scholarly journals Fostering international collaboration in implementation science and research: a concept mapping exploratory study

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory A. Aarons ◽  
Chariz Seijo ◽  
Amy E. Green ◽  
Joanna C. Moullin ◽  
Henna Hasson ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective International collaboration in science has received increasing attention given emphases on relevance, generalizability, and impact of research. Implementation science (IS) is a growing discipline that aims to translate clinical research findings into health services. Research is needed to identify efficient and effective ways to foster international collaboration in IS. Concept-mapping (CM) was utilized with a targeted sample for preliminary exploration of fostering international collaboration. Concept-mapping is a mixed-method approach (qualitative/quantitative) particularly suited for identifying essential themes and action items to facilitate planning among diverse stakeholders. We sought to identify key factors likely to facilitate productive and rewarding international collaborations in implementation research. Results We identified eleven dimensions: Strategic Planning; Practicality; Define Common Principles; Technological Tools for Collaboration; Funding; Disseminate Importance of Fostering International Collaboration in IS; Knowledge Sharing; Innovative & Adaptive Research; Training IS Researchers; Networking & Shared Identity; Facilitate Meetings. Strategic Planning and Funding were highest rated for importance and Strategic Planning and Networking and Shared Identity were rated most feasible to institute. Fostering international collaboration in IS can accelerate the efficiency, relevance, and generalizability of implementation research. Strategies should be developed and tested to improve international collaborations and engage junior and experienced investigators in collaborations advancing implementation science and practice.

Author(s):  
McKay Moore Sohlberg ◽  
Priya Kucheria ◽  
Stephen Fickas ◽  
Shari L. Wade

Purpose The purpose of this research article is to describe two very different lines of brain injury treatment research, both of which illuminate the benefits of implementation science. Method The article first describes the development and pilot of a computerized cognitive intervention and highlights how adherence to implementation science principles improved the design of the intervention. Second, the article describes the application of implementation science to the development of assistive technology for cognition. Results The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR; Damschroder et al., 2009) and the menu of implementation research strategies by Powell et al. (2012) provide a roadmap for cognitive rehabilitation researchers to attend to factors in the implementation climate that can improve the development, usability, and adoptability of new treatment methods. Conclusion Attention to implementation science research principles has increased the feasibility and efficacy of both impairment-based cognitive rehabilitation programs and assistive technology for cognition.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. e053474
Author(s):  
Cara C Lewis ◽  
Byron J Powell ◽  
Stephanie K Brewer ◽  
Ann M Nguyen ◽  
Simone H Schriger ◽  
...  

IntroductionMechanisms explain how implementation strategies work. Implementation research requires careful operationalisation and empirical study of the causal pathway(s) by which strategies effect change, and factors that may amplify or weaken their effects. Understanding mechanisms is critically important to replicate findings, learn from negative studies or adapt an implementation strategy developed in one setting to another. Without understanding implementation mechanisms, it is difficult to design strategies to produce expected effects across contexts, which may have disproportionate effects on settings in which priority populations receive care. This manuscript outlines the protocol for an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-funded initiative to: (1) establish priorities for an agenda to guide research on implementation mechanisms in health and public health, and (2) disseminate the agenda to research, policy and practice audiences.Methods and analysisA network of scientific experts will convene in ‘Deep Dive’ meetings across 3 years. A research agenda will be generated through analysis and synthesis of information from six sources: (1) systematic reviews, (2) network members’ approaches to studying mechanisms, (3) new proposals presented in implementation proposal feedback sessions, (4) working group sessions conducted in a leading implementation research training institute, (5) breakout sessions at the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration’s (SIRC) 2019 conference and (6) SIRC conference abstracts. Two members will extract mechanism-relevant text segments from each data source and a third member will generate statements as an input for concept mapping. Concept mapping will generate unique clusters of challenges, and the network will engage in a nominal group process to identify priorities for the research agenda.Ethics and disseminationThis initiative will yield an actionable research agenda to guide research to identify and test mechanisms of change for implementation strategies. The agenda will be disseminated via multiple channels to solicit feedback and promote rigorous research on implementation mechanisms.


Author(s):  
Ana A. Baumann ◽  
Leopoldo J. Cabassa ◽  
Shannon Wiltsey Stirman

This chapter focuses on adaptations in the context of dissemination and implementation research and practice. Consistent with the existing literature, the authors recommend that adaptations be proactively and iteratively determined, strongly informed by a variety of stakeholders, and that efforts be made to carefully describe and document the nature of the adaptations and evaluate their impact on desired service, health, and implementation outcomes. While this chapter focuses on adaptations to interventions and the context of practice, the authors also note that adaptations may need to be made to implementation strategies. Following the call by Proctor and colleagues for further precision in defining and operationalizing implementation strategies, and based on evidence that scholars are not necessarily reporting what and how they are adapting the interventions, scholars are urged to define and evaluate the adaptations they are making not only to the interventions and context of practice but also to the implementation strategies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. S131
Author(s):  
M.E. Bianchi ◽  
A.M. Cusumano ◽  
M.N. Stacchiotti ◽  
U.N.A. Ulfeldt ◽  
C.M. Verduna ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J. Penkunas ◽  
Shiau Yun Chong ◽  
Emma L. M. Rhule ◽  
Evangelia Berdou ◽  
Pascale Allotey

AbstractEfficacious health interventions tested through controlled trials often fail to show desired impacts when implemented at scale. These challenges can be particularly pervasive in low- and middle-income settings where health systems often lack the capacity and mechanisms required for high-quality research and evidence translation. Implementation research is a powerful tool for identifying and addressing the bottlenecks impeding the success of proven health interventions. Implementation research training initiatives, although growing in number, remain out of reach for many investigators in low- and middle-income settings, who possess the knowledge required to contextualize challenges and potential solutions in light of interacting community- and system-level features. We propose a realigned implementation research training model that centers on team-based learning, tailored didactic opportunities, learning-by-doing, and mentorship.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel Davis ◽  
Brian Mittman ◽  
Madelene Boyton ◽  
Aoife Keohane ◽  
Lucy Goulding ◽  
...  

Abstract The authors have removed this preprint from Research Square.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascal Launois ◽  
Dermot Maher ◽  
Edith Certain ◽  
Bella Ross ◽  
Michael J. Penkunas

Abstract Background Implementation research (IR) can play a critical role in the delivery of disease control interventions, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The growing demand for IR training has led to the development of a range of training programs and university courses, the majority of which can not be accessed by learners in LMICs. This article reports on the evaluation of a massive open online course (MOOC) developed by the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases hosted by the World Health Organization on the topic of IR with a focus on infectious diseases of poverty. This study followed Kirkpatrick’s Model to evaluate training programs with a specific focus on post-training changes in behavior. Methods MOOC participants were invited to take part in an anonymous online survey examining their IR knowledge and how they applied it in their professional practice approximately 1-1.5 years after completing the MOOC. The survey contained 43 open-ended, multiple choice and Likert-type questions. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the quantitative data and responses to the open-ended questions were thematically coded. Results A total of 748 MOOC participants responded to the survey. The demographic profile of the survey respondents aligned with that of the MOOC participants, with nearly 70% of respondents originating from Africa. Responses to the quantitative and open-ended survey questions revealed that respondents’ IR knowledge had improved to a large extent as a result of the MOOC, and that they used the knowledge and skills gained in their professional lives frequently. Respondents most often cited changes in their conceptual understanding of IR and understanding of the research process as substantial areas of change influenced by participating in the MOOC. Conclusions These findings indicate that the MOOC was successful in targeting learners from LMICs, in strengthening their IR knowledge and in contributing to their ability to apply it in their professional practice. The utility of MOOCs for providing IR training to learners in LMICs, where implementation challenges are encountered often, makes this platform an ideal standalone learning tool or one that could be combined with other training formats.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 263348952110494
Author(s):  
Rachel C. Shelton ◽  
Prajakta Adsul ◽  
April Oh ◽  
Nathalie Moise ◽  
Derek M. Griffith

Background Despite the promise of implementation science (IS) to reduce health inequities, critical gaps and opportunities remain in the field to promote health equity. Prioritizing racial equity and antiracism approaches is critical in these efforts, so that IS does not inadvertently exacerbate disparities based on the selection of frameworks, methods, interventions, and strategies that do not reflect consideration of structural racism and its impacts. Methods Grounded in extant research on structural racism and antiracism, we discuss the importance of advancing understanding of how structural racism as a system shapes racial health inequities and inequitable implementation of evidence-based interventions among racially and ethnically diverse communities. We outline recommendations for explicitly applying an antiracism lens to address structural racism and its manifests through IS. An anti-racism lens provides a framework to guide efforts to confront, address, and eradicate racism and racial privilege by helping people identify racism as a root cause of health inequities and critically examine how it is embedded in policies, structures, and systems that differentially affect racially and ethnically diverse populations. Results We provide guidance for the application of an antiracism lens in the field of IS, focusing on select core elements in implementation research, including: (1) stakeholder engagement; (2) conceptual frameworks and models; (3) development, selection, adaptation of EBIs; (4) evaluation approaches; and (5) implementation strategies. We highlight the need for foundational grounding in antiracism frameworks among implementation scientists to facilitate ongoing self-reflection, accountability, and attention to racial equity, and provide questions to guide such reflection and consideration. Conclusion We conclude with a reflection on how this is a critical time for IS to prioritize focus on justice, racial equity, and real-world equitable impact. Moving IS towards making consideration of health equity and an antiracism lens foundational is central to strengthening the field and enhancing its impact. Plain language abstract There are important gaps and opportunities that exist in promoting health equity through implementation science. Historically, the commonly used frameworks, measures, interventions, strategies, and approaches in the field have not been explicitly focused on equity, nor do they consider the role of structural racism in shaping health and inequitable delivery of evidence-based practices/programs. This work seeks to build off of the long history of research on structural racism and health, and seeks to provide guidance on how to apply an antiracism lens to select core elements of implementation research. We highlight important opportunities for the field to reflect and consider applying an antiracism approach in: 1) stakeholder/community engagement; 2) use of conceptual frameworks; 3) development, selection and adaptation of evidence-based interventions; 4) evaluation approaches; 5) implementation strategies (e.g., how to deliver evidence-based practices, programs, policies); and 6) how researchers conduct their research, with a focus on racial equity. This is an important time for the field of implementation science to prioritize a foundational focus on justice, equity, and real-world impact through the application of an anti-racism lens in their work.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  

Clinical innovations alone do not generate public health impact. Implementation research (IR) is a powerful tool for identifying the bottlenecks impeding scale up efforts and helping to turn scientifically tested solutions into routine practice. To enhance the ability of investigators in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to design, conduct and interpret IR, several actors, such as the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), have sought to strengthen researchers' capacity to design and undertake IR. This report outlines the development of a new framework for IR training in LMICs to inspire thinking and discussion on how training approaches can best serve learners' needs.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan R Garner ◽  
Sheila Patel ◽  
M. Alexis Kirk

Abstract Background: The challenge of implementing evidence-based innovations within practice settings is a significant public health issue the field of implementation research (IR) is focused on addressing. Significant amounts of funding, time, and effort have been invested in IR to date, yet there remains significant room for advancement, especially regarding IR’s development of scientific theories as defined by the National Academy of Sciences (i.e., a comprehensive explanation of the relationship between variables that is supported by a vast body of evidence). Research priority setting (i.e., promoting consensus about areas where research effort will have wide benefits to society) is a key approach to helping accelerate research advancements. Thus, building upon existing IR, general principles of data reduction, and a general framework for moderated mediation, this article identifies priority domains, aims, and testable hypotheses for IR and describes a scoping review protocol to identify and map the extent to which IR has examined these priorities to date.Methods: Implementation Science is the leading journal for publishing IR and receives over 800 submissions annually. Thus, this scoping review will focus on IR published in Implementation Science between its inception in 2006 and 12/31/2019. The current scoping review and evidence map protocol has been developed in accordance with the approach developed by Arksey & O’Malley and advanced by Levac, Colquhoun, and O’Brien. All research articles and short reports will be reviewed. Because scoping reviews seek to provide an overview of the identified evidence base rather than synthesize findings from across studies, we plan to use our data-charting form to provide a descriptive overview of implementation research to-date and summarize the research via one or more summary tables. We will use the priority aims and testable hypotheses (PATH) diagram, which integrates the four priority domains, three priority aims, and four priority testable hypotheses, to develop a map of the evidence (or lack thereof).Discussion: This scoping review and evidence map is intended to help accelerate IR focused on one or more of IR’s priority aims and testable hypotheses, which in turn will accelerate IR’s development of NAS-defined scientific theories and, subsequently, improvements in public health.Systematic review registration: Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/3vhuj/


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