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Jackson GL, Fix GM, White BS, Cutrona SL, Reardon CM, Damschroder LJ, Burns M, DeLaughter K, Opra Widerquist MA, Arasim M, Lindquist J, Gifford AL, King HA, Kaitz J, Jasuja GK, Hogan TP, Lopez JCF, Henderson B, Fitzgerald BA, Goetschius A, Hagan D, McCoy C, Seelig A, Nevedal A. Diffusion of excellence: evaluating a system to identify, replicate, and spread promising innovative practices across the Veterans health administration. FRONTIERS IN HEALTH SERVICES 2024; 3:1223277. [PMID: 38420338 PMCID: PMC10900518 DOI: 10.3389/frhs.2023.1223277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Introduction The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Diffusion of Excellence (DoE) program provides a system to identify, replicate, and spread promising practices across the largest integrated healthcare system in the United States. DoE identifies innovations that have been successfully implemented in the VHA through a Shark Tank style competition. VHA facility and regional directors bid resources needed to replicate promising practices. Winning facilities/regions receive external facilitation to aid in replication/implementation over the course of a year. DoE staff then support diffusion of successful practices across the nationwide VHA. Methods Organized around the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance (RE-AIM) Framework, we summarize results of an ongoing long-term mixed-methods implementation evaluation of DoE. Data sources include: Shark Tank application and bid details, tracking practice adoptions through a Diffusion Marketplace, characteristics of VHA facilities, focus groups with Shark Tank bidders, structured observations of DoE events, surveys of DoE program participants, and semi-structured interviews of national VHA program office leaders, VHA healthcare system/facility executives, practice developers, implementation teams and facilitators. Results In the first eight Shark Tanks (2016-2022), 3,280 Shark Tank applications were submitted; 88 were designated DoE Promising Practices (i.e., practices receive facilitated replication). DoE has effectively spread practices across the VHA, with 1,440 documented instances of adoption/replication of practices across the VHA. This includes 180 adoptions/replications in facilities located in rural areas. Leadership decisions to adopt innovations are often based on big picture considerations such as constituency support and linkage to organizational goals. DoE Promising Practices that have the greatest national spread have been successfully replicated at new sites during the facilitated replication process, have close partnerships with VHA national program offices, and tend to be less expensive to implement. Two indicators of sustainment indicate that 56 of the 88 Promising Practices are still being diffused across the VHA; 56% of facilities originally replicating the practices have sustained them, even up to 6 years after the first Shark Tank. Conclusion DoE has developed a sustainable process for the identification, replication, and spread of promising practices as part of a learning health system committed to providing equitable access to high quality care.
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Affiliation(s)
- George L. Jackson
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, United States
- Advancing Implementation and Improvement Science Program, Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
| | - Gemmae M. Fix
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research, Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers, Bedford and Boston, MA, United States
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Health Law, Policy & Management, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Brandolyn S. White
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Sarah L. Cutrona
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research, Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers, Bedford and Boston, MA, United States
- Division of Health Informatics and Implementation Science, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States
| | - Caitlin M. Reardon
- Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Laura J. Damschroder
- Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Madison Burns
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Kathryn DeLaughter
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research, Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers, Bedford and Boston, MA, United States
| | | | - Maria Arasim
- Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Jennifer Lindquist
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Allen L. Gifford
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research, Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers, Bedford and Boston, MA, United States
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Health Law, Policy & Management, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Heather A. King
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Jenesse Kaitz
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research, Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers, Bedford and Boston, MA, United States
| | - Guneet K. Jasuja
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research, Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers, Bedford and Boston, MA, United States
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
- Department of Health Law, Policy & Management, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Timothy P. Hogan
- Advancing Implementation and Improvement Science Program, Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research, Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers, Bedford and Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jaifred Christian F. Lopez
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care System, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Blake Henderson
- VHA Innovation Ecosystem, Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning, United States Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Blaine A. Fitzgerald
- VHA Innovation Ecosystem, Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning, United States Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Amber Goetschius
- VHA Innovation Ecosystem, Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning, United States Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Danielle Hagan
- VHA Innovation Ecosystem, Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning, United States Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Carl McCoy
- VHA Innovation Ecosystem, Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning, United States Veterans Health Administration, Washington, DC, United States
| | - Alex Seelig
- Agile Six Applications, Inc., San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Andrea Nevedal
- Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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Cutrona SL, White L, Miano D, Damschroder LJ, Hogan TP, Gifford AL, White B, King HA, Opra Widerquist MA, Orvek E, DeLaughter K, Nevedal AL, Reardon CM, Henderson B, Vega R, Jackson GL. Supporting Veteran's Administration Medical Center Directors' Decisions When Adopting Innovative Practices: Development and Implementation of the "QuickView" and "WishList" Tools. Perm J 2023; 27:79-91. [PMID: 37545198 PMCID: PMC10502382 DOI: 10.7812/tpp/23.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Background Since 2015, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Diffusion of Excellence Program has supported spread of practices developed by frontline employees. Shark Tank-style competitions encourage "Sharks" nationwide (VHA medical center/regional directors) to bid for the opportunity to implement practices at their institutions. Methods The authors evaluated bidding strategies (2016-2020), developing the "QuickView" practice comparator to promote informed bidding. Program leaders distributed QuickView and revised versions in subsequent competitions. Our team utilized in-person observation, online chats after the competition, bidder interviews, and bid analysis to evaluate QuickView use. Bids were ranked based on demonstrated understanding of resources required for practice implementation. Results Sharks stated that QuickView supported preparation before the competition and suggested improvements. Our revised tool reported necessary staff time and incorporated a "WishList" from practice finalists detailing minimum requirements for successful implementation. Bids from later years reflected increased review of facilities' current states before the competition and increased understanding of the resources needed for implementation. Percentage of bids describing local need for the practice rose from 2016 to 2020: 4.7% (6/127); 62.1% (54/87); 78.3% (36/46); 80.6% (29/36); 89.7% (26/29). Percentage of bids committing specific resources rose following QuickView introduction: 81.1% (103/127) in 2016, 69.0% (60/87) in 2017, then 73.9% (34/46) in 2018, 88.9% (32/36) in 2019, and 89.7% (26/29) in 2020. Discussion In the years following QuickView/WishList implementation, bids reflected increased assessment before the competition of both local needs and available resources. Conclusion Selection of a new practice for implementation requires an understanding of local need, necessary resources, and fit. QuickView and WishList appear to support these determinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Cutrona
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research, Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers, Bedford, MA, USA
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Lindsay White
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research, Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Danielle Miano
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research, Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Laura J Damschroder
- VA Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Timothy P Hogan
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research, Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers, Bedford, MA, USA
- Department of Population and Data Sciences, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Allen L Gifford
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research, Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers, Bedford, MA, USA
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Department of Health Law, Policy & Management, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Brandolyn White
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Heather A King
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Division of General Internal Medicine, and Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Orvek
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research, Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers, Bedford, MA, USA
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn DeLaughter
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research, Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - Andrea L Nevedal
- Center for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Caitlin M Reardon
- VA Center for Clinical Management Research, VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Blake Henderson
- Diffusion of Excellence, Office of Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks, VHA, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ryan Vega
- Office of Discovery, Education and Affiliate Networks, VHA, Bedford, MA, USA
| | - George L Jackson
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT), Durham VA Health Care System, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Division of General Internal Medicine, and Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Wilson SM, Mulcahy AC, Lange TM, Eldridge MR, Weidenbacher HJ, Jackson GL, Gierisch JM, Crowley MJ, Calhoun PS, Hilgeman MM. Rolling out PRIDE in All Who Served: Barriers and Facilitators for Sites Implementing an LGBTQ+ Health Education Group for Military Veterans. J Gen Intern Med 2023:10.1007/s11606-023-08204-5. [PMID: 37340269 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-023-08204-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) PRIDE in All Who Served health education group (PRIDE) was developed to improve health equity and access to care for military veterans who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or other sexual/gender-diverse identities (LGBTQ+). This 10-week program rapidly spread to over 30 VHA facilities in 4 years. Veterans receiving PRIDE experience improved LGBTQ+ identity-related resilience and reductions in suicide attempt likelihood. Despite PRIDE's rapid spread across facilities, information is lacking on implementation determinants. The current study's goal was to clarify determinants of PRIDE group implementation and sustainment. METHODS A purposive sample of VHA staff (N = 19) with experience delivering or implementing PRIDE completed teleconference interviews January-April 2021. The interview guide was informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Rapid qualitative matrix analysis was completed with methods to ensure rigor (e.g., triangulation and investigator reflexivity). RESULTS Key barriers and facilitators of PRIDE implementation were heavily related to facility inner setting (what is happening inside the facility), including implementation readiness (e.g., leadership support for LGBTQ+-affirming programming, access to LGBTQ+-affirming care training) and facility culture (e.g., systemic anti-LGBTQ+ stigma). Several implementation process facilitators enhanced engagement at sites, such as a centrally facilitated PRIDE learning collaborative and a formal process of contracting/training for new PRIDE sites. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION Although aspects of the outer setting and larger societal influences were mentioned, the majority of factors impacting implementation success were at the VHA facility level and therefore may be more readily addressable through tailored implementation support. The importance of LGBTQ+ equity at the facility level indicates that implementation facilitation should ideally address institutional equity in addition to implementation logistics. Combining effective interventions with attention to local implementation needs will be required before LGBTQ+ veterans in all areas will benefit from PRIDE and other health equity-focused interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Wilson
- Mental and Behavioral Health Service, Durham VA Healthcare System, Durham, NC, USA.
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (Health Services Research and Development), Durham VA Healthcare System, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.
| | - Abigail C Mulcahy
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (Health Service Research and Development), Portland VA Healthcare System, Portland, OR, USA
- School of Public Health, Oregon Health and Science University/Portland State University School of Public Health, Portland, OR, USA
| | | | - Madeleine R Eldridge
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (Health Services Research and Development), Durham VA Healthcare System, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hollis J Weidenbacher
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (Health Services Research and Development), Durham VA Healthcare System, Durham, NC, USA
| | - George L Jackson
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (Health Services Research and Development), Durham VA Healthcare System, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Peter O'Donnell Jr. School of Public Health, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jennifer M Gierisch
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (Health Services Research and Development), Durham VA Healthcare System, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Matthew J Crowley
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (Health Services Research and Development), Durham VA Healthcare System, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Patrick S Calhoun
- Mental and Behavioral Health Service, Durham VA Healthcare System, Durham, NC, USA
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (Health Services Research and Development), Durham VA Healthcare System, Durham, NC, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Michelle M Hilgeman
- Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
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The journey to a learning health system in primary care: a qualitative case study utilising an embedded research approach. BMC PRIMARY CARE 2023; 24:22. [PMID: 36653772 PMCID: PMC9849102 DOI: 10.1186/s12875-022-01955-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Healthcare systems may be resilient and adaptive, but they are not fit for purpose in their current state. Increasing threats to health system sustainability have underscored the need to move towards a learning health system in which research and data are used routinely in clinical practice to facilitate system improvement. This study aimed to establish which elements of the learning health system were being realised within a university-based general practice and determine acceptability from staff to embrace further the transition towards a learning health system. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with practice staff, including clinical and administrative staff, to determine the current state of the learning health system in the practice. An embedded researcher was placed within the general practice on a part-time basis to investigate the learning health system model. Interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed based on the National Academy of Medicine's framework of learning health systems. RESULTS In total, 32 (91%) practice staff were interviewed, comprising general practitioners (n = 15), nurses (n = 3), administrative staff (n = 13), and a psychologist (n = 1). Participants indicated that the practice was operating with several characteristics of a learning health system (e.g., emphasising science and informatics; focusing on patient-clinician partnerships; applying incentives; supporting a continuous learning culture; and establishing structures and governance for learning). These measures were supported by the university-based setting, and resultant culture of learning. Nevertheless, there were areas of the practice where the learning health system could be strengthened, specifically relating to the use of patient data and informatics. Staff generally expressed willingness to engage with the process of strengthening the learning health system within their practice. CONCLUSION Although the idea of a learning health system has been gaining traction in recent years, there are comparatively few empirical studies presented in the literature. This research presents a case study of a general practice that is operating as a learning health system and highlights the utility of using the learning health system framework.
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Jackson GL, Damschroder LJ, White BS, Henderson B, Vega RJ, Kilbourne AM, Cutrona SL. Balancing reality in embedded research and evaluation: Low vs high embeddedness. Learn Health Syst 2021; 6:e10294. [PMID: 35434356 PMCID: PMC9006533 DOI: 10.1002/lrh2.10294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Embedding research and evaluation into organizations is one way to generate “practice‐based” evidence needed to accelerate implementation of evidence‐based innovations within learning health systems. Organizations and researchers/evaluators vary greatly in how they structure and operationalize these collaborations. One key aspect is the degree of embeddedness: from low embeddedness where researchers/evaluators are located outside organizations (eg, outside evaluation consultants) to high embeddedness where researchers/evaluators are employed by organizations and thus more deeply involved in program evolution and operations. Pros and cons related to the degree of embeddedness (low vs high) must be balanced when developing these relationships. We reflect on this process within the context of an embedded, mixed‐methods evaluation of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Diffusion of Excellence (DoE) program. Considerations that must be balanced include: (a) low vs high alignment of goals; (b) low vs high involvement in strategic planning; (c) observing what is happening vs being integrally involved with programmatic activities; (d) reporting findings at the project's end vs providing iterative findings and recommendations that contribute to program evolution; and (e) adhering to predetermined aims vs adapting aims in response to evolving partner needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- George L. Jackson
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT) Durham VA Health Care System Durham North Carolina USA
- Department of Population Health Sciences Duke University Durham North Carolina USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine Duke University Durham North Carolina USA
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health Duke University Durham North Carolina USA
| | - Laura J. Damschroder
- Center for Clinical Management Research VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System Ann Arbor Michigan USA
| | - Brandolyn S. White
- Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation (ADAPT) Durham VA Health Care System Durham North Carolina USA
| | - Blake Henderson
- Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning United States Veterans Health Administration Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Ryan J. Vega
- Office of Healthcare Innovation and Learning United States Veterans Health Administration Washington District of Columbia USA
| | - Amy M. Kilbourne
- Quality Enhancement Research Initiative (QUERI) United States Veterans Health Administration Washington District of Columbia USA
- Department of Learning Health Sciences University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan USA
| | - Sarah L. Cutrona
- Center for Healthcare Organization & Implementation Research Bedford & Boston VA Medical Centers Bedford Massachusetts USA
- Division of Health Informatics and Implementation Science, Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester Massachusetts USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine University of Massachusetts Medical School Worcester Massachusetts USA
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