of TB preventive therapy (TPT) for those who qualify. However, implementation of TPT has been suboptimal in rural South Africa. We sought to identify barriers and facilitators to TB contact investigations and TPT management in rural Eastern Cape, South Africa, to inform the development of an implementation strategy to launch a comprehensive TB program.

METHODS

We collected qualitative data through individual semi-structured interviews with 19 healthcare workers at a district hospital and four surrounding primary-care clinics referring to the hospital. The consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR) was used to develop interview questions as well as guide deductive content analysis to determine potential drivers of implementation success or failure.

RESULTS

A total of 19 healthcare workers were interviewed. Identified common barriers included lack of provider knowledge regarding efficacy of TPT, lack of TPT documentation workflows for clinicians, and widespread community resource constraints. Facilitators identified included healthcare workers high interest to learn more about the effectiveness of TPT, interest in problem-solving logistical barriers in provision of comprehensive TB care (including TPT), and desire for clinic and nurse-led TB prevention efforts.

CONCLUSION

The use of the CFIR, a validated implementation determinants framework, provided a systematic approach to identify barriers and facilitators to TB household contact investigation, specifically the provision and management of TPT in this rural, high TB burden setting. Specific resources-time, trainings, and evidence-are necessary to ensure healthcare providers feel knowledgeable and competent about TPT prior to prescribing it more broadly. Tangible resources such as improved data systems coupled with political coordination and funding for TPT programming are essential for sustainability.

The VA National TeleNeurology Program implementation: a mixed-methods evaluation guided by RE-AIM framework

Introduction

The Veteran Affairs (VA) Office of Rural Health (ORH) funded the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) National TeleNeurology Program (NTNP) as an Enterprise-Wide Initiative (EWI). NTNP is an innovative healthcare delivery model designed to fill the patient access gap for outpatient neurological care especially for Veterans residing in rural communities. The specific aim was to apply the RE-AIM framework in a pragmatic evaluation of NTNP services.

Materials and methods

We conducted a prospective implementation evaluation. Guided by the pragmatic application of the RE-AIM framework, we conceptualized a mixed-methods evaluation for key metrics: (1) reach into the Veteran patient population assessed as total NTNP new patient consult volume and total NTNP clinical encounters (new and return); (2) effectiveness through configurational analysis of conditions leading to high Veteran satisfaction and referring providers perceived effectiveness; (3) adoption and implementation by VA sites through site staff and NTNP interviews; (4) implementation success through perceived management, implementation barriers, facilitators, and adaptations and through rapid qualitative analysis of multiple stakeholders' assessments; and (5) maintenance of NTNP through monitoring quarterly TeleNeurology consultation volume.

Results

NTNP was successfully implemented in 13 VA Medical Centers over 2 years. The total NTNP new patient consult volume in fiscal year 2021 (FY21) was 836 (58% rurally residing); this increased to 1,706 in fiscal year 2022 (FY22) (55% rurally residing). Total (new and follow-up) NTNP clinical encounters were 1,306 in FY21 and 3,730 in FY22. Overall, the sites reported positive experiences with program implementation and perceived that the program was serving Veterans with little access to neurological care. Veterans also reported high satisfaction with the NTNP program. We identified the patient level of perceived excellent teleneurologist-patient communications, reduced need to drive to get care, and that NTNP provided care that the Veteran otherwise could not access as key factors related to high Veteran satisfaction.

Conclusions

The VA NTNP demonstrated substantial reach, adoption, effectiveness, implementation success, and maintenance over the first 2 years of the program. The NTNP was highly acceptable to both the clinical providers making the referrals and the Veterans receiving the referred video care. The pragmatic application of the RE-AIM framework to guide implementation evaluations is appropriate, comprehensive, and recommended for future applications.

Implementing strategies to prevent infections in acute-care settings

This document introduces and explains common implementation concepts and frameworks relevant to healthcare epidemiology and infection prevention and control and can serve as a stand-alone guide or be paired with the "SHEA/IDSA/APIC Compendium of Strategies to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections in Acute Care Hospitals: 2022 Updates," which contain technical implementation guidance for specific healthcare-associated infections. This Compendium article focuses on broad behavioral and socio-adaptive concepts and suggests ways that infection prevention and control teams, healthcare epidemiologists, infection preventionists, and specialty groups may utilize them to deliver high-quality care. Implementation concepts, frameworks, and models can help bridge the "knowing-doing" gap, a term used to describe why practices in healthcare may diverge from those recommended according to evidence. It aims to guide the reader to think about implementation and to find resources suited for a specific setting and circumstances by describing strategies for implementation, including determinants and measurement, as well as the conceptual models and frameworks: 4Es, Behavior Change Wheel, CUSP, European and Mixed Methods, Getting to Outcomes, Model for Improvement, RE-AIM, REP, and Theoretical Domains.

Implementation Challenges for a Multisite Advance Care Planning Pragmatic Trial: Lessons Learned

BACKGROUND/PROBLEM

Advance care planning (ACP) pragmatic trials are needed.

PROPOSED SOLUTION

We determined key system-level activities to implement ACP interventions for a cluster-randomized pragmatic trial. We identified patients with serious illness from 50 primary care clinics across three University of California health systems using a validated algorithm. If patients lacked documented ACP within the last 3 years, they were eligible for an intervention: (Arm 1) an advance directive (AD); (Arm 2) AD + PREPAREforYourCare.org; (Arm 3) AD + PREPARE + lay health navigator outreach. Triggered by an appointment, we mailed and sent interventions through automated electronic health record (EHR) messaging. We collaborated with patients/caregivers, clinicians, payors, and national/health system leader advisors. We are currently finalizing 24 months follow-up data.

OUTCOMES/METHODS

We used the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) frameworks to track secular trends and implementation efforts.

KEY MESSAGE/RESULTS

Required multisite, system-level activities: 1) obtaining leadership, legal/privacy, and EHR approvals; 2) standardizing ACP documentation; 3) providing clinician education; 3) validating an automated serious illness identification algorithm; 4) standardizing ACP messaging with input from over 100 key advisors; 5) monitoring secular trends (e.g., COVID); and 6) standardizing ACP workflows (e.g., scanned ADs). Of 8707 patients with serious illness, 6883 were eligible for an intervention. Across all arms, 99% received the mailed intervention, 78.3% had an active patient portal (64.2% opened intervention), and 90.5% of arm three patients (n = 2243) received navigator outreach.

LESSONS LEARNED

Implementing a multisite health system-wide ACP program and pragmatic trial, with automated EHR-based cohort identification and intervention delivery, requires a high level of multidisciplinary key advisor engagement, standardization, and monitoring. These activities provide guidance for the implementation of other large-scale, population-based ACP efforts.

Qualitative evaluation of the implementation and future sustainability of an e-referral system for smoking cessation at a US NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center: lessons learned

BACKGROUND

Promoting smoking cessation is recognized as an essential part of cancer care. Moffitt Cancer Center, supported by the National Cancer Institute Cancer Moonshot Cancer Center Cessation Initiative, developed and implemented an opt-out-based automatic electronic health record (EHR)-mediated referral (e-referral) system for Tobacco Quitline services along with options for local group cessation support and an in-house tobacco treatment specialist. This study evaluated barriers and facilitators for implementation of the e-referral system.

METHOD

Steering committee members (N=12) responsible for developing and implementing the new clinical workflow and nurses (N=12) who were expected to use the new e-referral system completed semi-structured interviews. Qualitative thematic content analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Interviewees perceived the e-referral system as an effective strategy for identifying and referring smokers to cessation services. However, barriers were noted including competing demands and perceptions that smoking cessation was a low priority and that some patients were likely to have low motivation to quit smoking. Suggestions to improve future implementation and sustainability included providing regular trainings and e-referral outcome reports and increasing the visibility of the e-referral system within the EHR.

CONCLUSION

Initial implementation of the e-referral system was perceived as successful; however, additional implementation strategies are needed to ensure sustainability at both the clinician and system levels. Recommendations for future modifications include providing regular clinician trainings and developing a fully closed-loop system. Implications for cancer survivors Initial implementation of an e-referral system for smoking cessation for cancer patients revealed opportunities to improve the smoking cessation referral process at cancer centers.

Healthcare worker knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding tuberculosis preventive therapy in rural South Africa: A content analysis using the consolidated framework for implementation research

BACKGROUND

South African national tuberculosis (TB) guidelines, in accordance with the World Health Organization, recommend conducting routine household TB contact investigation with provision of TB preventive therapy (TPT) for those who qualify. However, implementation of TPT has been suboptimal in rural South Africa. We sought to identify barriers and facilitators to TB contact investigations and TPT management in rural Eastern Cape, South Africa to inform the development of an implementation strategy to launch a comprehensive TB program.

METHODS

We collected qualitative data through individual semi-structured interviews with 19 healthcare workers at a district hospital and four surrounding primary-care clinics referring to the hospital. The consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR) was used to develop interview questions as well as guide deductive content analysis to determine potential drivers of implementation success or failure.

RESULTS

A total of 19 healthcare workers were interviewed. Identified common barriers included lack of provider knowledge regarding efficacy of TPT, lack of TPT documentation workflows for clinicians, and widespread community resource constraints. Facilitators identified included healthcare workers high interest to learn more about the effectiveness of TPT, interest in problem-solving logistical barriers in provision of comprehensive TB care (including TPT), and desire for clinic and nurse-led TB prevention efforts.

CONCLUSION

The use of the CFIR, a validated implementation determinants framework, provided a systematic approach to identify barriers and facilitators to TB household contact investigation, specifically the provision and management of TPT in this rural, high TB burden setting. Specific resources - time, trainings, and evidence - are necessary to ensure healthcare providers feel knowledgeable and competent about TPT prior to prescribing it more broadly. Tangible resources such as improved data systems coupled with political coordination and funding for TPT programming are essential for sustainability.

Protocol for the implementation of a statewide mobile addiction program

With overdose deaths increasing, improving access to harm reduction and low barrier substance use disorder treatment is more important than ever. The Community Care in Reach® model uses a mobile unit to bring both harm reduction and clinical care for addiction to people experiencing barriers to office-based care. These mobile units provide many resources and services to people who use drugs, including safer consumption supplies, naloxone, medication for substance use disorder treatment, and a wide range of primary and preventative care. This protocol outlines the evaluation plan for the Community in Care® model in MA, USA. Using the RE-AIM framework, this evaluation will assess how mobile services engage new and underserved communities in addiction services and primary and preventative care.

Improving prehospital traumatic shock care: implementation and clinical effectiveness of a pragmatic, quasi-experimental trial in a resource-constrained South African setting

OBJECTIVES

This project seeks to improve providers' practices and patient outcomes from prehospital (ie, ambulance-based) trauma care in a middle-income country using a novel implementation strategy to introduce a bundled clinical intervention.

DESIGN

We conduct a two-arm, controlled, mixed-methods, hybrid type II study.

SETTING

This study was conducted in the Western Cape Government Emergency Medical Services (EMS) system of South Africa.

INTERVENTIONS

We pragmatically implemented a simplified prehospital bundle of trauma care (with five core elements) using a novel workplace-based, peer-to-peer, rapid training format. We assigned the intervention and control sites.

OUTCOME MEASURES

We assessed implementation effectiveness among EMS providers and stakeholders, using the RE-AIM framework. Clinical effectiveness was assessed at the patient level, using changes in Shock Index x Age (SIxAge). Indices and cut-offs were established a priori. We performed a difference-in-differences (D-I-D) analysis with a multivariable mixed effects model.

RESULTS

198 of 240 (82.5%) EMS providers participated, 93 (47%) intervention and 105 (53%) control, with similar baseline characteristics. The overall implementation effectiveness was excellent (80.6%): reach was good (65%), effectiveness was excellent (87%), implementation fidelity was good (72%) and adoption was excellent (87%). Participants and stakeholders generally reported very high satisfaction with the implementation strategy citing that it was a strong operational fit and effective educational model for their organisation. A total of 770 patients were included: 329 (42.7%) interventions and 441 (57.3%) controls, with no baseline differences. Intervention arm patients had more improved SIxAge compared with control at 4 months, which was not statistically significant (-1.4 D-I-D; p=0.35). There was no significant difference in change of SIxAge over time between the groups for any of the other time intervals (p=0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

In this quasi-experimental trial of bundled care using the novel workplace rapid training approach, we found overall excellent implementation effectiveness but no overall statistically significant clinical effectiveness.

Supporting people affected by problematic alcohol, substance use and other behaviours under pandemic conditions: A pragmatic evaluation of how SMART recovery Australia responded to COVID-19

BACKGROUND

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted rapid, reflexive transition from face-to-face to online healthcare. For group-based addiction services, evidence for the impact on service delivery and participant experience is limited.

METHODS

A 12-month (plus 2-month follow-up) pragmatic evaluation of the upscaling of online mutual-help groups by SMART Recovery Australia (SRAU) was conducted using The Reach Effectiveness Adoption Implementation Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. Data captured by SRAU between 1st July 2020 and 31st August 2021 included participant questionnaires, Zoom Data Analytics and administrative logs.

RESULTS

Reach: The number of online groups increased from just 6 pre-COVID-19 to 132. These groups were delivered on 2786 (M = 232.16, SD = 42.34 per month) occasions, to 41,752 (M = 3479.33, SD = 576.34) attendees.

EFFECTIVENESS

Participants (n = 1052) reported finding the online group meetings highly engaging and a positive, recovery supportive experience. 91 % of people with experience of face-to-face group meetings rated their online experience as equivalent or better. Adoption: Eleven services (including SRAU) and five volunteers delivered group meetings for the entire 12-months.

IMPLEMENTATION

SRAU surpassed their goal of establishing 100 groups. Maintenance: The average number of meetings delivered [t(11.14) = -1.45, p = 0.1737] and attendees [t(1.95) = -3.28, p = 0.1880] per month were maintained across a two-month follow-up period.

CONCLUSIONS

SRAU scaled-up the delivery of online mutual-help groups in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings support the accessibility, acceptability and sustainability of delivering SMART Recovery mutual-help groups online. Not only are these findings important in light of the global pandemic and public safety, but they demonstrate the potential for reaching and supporting difficult and under-served populations.

Opioid dose and pain effects of an online pain self-management program to augment usual care in adults with chronic pain: a multisite randomized clinical trial

ABSTRACT

Readily accessible nonpharmacological interventions that can assist in opioid dose reduction while managing pain is a priority for adults receiving long-term opioid therapy (LOT). Few large-scale evaluations of online pain self-management programs exist that capture effects on reducing morphine equivalent dose (MED) simultaneously with pain outcomes. An open-label, intent-to-treat, randomized clinical trial recruited adults (n = 402) with mixed chronic pain conditions from primary care and pain clinics of 2 U.S. academic healthcare systems. All participants received LOT-prescriber-provided treatment of MED ≥ 20 mg while receiving either E-health (a 4-month subscription to the online Goalistics Chronic Pain Management Program), or treatment as usual (TAU). Among 402 participants (279 women [69.4%]; mean [SD] age, 56.7 [11.0] years), 200 were randomized to E-health and 202 to TAU. Of 196 E-heath participants, 105 (53.6%) achieved a ≥15% reduction in daily MED compared with 85 (42.3%) of 201 TAU participants (odds ratio, 1.6 [95% CI, 1.1-2.3]; P = 0.02); number-needed-to-treat was 8.9 (95% CI, 4.8, 66.0). Of 166 E-health participants, 24 (14.5%) achieved a ≥2 point decrease in pain intensity vs 13 (6.8%) of 192 TAU participants (odds ratio, 2.4 [95% CI, 1.2-4.9]; P = 0.02). Benefits were also observed in pain knowledge, pain self-efficacy, and pain coping. The findings suggest that for adults on LOT for chronic pain, use of E-health, compared with TAU, significantly increased participants' likelihood of clinically meaningful decreases in MED and pain. This low-burden online intervention could assist adults on LOT in reducing daily opioid use while self-managing pain symptom burdens.

Facilitators and Barriers to a Hospital-Based Communication Skills Training Programme: An Interview Study

This study aimed to investigate the facilitators and barriers experienced by the department management (DMs) and communication skills trainers (trainers) during the implementation of a 3-day communication skills training (CST) programme for healthcare professionals (HCPs). Thus, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 DMs and 10 trainers from 11 departments concurrently implementing the CST programme. Thematic analysis was undertaken to elucidate the themes across the interviews. Five themes were developed: resource consumption; obstacles; management support; efforts and outcomes; and a lack of systematic follow-up. Although the DMs and trainers were largely in agreement, the theme of a lack of systematic follow-up was derived exclusively from the trainers, as were two of the subthemes within obstacles: (b) seniority, profession, and cultural differences, and (c) the trainers' competencies. The greatest perceived barrier was resource consumption. In addition, DMs found planning and staff resistance to be a challenge. However, the HCPs' resistance diminished or even changed to satisfaction after participating. The mandatory approach served as both a facilitator and a barrier; DMs' support was an essential facilitator. Explicit communication related to resource demands, planning, and participation is crucial, as is management support and the allocation of resources.

Lung cancer screening in rural primary care practices in Colorado: time for a more team-based approach?

BACKGROUND

Despite lung cancer being a leading cause of death in the United States and lung cancer screening (LCS) being a recommended service, many patients eligible for screening do not receive it. Research is needed to understand the challenges with implementing LCS in different settings. This study investigated multiple practice members and patient perspectives impacting rural primary care practices related to LCS uptake by eligible patients.

METHODS

This qualitative study involved primary care practice members in multiple roles (clinicians n = 9, clinical staff n = 12 and administrators n = 5) and their patients (n = 19) from 9 practices including federally qualified and rural health centers (n = 3), health system owned (n = 4) and private practices (n = 2). Interviews were conducted regarding the importance of and ability to complete the steps that may result in a patient receiving LCS. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis with immersion crystallization then organized using the RE-AIM implementation science framework to illuminate and organize implementation issues.

RESULTS

Although all groups endorsed the importance of LCS, all also struggled with implementation challenges. Since assessing smoking history is part of the process to identify eligibility for LCS, we asked about these processes. We found that smoking assessment and assistance (including referral to services) were routine in the practices, but other steps in the LCS portion of determining eligibility and offering LCS were not. Lack of knowledge about screening and coverage, patient stigma, and resistance and practical considerations such as distance to LCS testing facilities complicated completion of LCS compared to screening for other types of cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

Limited uptake of LCS results from a range of multiple interacting factors that cumulatively affect consistency and quality of implementation at the practice level. Future research should consider team-based approaches to conduct of LCS eligibility and shared decision making.

Descriptive Analysis of Clinical Encounters by Emergency Medical Services Physicians Using the RE-AIM Framework

CONTEXT

Emergency medical services (EMS) medicine continues to expand and mature as a recognized subspeciality within emergency medicine. In the United States, EMS physicians historically supported training, protocol development, and EMS clinician credentialing. In the past, only limited programs existed in which prehospital physicians were engaged in the direct and routine care of prehospital patients; however, a growing number of EMS programs are recognizing the value and impact of direct EMS physician involvement in prehospital patient care.

PROGRAM

A large suburban, volunteer-based EMS agency implemented a volunteer prehospital physician program where providers routinely responded to emergency calls for service.

IMPLEMENTATION

Beginning in November 2019, a cadre of board-certified physicians completed a field preceptorship and local protocol orientation. Once complete, the physicians were released to function and respond independently to high acuity emergency calls or any call at their discretion. Prehospital physicians were authorized to utilize their full scope of practice and expected to provide field mentorship to traditional prehospital clinicians.

EVALUATION

This study systematically evaluated a prehospital physician program for public health relevance, sustainability, and population health impact using the RE-AIM framework. A retrospective descriptive analysis was performed on the role and responses by a cohort of prehospital physicians using dispatch data and electronic medical records.

DISCUSSION

Over the 17-month study period, 9 prehospital physicians responded to 482 calls, predominately cardiac arrests, traumatic injuries, and cardiac/chest pain. The physicians performed 99 procedures and administered 113 medications. Ultimately, the program added physician-level care to the prehospital setting in an ongoing and sustainable way. The routine placement of physicians in the prehospital environment can help benefit patients by enhancing access to advanced clinical knowledge and skills, while also benefiting EMS clinicians through opportunities for enhanced patient-side training, education, and medical control.

Best practices to reduce COVID-19 in group homes for individuals with serious mental illness and intellectual and developmental disabilities: Protocol for a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation cluster randomized trial

BACKGROUND

People with serious mental illness (SMI) and intellectual disabilities and/or developmental disabilities (ID/DD) living in group homes (GHs) and residential staff are at higher risk for COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death compared with the general population.

METHODS

We describe a hybrid type 1 effectiveness-implementation cluster randomized trial to assess evidence-based infection prevention practices to prevent COVID-19 for residents with SMI or ID/DD and the staff in GHs. The trial will use a cluster randomized design in 400 state-funded GHs in Massachusetts for adults with SMI or ID/DD to compare effectiveness and implementation of "Tailored Best Practices" (TBP) consisting of evidence-based COVID-19 infection prevention practices adapted for residents with SMI and ID/DD and GH staff; to "General Best Practices" (GBP), consisting of required standard of care reflecting state and federal standard general guidelines for COVID-19 prevention in GHs. External (i.e., community-based research staff) and internal (i.e., GH staff leadership) personnel will facilitate implementation of TBP. The primary effectiveness outcome is incident SARS-CoV-2 infection and secondary effectiveness outcomes include COVID-19-related hospitalizations and mortality in GHs. The primary implementation outcomes are fidelity to TBP and rates of COVID-19 vaccination. Secondary implementation outcomes are adoption, adaptation, reach, and maintenance. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, 3-, 6-, 9-, 12-, and 15-months post-randomization.

CONCLUSIONS

This study will advance knowledge on comparative effectiveness and implementation of two different strategies to prevent COVID-19-related infection, morbidity, and mortality and promote fidelity and adoption of these interventions in high-risk GHs for residents with SMI or ID/DD and staff.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT04726371.

Evaluating the "Optimal Competition Parenting Workshop" Using the RE-AIM Framework: A 4-Year Organizational-Level Intervention in British Junior Tennis

The purpose of the current study was to utilize the RE-AIM (i.e., reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance) framework to evaluate the national-level scale-out of the Lawn Tennis Association's "Optimal Competition Parenting Workshop" (OCPW) across a 4-year period. During 2018, 65 workshops were run across the United Kingdom, 1,043 parents registered, and 933 parents attended. Adopting a quasi-experimental design, multilevel analyses revealed significant increases in parents' (n = 130) task goal orientation and competition tennis parenting efficacy, as well as significant decreases in ego goal orientation and unpleasant emotions. Children's perceptions of both mother- and father-initiated ego-involving motivational climate and their own ego goal orientation significantly decreased across time. From 2019 to 2021, a further 64 workshops were delivered to 1,110 parents with no significant differences in parents' satisfaction, enjoyment, instructor evaluation, or transfer intention over time when compared against workshop evaluations in 2018. Overall, the OCPW represents a well-received, practical, and effective brief intervention for enhancing parental involvement in junior tennis.

Evaluation of a group-based exercise and relaxation rehabilitation program during hospitalization for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant

BACKGROUND

Exercise and relaxation interventions have demonstrated benefits in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT) patients; however, little is known about the implementation enablers and barriers for inpatient rehabilitation or its impact on health outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To conduct a program evaluation of group-based rehabilitation consisting of exercise and relaxation classes for allo-HSCT inpatients.

DESIGN

Prospective program evaluation using the RE-AIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance) framework.

SETTING

Inpatient hospital unit at a tertiary care center.

PARTICIPANTS

Forty-five adult patients admitted for allo-HSCT.

INTERVENTIONS

Standard of care rehabilitation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Program attendance, safety, satisfaction, and fidelity were assessed. Exploratory effectiveness analyses were conducted via the measurement of physical, psychosocial, clinical, and health resource use outcomes at hospital admission and discharge.

RESULTS

Forty-seven of the 63 patients receiving allo-HSCT between November 2019 and March 2020 were consented. Data presented in this publication are from the 33 participants who completed study assessments (high attrition due to cancellation of research during the COVID-19 pandemic). Eighty-two percent of participants attended at least one class; however, 55% of the participants invited to the classes on a daily basis were not able to attend. Barriers to participation included transplant complications, isolation for infection prevention, and fatigue. There were no adverse events associated with the intervention and 82% of participants adhered to the prescribed activities. Participants reported satisfaction with the program and enjoyed the motivational support and social interaction. Between hospital admission and discharge, anxiety scores improved; however, fatigue, depression, grip strength, functional mobility, and quality of life scores declined. Physical activity volume and lower body strength were maintained.

CONCLUSIONS

Group-based exercise and relaxation classes seem to be feasible and safe during hospitalization for allo-HSCT; however, there are pragmatic barriers to be considered for optimal program implementation. Further research examining program effectiveness and adoption is warranted.

Nurses' Perceptions of a Novel Rooming-in Program for Infants With Critical Congenital Heart Disease

BACKGROUND

The transition to home for infants who require complex care can be overwhelming for caregivers. Infants with critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) require advanced care management, so their caregivers must acquire extensive training before the infants are discharged home. Rooming-in programs have improved patient outcomes in other settings, such as the postpartum period. However, little research has examined a rooming-in program in a pediatric cardiac acute care setting.

OBJECTIVE

To describe nurses' perceptions of a novel rooming-in program implemented in a pediatric cardiac acute care unit.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive research design was used to describe nurses' perceptions of the rooming-in program for infants with CCHD. Three focus groups were conducted with a convenience sample of 13 registered nurses who cared for infants with CCHD during the rooming-in program. Four trained independent coders performed qualitative thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Nurses provided critical insight into the rooming-in program. Three themes were identified: improved nursing and family outcomes, leading the way through collaboration, and room for improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

Infants with CCHD have complex needs, and caregivers must acquire advanced skills to adequately care for these infants. This study is the first to explore nurses' perceptions of a rooming-in program for infants with CCHD. The findings could improve rooming-in programs in the pediatric acute care setting, which can translate to better patient outcomes.

The Concussion Awareness Training Tool for Women's Support Workers Improves Knowledge of Intimate Partner Violence-Caused Brain Injury

Women who experience physical intimate partner violence (IPV) are at high risk of suffering a brain injury (BI) due to head impacts and/or strangulation. Currently, most staff at women's shelters tend not to be aware of IPV-caused BIs. The objective of this study was to address this by developing a new online module within the Concussion Awareness Training Tool (cattonline.com) specifically focused on IPV-caused BI, and measuring its effectiveness in increasing BI awareness and knowledge among staff members at women's shelters. A mixed-methods approach was used which included (i) a survey to measure participant knowledge before and after completing the module; (ii) a 1-on-1 interview 6 months post-training to better understand participants' perceptions of what effect the training had on how they worked with women in their job; and (iii) an evaluation of the content of the module using behavior change techniques. About 81 participants recruited from staff at women's shelters completed the pre/post survey. The average BI knowledge score increased significantly from the pre-survey (M = 8.12/12, SD = 1.05) to the post-survey (M = 9.72/12, SD = 1.62), t(80) = 9.12, P < .001, d = 1.01). Analysis of the interviews with 9 participants highlighted 3 main themes arising from the module: knowledge, mindfulness, and advocacy. All participants felt their knowledge of IPV-caused BIs had increased and said they would recommend the training to their co-workers. Analysis of the module content revealed the most frequent behavior change techniques were related to instructions on how to perform screening and accommodation for IPV-caused BI. The results showed the module was effective in increasing knowledge of IPV-caused BIs amongst women's shelter staff as well as improving how they advocate for, and are mindful of, their clients with BIs. This online training may help improve the care women with IPV-caused BIs receive, and ultimately improve their quality of life.

To Effectively Address Complex Healthcare Problems, Continuing Professional Development Must Evolve

ABSTRACT

Continuing professional development aims to provide health professionals with the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed to improve care. Physicians and other clinicians increasingly practice within complex health care delivery organizations aiming to improve the care of populations of patients with multiple problems and differing needs. These organizations are composed of local units in different departments and venues; these teams and the patients they care for change over time. Improving outcomes within constantly changing complex organizations delivering population care takes time and persistence. It takes time to equip critical masses of clinicians and other personnel with knowledge and skills to effect change. Although some changes might be simple, those involving new workflows require implementation support. Not all change will be smooth; individuals need opportunities to learn from and adjust their early intervention efforts, measure effectiveness of change, and sustain successful practices. Longitudinal support is necessary to affect change over complex organizations. This essay proposes that to be more supportive and valuable to health care delivery organizations, continuing professional development needs to intentionally participate in longitudinal, collaborative, context-specific, team-based interventions. An expanded menu of evaluation approaches will better describe the role of continuing professional development in helping health care professionals and organizations address increasingly complex health care delivery problems and improve patient and population outcomes. Selected concepts to achieve these ends are introduced at a high level in this article. Readers are invited to explore concepts that resonate with their current situation in further detail.

Implementing SMS reminders for routine immunization in Northern Nigeria: a qualitative evaluation using the RE-AIM framework

BACKGROUND

Short Message Service (SMS) reminders have improved vaccine uptake in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, the limited use of SMS reminders in LMICs requires evaluating the intervention's internal and external validity to improve adoption and sustainability. Using the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework, we qualitatively assessed the impact of a SMS reminder intervention implemented in Kebbi State, Northwest Nigeria between May 20, 2019 and May 31, 2020. This will guide and inform future SMS reminder interventions to improve childhood immunization uptake in LMICs.

METHODS

In June 2020, we conducted 14 focus group discussions, 13 in-depth interviews, and 20 key informant interviews among 144 purposively selected participants from five local government areas of Kebbi State. For analysis, we used a deductive approach to develop preliminary codes based on the RE-AIM framework and the inductive approach to generate themes that emerged from the interviews.

RESULTS

The perceived importance and impact of the SMS reminder in improving demand and uptake for vaccinations were the consistent contributing factors that encouraged participants' participation. Other facilitators included the involvement of health workers in supporting SMS reminder registration and community gatekeepers using existing structures to convey messages on scheduled immunization services. Policymakers adopted the intervention because it aligns with the state's priority to improve immunization coverage. Similarly, the SMS reminder appealed to health workers and program managers because it reduced their workload and served as a performance monitoring tool to track immunization and intervention defaulters. Despite these, low mobile phone ownership and the inability to read text messages due to the low literacy level were the main barriers during implementation. Finally, data availability on cost-effectiveness and the intervention's impact on improving coverage was critical for scalability.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that SMS reminders in local languages could improve vaccination demand and uptake in resource-constrained settings due to their perceived importance and impact. Addressing the cited implementation barriers and promoting the facilitators is critical to its adoption and sustainability. Costing and impact data are needed to collaborate findings on the effectiveness of the SMS reminder to improve childhood vaccination uptake.

Multi-method study of the implementation of Cognitive Symptom Management and Rehabilitation Training (CogSMART) in real-world settings

Cognitive Symptom Management and Rehabilitation Training (CogSMART) and Compensatory Cognitive Training (CCT) are evidence-based compensatory cognitive training interventions that improve cognition in persons with a history of traumatic brain injury or other neuropsychiatric disorders. Despite demonstrated efficacy, use and effectiveness of CogSMART/CCT in real-world settings is not known.We used a multi-method design to collect and analyze quantitative and qualitative survey data from several domains of the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework to gather information about use of CogSMART/CCT in real-world settings from provider and patient perspectives. Surveys were sent to email addresses from persons who registered on the CogSMART website seeking access to training manuals and other resources. Descriptive statistics were generated, and we used Natural Language Processing methods to study the self-report free responses. Using n-gram analysis, we identified the most frequently reported responses.We found CogSMART/CCT was broadly used in real-world settings and delivered by a variety of providers for several patient groups with high attendance and overall high satisfaction. CogSMART/CCT seemed to be offered in VA- or university-related clinics more than in private practice or rehabilitation centers. The diversity of providers and variety of formats by which to deliver CogSMART/CCT (i.e., individual, group, telehealth) seemed to play a role in its widespread implementation, as did its adaptability. Most providers made adaptations to the intervention that reduced the length or number of sessions. These changes were most likely to be based on client characteristics. The low rates of formal training, however, may have contributed to lower levels of perceived helpfulness among patients.Reach and Adoption of a cognitive rehabilitation intervention improved by increasing access to the manuals. Attention to characteristics of dissemination and implementation in the design of an intervention may enhance its use in real-world settings. The relevant outcomes, easy access to training manuals, and adaptability of CogSMART/CCT seem to have been important factors in its use in a variety of settings and for several disorders with cognitive impairment. The adoption of CogSMART/CCT by a variety of providers other than neuropsychologists suggests its use may be broadened to other healthcare providers, if adequately trained, to increase access to an intervention with demonstrated efficacy for cognitive rehabilitation for several neuropsychiatric disorders.

Evaluation of a COVID-19 convalescent plasma program at a U.S. academic medical center

Amidst the therapeutic void at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a critical mass of scientific and clinical interest coalesced around COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP). To date, the CCP literature has focused largely on safety and efficacy outcomes, but little on implementation outcomes or experience. Expert opinion suggests that if CCP has a role in COVID-19 treatment, it is early in the disease course, and it must deliver a sufficiently high titer of neutralizing antibodies (nAb). Missing in the literature are comprehensive evaluations of how local CCP programs were implemented as part of pandemic preparedness and response, including considerations of the core components and personnel required to meet demand with adequately qualified CCP in a timely and sustained manner. To address this gap, we conducted an evaluation of a local CCP program at a large U.S. academic medical center, the University of North Carolina Medical Center (UNCMC), and patterned our evaluation around the dimensions of the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework to systematically describe key implementation-relevant metrics. We aligned our evaluation with program goals of reaching the target population with severe or critical COVID-19, integrating into the structure of the hospital-wide pandemic response, adapting to shifting landscapes, and sustaining the program over time during a compassionate use expanded access program (EAP) era and a randomized controlled trial (RCT) era. During the EAP era, the UNCMC CCP program was associated with faster CCP infusion after admission compared with contemporaneous affiliate hospitals without a local program: median 29.6 hours (interquartile range, IQR: 21.2-48.1) for the UNCMC CCP program versus 47.6 hours (IQR 32.6-71.6) for affiliate hospitals; (P<0.0001). Sixty-eight of 87 CCP recipients in the EAP (78.2%) received CCP containing the FDA recommended minimum nAb titer of ≥1:160. CCP delivery to hospitalized patients operated with equal efficiency regardless of receiving treatment via a RCT or a compassionate-use mechanism. It was found that in a highly resourced academic medical center, rapid implementation of a local CCP collection, treatment, and clinical trial program could be achieved through re-deployment of highly trained laboratory and clinical personnel. These data provide important pragmatic considerations critical for health systems considering the use of CCP as part of an integrated pandemic response.

Metrics to evaluate implementation scientists in the USA: what matters most?

Background

Implementation science has grown rapidly as a discipline over the past two decades. An examination of how publication patterns and other scholarly activities of implementation scientists are weighted in the tenure and promotion process is needed given the unique and applied focus of the field.

Methods

We surveyed implementation scientists (mostly from the USA) to understand their perspectives on the following matters: (1) factors weighted in tenure and promotion for implementation scientists, (2) how important these factors are for success as an implementation scientist, (3) how impact is defined for implementation scientists, (4) top journals in implementation science, and (5) how these journals are perceived with regard to their prestige. We calculated univariate descriptive statistics for all quantitative data, and we used Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to compare the participants’ ratings of various factors. We analyzed open-ended qualitative responses using content analysis.

Results

One hundred thirty-two implementation scientists completed the survey (response rate = 28.9%). Four factors were rated as more important for tenure and promotion decisions: number of publications, quality of publication outlets, success in obtaining external funding, and record of excellence in teaching. Six factors were rated as more important for overall success as an implementation scientist: presentations at professional meetings, involvement in professional service, impact of the implementation scientist’s scholarship on the local community and/or state, impact of the implementation scientist’s scholarship on the research community, the number and quality of the implementation scientist’s community partnerships, and the implementation scientist’s ability to disseminate their work to non-research audiences. Participants most frequently defined and described impact as changing practice and/or policy. This expert cohort identified Implementation Science as the top journal in the field.

Conclusions

Overall, there was a significant mismatch between the factors experts identified as being important to academic success (e.g., tenure and promotion) and the factors needed to be a successful implementation scientist. Findings have important implications for capacity building, although they are largely reflective of the promotion and tenure process in the USA.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s43058-022-00323-0.

A comparison of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia to standard of care in an outpatient substance use disorder clinic embedded within a therapeutic community: a RE-AIM framework evaluation

Background

Rates of substance use disorders (SUDs) continue to rise in the USA with parallel rises in admissions to outpatient SUD treatment programs. Insomnia symptoms reduce treatment adherence, trigger relapse, and generally undermine SUD recovery efforts. Cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the first-line treatment recommended for chronic insomnia. No study has examined the effectiveness of CBT-I for individuals who recently entered an outpatient SUD treatment program embedded within a therapeutic community (i.e., long-term drug-free residential setting).

Methods

A randomized controlled trial conducted at a SUD program embedded in a therapeutic community aimed to compare group-based CBT-I (gCBT-I) (N = 10) with the standard of care (SOC) (N = 11) among individuals who have SUDs and comorbid insomnia. We present a RE-AIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance) framework evaluation to provide empirical data on gCBT-I feasibility and facilitators and barriers of conducting an insomnia-focused clinical effectiveness study within a therapeutic community.

Results

Participants in both study arms reported moderately severe insomnia symptoms at admission and reductions in insomnia symptoms over time. Among participants who completed the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) beyond admission, ISI decreased to ≤ 8 (the clinical cutoff for mild insomnia) in 80% of individuals in the gCBT-I group compared with 25% of individuals in the SOC group. A RE-AIM framework evaluation showed initial success with Reach and Adoption while Implementation, and Maintenance were limited. Effectiveness was inconclusive because of challenges with recruitment, intervention integrity, and missing data that precluded meeting the planned recruitment and study aims and led to study termination. Coordination and communication with staff and leadership facilitated gCBT-I implementation, yet well-known CBT-I barriers including time- and resource-intensive sleep medicine training for interventionalists and maintenance of treatment integrity during an 8-week intervention limited gCBT-I sustainability.

Conclusions

This analysis supports the feasibility of conducting behavioral sleep medicine research in outpatient SUD treatment programs embedded within therapeutic communities. Implementation of an insomnia-focused intervention was widely accepted by patients and providers and has potential to address insomnia symptoms in early SUD recovery. Addressing patient- and organizational-level implementation barriers may enhance the sustainability and scalability of sleep interventions and provide new hope to effectively treat insomnia among people living with SUDs.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT03208855. Registered July 6, 2017https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03208855?term=NCT03208855&draw=2&rank=1

Remote constraint induced therapy of the upper extremity (ReCITE): A feasibility study protocol

Background

Difficulty using the upper extremity in everyday activities is common after stroke. Constraint-induced movement therapy (CIMT) has been shown to be effective in both sub-acute and chronic phases of stroke recovery and is recommended in clinical practice guidelines for stroke internationally. Despite reports of equivalence of outcome when stroke rehabilitation interventions are delivered using telehealth, there has been limited evaluation of CIMT when using this mode of delivery. ReCITE will (a) evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of CIMT when delivered via telehealth to stroke survivors (TeleCIMT) and (b) explore therapists' experiences and use of an online support package inclusive of training, mentoring and resources to support TeleCIMT delivery in clinical practice.

Methods

A prospective single-group, single blinded, study design with embedded process evaluation will be conducted. The study will be conducted at three outpatient services in Sydney, Australia. A multi-faceted therapist support package, informed by the Capabilities, Opportunity, Motivation- Behaviour model (COM-B), will be used to support occupational therapists to implement TeleCIMT as part of routine care to stroke survivors. Each service will recruit 10 stroke survivor participants (n = 30) with mild to moderate upper extremity impairment. Upper extremity and quality of life outcomes of stroke survivor participants will be collected at baseline, post-intervention and at a 4 week follow-up appointment. Feasibility of TeleCIMT will be evaluated by assessing the number of stroke participants who complete 80% of intensive arm practice prescribed during their 3 week program (i.e., at least 24 h of intensive arm practice). Acceptability will be investigated through qualitative interviews and surveys with stroke survivors, supporter surveys and therapist focus groups. Qualitative interviews with therapists will provide additional data to explore their experiences and use of the online support package.

Discussion

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a rapid transition to delivering telehealth. The proposed study will investigate the feasibility and acceptability of delivering a complex intervention via telehealth to stroke survivors at home, and the support that therapists and patients require for delivery. The findings of the study will be used to inform whether a larger, randomized controlled trial is feasible.

Elements for successful implementation of a clinic-based health literacy intervention

Improving health literacy is a national public health priority. Given the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is even more critical for health and medical information to be clear and understandable for patients and their families. Clinic-based programs to improve health literacy need to be pragmatic, feasible, and helpful for the implementing clinic and patients. This paper describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a pragmatic, clinic-based health literacy intervention in a safety-net clinic that serves uninsured and indigent patients. Study methods are guided by a previous pilot study and components recommended for pragmatic interventions. An electronic readiness assessment was distributed to out-patient clinics affiliated with a statewide hospital association. The AskMe3 tool was used for the intervention as it is evidence informed and relatively easy to implement. Implementation included ongoing dialogue between the clinic and the academic research team. Within the implementing clinic, data collected from patients via verbally administered questionnaires was analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-squares. Interview data collected from the clinic director was analyzed qualitatively for themes. The implementing clinic had some of the lowest average scores of the 34 clinics who participated in the initial readiness assessment. Despite this, they were able to successfully implement the health literacy intervention during a global pandemic. Eighty-eight participants completed patient questionnaires at this clinic. Most patients (96%) agreed the AskMe3 questions helped them talk with the doctor or nurse at their current appointment. Most (99%) also perceived the AskMe3 tool to be very helpful when used in a clinical setting. The clinic director offered that the staff initially thought the intervention would be difficult to implement. However, implementation by clinic volunteers with encouragement and prioritization of health literacy by the clinic director contributed to success. When considering interventions for clinical settings, a pragmatic approach can help with selection and implementation of a program that fits with the realities on the ground. Further, frequent technical assistance can help resolve implementation barriers. Interventions utilizing tools such as AskMe3, because of their simplicity, allow creative solutions to capacity issues for clinics who see a need for health literacy improvements.

Electronic health record closed-loop referral ("eReferral") to a state tobacco quitline: a retrospective case study of primary care implementation challenges and adaptations

BACKGROUND

Health system change can increase the reach of evidence-based smoking cessation treatments. Proactive electronic health record (EHR)-enabled, closed-loop referral ("eReferral") to state tobacco quitlines increases the rates at which patients who smoke accept cessation treatment. Implementing such system change poses many challenges, however, and adaptations to system contexts are often required, but are understudied. This retrospective case study identified adaptations to eReferral EHR tools and implementation strategies in two healthcare systems.

METHODS

In a large clustered randomized controlled trial (C-RCT; NCT02735382) conducted in 2016-2017, 11 primary care clinics in two healthcare systems implemented quitline eReferral, starting with 1 pilot clinic per system followed by 2 phases of implementation (an experimental phase in 5-6 test clinics per system and then a system-wide dissemination phase in both systems). Adaptations were informed by stakeholder input from live trainings, follow-up calls and meetings in the first month after eReferral launch, emails, direct observation by researchers, and clinic staff survey responses. Retrospective, descriptive analysis characterized implementation strategy modifications and adaptations using the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications to Evidence-based Implementation Strategies (FRAME-IS). A pre- and post-implementation survey assessed staff ratings of eReferral acceptability and implementation barriers and facilitators.

FINDINGS

Major modifications to closed-loop eReferral implementation strategies included aligning the eReferral initiative with other high-priority health system objectives, modifying eReferral user interfaces and training in their use, modifying eReferral workflows and associated training, and maintaining and enhancing interoperability and clinician feedback functions. The two health systems both used Epic EHRs but used different approaches to interfacing with the quitline vendor and integrating eReferral into clinician workflows. Both health systems engaged in iterative refinement of the EHR alert prompting eReferral, the eReferral order, trainings, and workflows. Staff survey comments suggested moderate acceptability of eReferral processes and identified possible targets for future modifications in eReferral, including reducing clinician burden related to EHR documentation and addressing clinicians' negative beliefs about patient receptivity to cessation treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

System-wide implementation of tobacco quitline eReferral in primary care outpatient clinics is feasible but requires extensive coordination across stakeholders, tailoring to local health system EHR configurations, and sensitivity to system- and clinic-specific workflows.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

www.

CLINICALTRIALS

gov, NCT02735382 . Registered on 12 August 2016.

Reach in a pragmatic hypertension trial: A critical RE-AIM component

BACKGROUND

Hypertension control is falling in the US yet efficacious interventions exist. Poor patient reach has limited the ability of pragmatic trials to demonstrate effectiveness. This paper uses quantitative and qualitative data to understand factors influencing reach in Hyperlink 3, a pragmatic hypertension trial testing an efficacious pharmacist-led Telehealth Care intervention in comparison to a physician-led Clinic-based Care intervention. Referrals to both interventions were ordered by physicians.

METHODS

A sequential-explanatory mixed methods approach was used to understand barriers and facilitators to reach. Reach was assessed quantitatively using EHR data, defined as the proportion of eligible patients attending intended follow-up hypertension care and qualitatively, via semi-structured interviews with patients who were and were not reached. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Qualitative data were analyzed via combined deductive and inductive content analysis.

RESULTS

Of those eligible, 27% of Clinic-based (n = 532/1945) and 21% of Telehealth patients (n = 385/1849) were reached. In both arms, the largest drop was between physician-signed orders and patients attending initial intended follow-up care. Qualitative analyses uncovered patient barriers related to motivation, capability, and opportunity to attend follow-up care.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the proportion of eligible patients with signed orders was high in both arms, the proportion ultimately reached was lower. Patients described barriers related to the influence of one's own personal beliefs or priorities, decision making processes, logistics, and patient perceptions on physician involvement on reach. Addressing these barriers in the design of pragmatic interventions is critical for future effectiveness.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT02996565.

A citation analysis and scoping systematic review of the operationalization of the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM)

Background

The Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) was developed in 2008 as a contextually expanded version of the broadly used Reach, Adoption, Effectiveness, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework. PRISM provides researchers a pragmatic and intuitive model to improve translation of research interventions into clinical and community practice. Since 2008, the use of PRISM increased across diverse topics, populations, and settings. This citation analysis and scoping systematic review aimed to assess the use of the PRISM framework and to make recommendations for future research.

Methods

A literature search was conducted using three databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus) for the period of 2008 and September 2020. After exclusion, reverse citation searches and invitations to experts in the field were used to identify and obtain recommendations for additional articles not identified in the original search. Studies that integrated PRISM into their study design were selected for full abstraction. Unique research studies were abstracted for information on study characteristics (e.g., setting/population, design), PRISM contextual domains, and RE-AIM outcomes.

Results

A total of 180 articles were identified to include PRISM to some degree. Thirty-two articles representing 23 unique studies integrated PRISM within their study design. Study characteristics varied widely and included studies conducted in diverse contexts, but predominately in high-income countries and in clinical out-patient settings. With regards to use, 19 used PRISM for evaluation, 10 for planning/development, 10 for implementation, four for sustainment, and one for dissemination. There was substantial variation across studies in how and to what degree PRISM contextual domains and RE-AIM outcomes were operationalized and connected. Only two studies directly connected individual PRISM context domains with RE-AIM outcomes, and another four included RE-AIM outcomes without direct connection to PRISM domains.

Conclusions

This is the first systematic review of the use of PRISM in various contexts. While there were low levels of ‘integrated’ use of PRISM and few reports on linkage to RE-AIM outcomes, most studies included important context domains of implementation and sustainability infrastructure and external environment. Recommendations are provided for more consistent and comprehensive use of and reporting on PRISM to inform both research and practice on contextual factors in implementation.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13012-022-01234-3.

Proactive automatised lifestyle intervention (PAL) in general hospital patients: study protocol of a single-group trial

INTRODUCTION

The co-occurrence of health risk behaviours (HRBs, ie, tobacco smoking, at-risk alcohol use, insufficient physical activity and unhealthy diet) increases the risks of cancer, other chronic diseases and mortality more than additively; and applies to more than half of adult general populations. However, preventive measures that target all four HRBs and that reach the majority of the target populations, particularly those persons most in need and hard to reach are scarce. Electronic interventions may help to efficiently address multiple HRBs in healthcare patients. The aim is to investigate the acceptance of a proactive and brief electronic multiple behaviour change intervention among general hospital patients with regard to reach, retention, equity in reach and retention, satisfaction and changes in behaviour change motivation, HRBs and health.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

A pre-post intervention study with four time points is conducted at a general hospital in Germany. All patients, aged 18-64 years, admitted to participating wards of five medical departments (internal medicine A and B, general surgery, trauma surgery, ear, nose and throat medicine) are systematically approached and invited to participate. Based on behaviour change theory and individual HRB profile, 175 participants receive individualised and motivation-enhancing computer-generated feedback at months 0, 1 and 3. Intervention reach and retention are determined by the proportion of participants among eligible patients and of participants who continue participation, respectively. Equity in reach and retention are measured with regard to school education and other sociodemographics. To investigate satisfaction with the intervention and subsequent changes, a 6-month follow-up is conducted. Descriptive statistics, multivariate regressions and latent growth modelling are applied.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The local ethics commission and data safety appointee approved the study procedures. Results will be disseminated via publication in international scientific journals and presentations on scientific conferences.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT05365269.