Identifying and ranking implicit leadership strategies to promote evidence-based practice implementation in addiction health services

Validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Implementation Leadership Scale in the context of nurses

BACKGROUND

The implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs) in healthcare is of critical importance, and nursing leadership plays a significant role in this process; however, there is a lack of validated instruments to measure the effectiveness of implementation leadership for EBPs. This study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Implementation Leadership Scale (ILS) within the context of nursing.

METHODS

Data were obtained through a cross-sectional study. The original ILS was first translated into Turkish and then back into English. The scale was administered to 343 nurses working in a training and research hospital in Türkiye. Content validity was assessed with input from 10 experts. The data set was randomly divided into two subsamples to evaluate the construct validity of the ILS. Exploratory factor analyse (EFA) was conducted in sub-sample 1 (n = 172) and Confirmatory factor analyse (CFA) was conducted in sub-sample 2 (n = 171). Reliability was assessed using Cronbach's alpha values, test-retest reliability, item-total statistics, and split-half reliability.

RESULTS

The content validity index was calculated to be 0.96, indicating high validity. EFA revealed that the scale consists of four factors with eigenvalues greater than 1, and these factors together explained a high proportion of the total variance (77.10%). Confirmatory factor analysis results (χ2 / df = 1.29; CFI = 0.98; GFI = 0.94; AGFI = 0.91; NFI = 0.94; RMSEA = 0.04) confirmed that the Turkish version of the ILS maintains the original four-factor structure (Proactive, Knowledgeable, Supportive, and Perseverant leadership). Cronbach's alpha values (0.80-0.88) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) (0.78-0.86) were found to be high. Item-total correlations (0.38-0.63) and the Spearman-Brown coefficient (0.75) were above acceptable levels.

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that the Turkish version of the ILS is a valid and reliable tool for assessing implementation leadership in evidence-based practice (EBP) among nurses. This version of the ILS could contribute to further research on implementation leadership in Türkiye, international comparisons of EBP leadership, and the development of EBP practices.

Multi-level alignment processes in the sustainment of a youth substance use treatment model following a federal implementation initiative: A mixed method study

INTRODUCTION

Government agencies have identified evidence-based practice (EBP) dissemination as a pathway to high-quality behavioral health care for youth. However, gaps remain about how to best sustain EBPs in treatment organizations in the U.S., especially in resource-constrained settings like publicly-funded youth substance use services. One important, but understudied, determinant of EBP sustainment is alignment: the extent to which multi-level factors that influence sustainment processes and outcomes are congruent, consistent, and/or coordinated. This study examined the role of alignment in U.S. states' efforts to sustain the Adolescent Community Reinforcement Approach (A-CRA), an EBP for youth substance use disorders, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

In this mixed methods study, the qualitative investigation preceded and informed the quantitative investigation. We interviewed state administrators and providers (i.e., supervisors and clinicians) from 15 states that had completed a federal A-CRA implementation grant; providers also completed surveys. The sample included 50 providers from 35 treatment organizations that reported sustaining A-CRA when the COVID-19 pandemic began, and 20 state administrators. In qualitative thematic analyses, we applied the EPIS (Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment) framework to characterize alignment processes that interviewees described as influential on sustainment. We then used survey items to quantitatively explore the associations described in qualitative themes, using bivariate linear regressions.

RESULTS

At the time of interview, staff from 80 % of the treatment organizations (n = 28), reported sustaining A-CRA. Providers from both sustainer and non-sustainer organizations, as well as state administrators, described major sources of misalignment when state agencies ceased technical assistance post-grant, and because limited staff capacity conflicted with A-CRA's training model, which was perceived as time-intensive. Participants described the pandemic as exacerbating preexisting challenges, including capacity issues. Sustainer organizations reported seeking new funding to help sustain A-CRA. Quantitative associations between self-rated extent of sustainment and other survey items mostly followed the pattern predicted from the qualitative findings.

CONCLUSIONS

The COVID-19 pandemic amplified longstanding A-CRA sustainment challenges, but treatment organizations already successfully sustaining A-CRA pre-pandemic largely continued. There are missed opportunities for state-level actors to coordinate with providers on the shared goal of EBP sustainment. A greater focus on alignment processes in research and practice could help states and providers strengthen sustainability planning.

Expert providers implement integrated and coordinated care in opioid use disorder treatment

BACKGROUND

Enhancing care integration and coordination to improve patient outcomes in opioid use disorder treatment is a growing focus in the field. Understanding of how the treatment system implements coordination and integration, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, remains limited. In this study, we explored the implementation of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and the evolution of service delivery toward a more comprehensive approach. We examined providers' perspectives from high-achieving programs in Los Angeles County, the largest and most diverse U.S. county, including barriers to integrating and coordinating care and strategies for integrating MOUD service delivery.

METHODS

We gathered qualitative interview data from 30 high-performing programs in Los Angeles County, each represented by a manager or supervisor. High performance was defined by empirical indicators of access, retention, and program completion. Our data collection and analysis followed the constructivist grounded theory approach, explicating the social processes used by participating managers during the pandemic and subsequent organizational shifts. This approach yielded 14 major and six minor codes. Interrater reliability tests yielded a pooled Cohen's kappa statistic of 93%.

RESULTS

Expert providers exhibited a strong commitment to destigmatizing MOUD and worked to overcome obstacles in delivering care to clients by advocating its efficacy to fellow health care providers. Along with their endorsement of MOUD, they identified challenges in integrating and coordinating MOUD care. Barriers included stigma at both patient and provider levels, inadequate education about MOUD, limited access to MOUD, and the complexities of operating in a fragmented health care framework. Despite these challenges, high-performing providers used strategies to harmonize and align MOUD service delivery with health and social services. These included establishing service colocation, adopting a multidisciplinary team-based approach, forming partnerships with the community, offering telehealth services, integrating and sharing data, and embracing a harm reduction philosophy.

DISCUSSION

Through the adoption of these strategies, providers enhanced care accessibility, boosted patient engagement, sustained retention in treatment, and enhanced treatment outcomes. Even among highly skilled treatment providers in Los Angeles County, barriers to integrating and coordinating care using MOUD remain intricate and multifaceted. Addressing these challenges necessitates a comprehensive strategy involving provider education and training, increased availability of MOUD, enhanced coordination and communication among health care providers, resolution of regulatory hurdles, and addressing patient hesitancy toward MOUD.

Exploring Professional Practice Environments and Organisational Context Factors Affecting Nurses' Adoption of Evidence-Based Practice: A Scoping Review

This scoping review, conducted within the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) framework, analysed the recent literature (January 2018 to March 2023) addressing factors inherent to professional practice environments and organisational contexts influencing nurses' adoption of evidence-based practice (EBP). This review included studies involving nurses regardless of sector, practice setting, and scope of practice. A systematic search was undertaken across the PubMed, Web of Science, CINAHL, and MEDLINE databases, as well as the EThOS, OATD, and RCAAP platforms. The extracted textual elements underwent a content analysis, resulting in a coding structure established through an inductive approach that categorised information into main categories and subcategories linked by similarity and thematic affinity. Forty-one studies were included, revealing four main categories of factors impacting EBP adoption by nurses: (1) organisational dynamics, (2) management and leadership, (3) teamwork and communication, and (4) resources and infrastructure. The study's limitations acknowledge the subjective nature of categorisation, recognising potential variations based on individual perspectives despite adopting procedures to minimise the risk of bias. The results provide a substantial foundation for developing interventions to cultivate environments conducive to EBP adoption by nurses, thereby enhancing the integration of evidence into nurses' professional practice contexts. This review was prospectively registered on the Open Science Framework (registration no. osf.io/e86qz).

An Implementation Approach to Translating Assessment Data into Treatment for Disorders of Addiction

Effective translation of data to inform real-time patient care is lacking in addiction inpatient settings. The current study presents the optimization of an assessment report that is used by clinicians to individualize treatment. A multi-aim, iterative approach was taken, utilizing an implementation science perspective to arrive at a final version of the assessment report. This occurred at a small inpatient addiction treatment facility. Participants were all available clinical staff (N = 7; female = 71%). A quantitative survey was used for aims 1 and 2 to, respectively, assess motives and context around the report as well as evaluate its design. Aim 3 focused on optimization via semi-structured interviews. Descriptive and modified content analyses were utilized appropriately across aims. This resulted in five versions of the assessment report being created between February 2021 and August 2022, the most recent of which was adapted into patients' electronic medical records. We discuss each version of the report in depth, including clinicians' iterative feedback and researchers' perceived barriers to this translational process. The response rate was 64.3%. The current study highlights a replicable approach for optimizing the translation of assessment data into treatment for patients with disorders of addiction as well as an assessment report that could be utilized by similar facilities with a naturally low sample size.

Supporting Emotionally Exhausted Community Mental Health Therapists in Appropriately Adapting EBPs for Children and Adolescents

Evidence-based practices (EBPs) are often adapted during community implementation to improve EBP fit for clients and the service context. Augmenting EBPs with additional dosing and content may improve fit. However, reducing EBP content can reduce EBP effectiveness. Using multilevel regression models, this study examined whether supportive program climate and program-furnished EBP-specific implementation strategies (e.g., materials, ongoing training, in-house experts) are associated with augmenting and reducing adaptations, and whether therapist emotional exhaustion moderated these associations. Data were collected from surveys completed by 439 therapists from 102 programs 9 years after a system-driven EBP implementation initiative. Supportive program climate was associated with more augmenting adaptations. Emotional exhaustion was a significant moderator. When organizations used more EBP-specific implementation strategies, more emotionally exhausted therapists reduced EBPs less and less emotionally exhausted therapists augmented EBPs more. Findings provide guidance on how organizations can support appropriate EBP adaptations in spite of therapist emotional exhaustion.

Assessing the Integrative Framework for the Implementation of Change in Nursing Practice: Comparative Case Studies in French Hospitals

The implementation of healthcare policies in healthcare organizations is a pivotal issue for managers. They generally require a change in professional practices. In previous work, we developed the Integrative Framework for Implementation of change in Nursing Practices (IFINP) to support implementation initiatives for such change in nursing practices. We aimed to assess the generalizability of IFINP in other organizational settings and explore links between strategic and socio-material factors during implementation. We used a comparative qualitative case study at three French hospitals to assess the implementation of certification procedures. Data were collected from 33 semi-structured interviews with managers and nurses. Narratives reflecting actions and interactions were extracted and deductively analyzed using IFINP components. The results showed that the framework was flexible and captured the different aspects of implementation actions and interactions at the three hospitals. Strong interferences were identified between mobilization mechanisms and strategic elements. Interferences were observed mostly between ‘reflexive monitoring and work articulation’, and ‘reflexive monitoring and sense-making’ mechanisms. Leadership was integrated into the different mechanisms, especially the ‘translation’ mechanism. The IFINP facilitated a greater understanding of strategic elements and associated relationships with social and material factors during implementation. It helps to provide a clear definition of the managers’ role when implementing new nurse practices.

Barriers and Facilitators to the Implementation of the Pathways to Comorbidity Care (PCC) Training Package for the Management of Comorbid Mental Disorders in Drug and Alcohol Settings

Background: We have previously reported that the Pathways to Comorbidity Care (PCC) training program for alcohol and other drug (AOD) clinicians improved identification of comorbidity, self-efficacy, and attitudes toward screening and monitoring of comorbidity. We aimed to identify barriers and facilitators of implementation of the PCC training program in drug and alcohol settings. Methods: The PCC training program was implemented across 6 matched sites in Australia as per (1), and 20 clinicians received training. PCC training included seminar presentations, workshops conducted by local "clinical champions," individual clinical supervision, and access to an online information portal. We examined barriers and facilitators of implementation according to the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. Results: Barriers included inner setting (e.g., allocated time for learning) and characteristics of individuals (e.g., resistance). Facilitators included intervention characteristics (e.g., credible sources), inner setting (e.g., leadership), and outer setting domains (e.g., patient needs). Clinical champions were identified as an important component of the implementation process. Conclusions: Barriers included limited specific allocated time for learning. A credible clinical supervisor, strong leadership engagement and an active clinical champion were found to be facilitators of the PCC training program.

A framework for the implementation of certification procedures in nurse level: a mixed approach study

Background

The implementation of certification procedures across healthcare systems is an essential component of the management process. Several promising approaches were developed toward a successful implementation of such policies; however, a precise adaptation and implementation to each local context was essential. Local activities must be considered in order to generate more pragmatic recommendations for managers. In this study, we built a framework for the implementation of certification procedures at nurse activity level. This was developed using two objectives: the identification of key implementation process components, and the integration of these components into a framework which considered the local socio-material context of nurses’ work.

Methods

We used a two-step mixed approach. The first was inductive and consisted of a qualitative case study conducted between April and December 2019. Here, we analyzed the implementation of certification procedures in a French teaching hospital. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and observations. In the second approach, emerging data were deductively analyzed using the Quality Implementation Tool (QIT) and Translational Mobilization Theory (TMT). Analyses were combined to construct an implementation framework.

Results

Sixteen interviews were conducted with participants from different organizational levels, managers, mid-managers, and nurses. Additionally, 83 observational hours were carried out in two different wards. Our results showed that, (1) All retrieved elements during the process were successfully captured by the QIT components, only one component was not applicable. (2) We identified elements related to the local activity context, with the different interrelationships between actors, actions, and contexts using the TMT. (3) Our analyses were integrated and translated into a framework that presents the implementation of certification procedures in healthcare facilities, with a specific interest to the nurse/mid-manager level. By initially using QIT, the framework components took on a transversal aspect which were then adapted by TMT to the local work context.

Conclusions

We successfully generated a framework that supports the implementation of certification procedures at the activity level. Our approach identified a broader vision of the interactions between proximity managers, teams, and contexts during change mobilization, which were not encompassed by transversal framework only, such as QIT. In the future, more empirical studies are needed to test this framework.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12913-021-06940-0.

The relationship between first-level leadership and inner-context and implementation outcomes in behavioral health: a scoping review

BACKGROUND

First-level leadership is uniquely positioned to support evidence-based practice (EBP) implementation for behavioral health due to first-level leaders' access to and relationship with service providers. First-level leaders are individuals who directly supervise and manage frontline employees who do not manage others. However, first-level leadership is underrepresented in existing reviews of the impact of leadership on EBP implementation. This review describes the relationship between first-level leadership and implementation determinants and outcomes.

METHODS

A scoping review was performed to synthesize the literature on the relationship between first-level leadership and inner-context and implementation outcomes. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Eric, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science. To be eligible, studies had to examine first-level leadership, be conducted in settings providing behavioral health services, and examine the relationship between first-level leadership and an implementation or inner-context outcome. Data extraction and synthesis were performed to describe study characteristics, leader-outcome relationships, and overlap in leadership frameworks.

RESULTS

Twenty-one records met our inclusion criteria. Studies primarily relied on observational designs and were often cross-sectional. Studies more often examined general leadership rather than leadership strategically focused on EBP implementation (i.e., strategic implementation leadership). Our findings suggest that several forms of first-level leadership are inconsistently related to a broad set of implementation determinants, with infrequent examination of specific implementation outcomes. The broad set of implementation determinants studied, limited number of replications, and inconsistent findings have resulted in sparse evidence for any specific leadership-outcome relationship. The greatest accumulation of evidence exists for general leadership's positive relationship with providers' EBP attitudes, most notably in the form of transformational leadership. This was followed by evidence for strategic implementation leadership facilitating general implementation. Our synthesis revealed moderate conceptual overlap of strategic implementation leadership behaviors described in the theory of implementation leadership and theory of middle managers' role in implementation.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that first-level leadership may play an important role in shaping implementation determinants and outcomes, but consistent empirical support is sparse and confidence dampened by methodological issues. To advance the field, we need studies that adopt stronger methodological rigor, address the conceptual overlap in leadership frameworks, examine a broader set of implementation outcomes, and examine conditions under which leadership impacts implementation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This review was not registered.

Strategies for the implementation of best practice guidelines in operating theatres: An integrative literature review

Best practice guidelines (BPGs) exist for operating theatre (OT), but strategies to implement them are lacking. To address the gap, an integrative review was undertaken to identify strategies which can be used to implement BPGs in OT. This article aimed to summarise the best existing literature in order to identify and describe strategies for the implementation of BPGs in OT. An extensive search was undertaken to include relevant literature from February 2005 to March 2020 using the following databases: CINAHL, Medline, Biomed Central, Academic Search Complete and Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition (EBSCOhost) and the Cochrane library. This integrative literature review followed the methodology proposed by Whittemore and Knafl, namely: (1) identification of the research problem, (2) search of the literature, (3) evaluation of the data, (4) analysis of the data and (5) presentation of the results. On completion of the critical appraisal, 15 (n = 15) articles met the inclusion criteria and relevant data were synthesised. The review identified six strategies facilitating implementation of BPGs in OT, namely, communication, education materials and mass media, academic detailing, opinion leaders, audit and feedback, and teamwork and collaboration. The review validated strategies for the implementation of BPGs in OT. Implementation of BPGs is essential to both provide and improve patient care and to benefit health outcomes. This review is expected to contribute to the provision of strategies to implement BPGs in OT.

Advancing theory on the multilevel role of leadership in the implementation of evidence-based health care practices

Background:

Top managers’ transformational leadership is associated with significant influence on subordinates. Yet little is known about the extent to which top managers’ transformational leadership influences middle managers’ implementation leadership and, ultimately, frontline staff delivery of evidence-based health care practices.

Purpose:

To test a multilevel leadership model examining the extent to which top managers’ transformational leadership, as mediated by implementation leadership of middle managers (i.e., those who supervise direct clinical services), affects staff attitudes toward evidence-based practices (EBPs) and their implementation.

Methodology/Approach:

We used data collected in 2013 from 427 employees in 112 addiction health services programs in Los Angeles County, California. We relied on hierarchical linear models with robust standard errors to analyze multilevel data, individuals nested in programs. We conducted two path models to estimate multilevel relationships with two EBPs: contingency management and medication-assisted treatment.

Results:

Findings partially supported our theory-driven multilevel leadership model. Specifically, results demonstrated that middle managers’ implementation leadership mediated the relationship between top managers’ transformational leadership and attitudes toward EBPs. At the same time, they showed the mediated relationship for delivery of contingency management treatment was only marginally significant (standardized indirect effect = .006, bootstrap p = .091). We did not find a mediation effect for medication-assisted treatment.

Discussion:

Findings advance leadership theory in health care, highlighting the importance of middle managers’ implementation leadership in transmitting the influence of top managers’ transformational leadership on staff attitudes toward EBPs. The full path model shows the extent to which transformational leadership may influence staff implementation of innovative practices as mediated through staff attitudes toward EBPs and middle managers’ implementation leadership.

Practice Implications:

Our findings have implications for developing a multilevel leadership approach to implementation in health care. Leadership development should build on different competencies based on managers' level but align managers' priorities on the same implementation goals.

First-line managers' experience of the use of audit and feedback cycle in specialist mental health care: A qualitative case study

BACKGROUND

Audit and feedback was the main strategy to facilitate implementation of The National Guideline for Persons with Concurrent Substance Use Disorders and Mental Disorders in specialist mental health services. Studies have shown that leadership support contributes to implementation success. The aim of the study was to explore how first-line managers in a District Psychiatric Centre experienced using audit and feedback cycle.

METHOD

The study had a qualitative case study design with individual interviews with five first-line managers from a District Psychiatric Centre in Norway. Qualitative content analysis was conducted.

RESULTS

First-line managers were positive to contribute to better practice for the patient group and apply available tools. Four themes emerged: 1) Lack of endurance, where first-line managers saw their role as being process leaders, but failed to persist, 2) Lack of support in the process, where first-line managers called for a stronger organisational focus 3) Lack of ownership, where first-line managers felt the process was imposed on them, and 4) Lack of leader autonomy, where first-line managers seemed insecure about their role between professional leadership and own management.

CONCLUSION

First-line managers were not sufficiently experienced or equipped to solve the implementation process satisfactorily. They were torn between different commitments, without the autonomy to act as process drivers or facilitators, and without taking the necessary leadership role. The potential impact of the use of audit and feedback may thus not be fully realized, in part, because of limited organisational support and capacity to respond effectively.

A Mixed Methods Study of Organizational Readiness for Change and Leadership During a Training Initiative Within Community Mental Health Clinics

This longitudinal mixed-methods study explored variation in organizational readiness for change and leadership behavior across seven organizations during a 12-month training initiative in person-centered care planning. Quantitative data was used to examine trajectories of organizational readiness for change and leadership behavior over time and qualitative data explored provider perspectives on the trajectory of these organizational factors during the 12-month training initiative. Findings indicated that levels of organizational readiness for change and leadership behavior varied across clinics, but most experienced a significant positive change at the mid-point of the training. Organizational readiness for change was positively correlated with leaderships behaviors across time. Provider focus group findings gave insight into their initial resistance to adopting the new practice and their increasing receptivity in the second 6 months due to increased understanding of the practice and leadership endorsement. Increasing provider openness to a new practice prior to training and having a consistently engaged leadership have the potential to improve the efficiency of a training initiative.

Program Capacity to Deliver Prevention Services to Children of Adult Clients Receiving Substance Use Disorder Treatment

Children whose parents have a history of substance use are at elevated risk of developing substance use disorders (SUDs) and related debilitating behaviors. Although specialty treatment programs are uniquely positioned to deliver prevention care to children of adult clients, these programs may have limited capacity to implement prevention and early intervention care services, particularly in racial and ethnic minority communities. We merged data from program surveys and client records collected in 2015 to examine the extent to which program capacity factors are associated with the odds of delivering prevention and early intervention services for children of adult clients attending outpatient SUD treatment in low-income minority communities in Los Angeles County, California. Our analytic sample consisted of 16,712 clients embedded in 82 programs. Our results show that 85% of these programs reported delivering prevention care services, while 71% of programs delivered early intervention services. Programs with organizational climates supporting change and those that served a high number of clients annually were more likely to implement both prevention and early intervention practices. Programs accepting Medicaid payments and serving clients whose primary drug was marijuana were more than three times as likely to implement prevention services. Overall, our findings suggest both program- and client-level characteristics are associated with delivering preventive care offered to children of adult clients receiving SUD treatment in communities of color. As Medicaid has become a major payor of SUD treatment services and marijuana use has been legalized in California, findings identify capacity factors to deliver public health prevention interventions in one of the nation's largest public SUD treatment systems.

Impact of an organization-wide knowledge translation strategy to support evidence-informed public health decision making

Background

The public health sector is moving toward adopting evidence-informed decision making into practice, but effort is still required to effectively develop capacity and promote contextual factors that advance and sustain it. This paper describes the impact of an organization-wide knowledge translation intervention delivered by knowledge brokers on evidence-informed decision making knowledge, skills and behaviour.

Methods

A case study design was implemented with the intervention and data collection tailored to the unique needs of each case (health department). A knowledge broker provided training workshops and mentored small groups through a seven step process of evidence-informed decision making. The intervention was delivered over 22 months; data related to evidence-informed decision making knowledge, skills and behaviour were collected at baseline and follow-up. Mixed effects regression models were developed to assess the impact of involvement in the intervention on the evidence-informed decision making outcomes.

Results

Data from a total of 606 health department staff were collected during baseline: 207 (33%) staff from Case A, 304 (28%) from Case B, and 95 (47%) from Case C. There were a total of 804 participants at follow-up: 258 (42%) from Case A, 391 from Case B (37%), and 155 (50%) from Case C. Statistically significant increases in knowledge and skills were observed overall, and in all three health departments. An increase in evidence-informed decision making behaviour was observed among those intensively involved in the intervention from all cases (statistically significant in Case A). The organizational characteristics of strategic priority, leadership, readiness, and choice of staff emerged as important factors in the change process.

Conclusions

Knowledge brokering is a promising organizational knowledge translation intervention to support evidence-informed decision making. The intervention appeared to have the greatest impact on those who became actively engaged with the knowledge broker in the intervention. Active participation in face-to-face training activities with a knowledge broker, focused specifically on evidence-informed decision making skill development, led to the greatest impact on associated behaviours, knowledge, and skills. Several organizational factors emerged as integral to success of the knowledge translation intervention.

Management Practices Promoting Sustained Implementation of the Quality Register Senior Alert for Older Adults in Municipal Care in Sweden

Background:

Senior Alert is a national quality register aimed at supporting a standardized, structured, and systematic preventive care process for adults aged 65 and over in the areas malnutrition, pressure ulcers, falls, problems with oral health and bladder dysfunction. Therefore, the quality register is particularly suitable for older adults with multimorbidity.

Aim:

The aim was to describe management practices that contributed to the sustained implementation of the quality register Senior Alert in municipal elderly care in Sweden.

Methods:

The design of this pilot study was descriptive and inductive. The sample of n = 12 included managers (n = 7) and care staff (n = 5) at seven municipal care homes for older adults in Sweden. The study was performed between April 2014 and June 2014 using two methods: Individual interviews and nonparticipant unstructured observations. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results:

The analysis led to the following generic categories: leading teamwork, leading a preventive care process and leading a supportive organizational structure, and to one main category: management promoting learning and quality improvement.

Conclusion:

To be sustainable, Senior Alert implementations in municipal elderly care need management. Management, by leading teamwork, a preventive care process and a supportive organizational structure, is essential for achieving learning and quality improvement.

Perspectives from Community-Based Organizational Managers on Implementing and Sustaining Evidence-Based Interventions in Child Welfare

The managers of community-based organizations that are contracted to deliver publicly funded programs, such as in the child welfare sector, occupy a crucial role in the implementation and sustainment of evidence-based interventions to improve the effectiveness of services, as they exert influence across levels of stakeholders in multitiered systems. This study utilized qualitative interviews to examine the perspectives and experiences of managers in implementing Safe Care®, an evidence-based intervention to reduce child maltreatment. Factors influencing managers' abilities to support SafeCare® included policy and ideological trends, characteristics of leadership in systems and organizations, public-private partnerships, procurement and contracting, collaboration and coopetition, and support for organizational staff.

Mixed-method analysis of program leader perspectives on the sustainment of multiple child evidence-based practices in a system-driven implementation

BACKGROUND

Understanding program leader perspectives on the sustainment of evidence-based practice (EBP) in community mental health settings is essential to improving implementation. To date, however, much of the literature has focused on direct service provider perspectives on EBP implementation. The aim of this mixed-method study was to identify factors associated with the sustainment of multiple EBPs within a system-driven implementation effort in children's mental health services.

METHODS

Data were gathered from 186 leaders at 59 agencies within the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health who were contracted to deliver one of six EBPs within the Prevention and Early Intervention initiative.

RESULTS

Multi-level analyses of quantitative survey data (N = 186) revealed a greater probability of leader-reported EBP sustainment in large agencies and when leaders held more positive perceptions toward the EBP. Themes from semi-structured qualitative interviews conducted with a subset of survey participants (n = 47) expanded quantitative findings by providing detail on facilitating conditions in larger agencies and aspects of EBP fit that were perceived to lead to greater sustainment, including perceived fit with client needs, implementation requirements, aspects of the organizational workforce, availability of trainings, and overall therapist attitudes about EBPs.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings inform EBP implementation efforts regarding decisions around organizational-level supports and promotion of EBP fit.

The Role of Leadership Support in a Church-Based Cancer Education Implementation Study

Leadership plays a role in the success of an organization's initiatives. We examined church leaders' support-as perceived by lay community health advisor (CHA) interventionists-and implementation outcomes in a cancer early detection trial. CHAs perceived that their pastors: helped promote the intervention (M = 3.1/4, SD 1.2) and attended about half (M = 1.6/3, SD 1.3) the workshops. CHAs used marginally more techniques to recruit members when they perceived pastors were engaged in promoting the program (r _s = .44, p = .08). Pastor attendance was positively associated with member enrollment (r _s = .50, p < .05). Pastor support may be related to receptivity of both CHAs and congregants to engage in church health promotion.

Leading for the long haul: a mixed-method evaluation of the Sustainment Leadership Scale (SLS)

Background

Despite our progress in understanding the organizational context for implementation and specifically the role of leadership in implementation, its role in sustainment has received little attention. This paper took a mixed-method approach to examine leadership during the sustainment phase of the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, Sustainment (EPIS) framework. Utilizing the Implementation Leadership Scale as a foundation, we sought to develop a short, practical measure of sustainment leadership that can be used for both applied and research purposes.

Methods

Data for this study were collected as a part of a larger mixed-method study of evidence-based intervention, SafeCare®, sustainment. Quantitative data were collected from 157 providers using web-based surveys. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the factor structure of the Sustainment Leadership Scale (SLS). Qualitative data were collected from 95 providers who participated in one of 15 focus groups. A framework approach guided qualitative data analysis. Mixed-method integration was also utilized to examine convergence of quantitative and qualitative findings.

Results

Confirmatory factor analysis supported the a priori higher order factor structure of the SLS with subscales indicating a single higher order sustainment leadership factor. The SLS demonstrated excellent internal consistency reliability. Qualitative analyses offered support for the dimensions of sustainment leadership captured by the quantitative measure, in addition to uncovering a fifth possible factor, available leadership.

Conclusions

This study found qualitative and quantitative support for the pragmatic SLS measure. The SLS can be used for assessing leadership of first-level leaders to understand how staff perceive leadership during sustainment and to suggest areas where leaders could direct more attention in order to increase the likelihood that EBIs are institutionalized into the normal functioning of the organization.

New ways of seeing: Health social work leadership and research capacity building

Building research capacity amongst social work practitioners is critically important for leaders in the social work profession. To reverse an apparent reluctance to use evidence and engage in research, strong social work leadership in practice organisations is needed. The literature on leadership in health social work is relatively silent regarding research capacity building as a leadership attribute but it is argued in this paper that leadership is crucial. A programme of research capacity building and its outcomes in a health social work department is described, identifying key principles guiding its establishment and tasks undertaken. A transformational leadership style characterised this approach to research capacity building which delivered benefits to the staff and the service.

Ottawa Model of Implementation Leadership and Implementation Leadership Scale: mapping concepts for developing and evaluating theory-based leadership interventions

Purpose

Leadership in health care is instrumental to creating a supportive organizational environment and positive staff attitudes for implementing evidence-based practices to improve patient care and outcomes. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the alignment of the Ottawa Model of Implementation Leadership (O-MILe), a theoretical model for developing implementation leadership, with the Implementation Leadership Scale (ILS), an empirically validated tool for measuring implementation leadership. A secondary objective is to describe the methodological process for aligning concepts of a theoretical model with an independently established measurement tool for evaluating theory-based interventions.

Methods

Modified template analysis was conducted to deductively map items of the ILS onto concepts of the O-MILe. An iterative process was used in which the model and scale developers (n=5) appraised the relevance, conceptual clarity, and fit of each ILS items with the O-MILe concepts through individual feedback and group discussions until consensus was reached.

Results

All 12 items of the ILS correspond to at least one O-MILe concept, demonstrating compatibility of the ILS as a measurement tool for the O-MILe theoretical constructs.

Conclusion

The O-MILe provides a theoretical basis for developing implementation leadership, and the ILS is a compatible tool for measuring leadership based on the O-MILe. Used together, the O-MILe and ILS provide an evidence- and theory-based approach for developing and measuring leadership for implementing evidence-based practices in health care. Template analysis offers a convenient approach for determining the compatibility of independently developed evaluation tools to test theoretical models.

Effectiveness of supporting intensive care units on implementing the guideline 'End-of-life care in the intensive care unit, nursing care': a cluster randomized controlled trial

AIM

The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of supporting intensive care units on implementing the guidelines.

BACKGROUND

Quality of care can be achieved through evidence-based practice. Guidelines can facilitate evidence-based practice, such as the guidelines 'End-of-life care in the intensive care unit, nursing care'. Before intensive care nurses are able to use these guidelines, they needs to be implemented in clinical practice. Implementation is a complex process and may need support.

DESIGN

Cluster randomized controlled trial.

METHODS

Intensive care nurses of eight intensive care units in the intervention group followed a supportive programme that educated them on implementation, strategies, goals, project management and leadership. The intervention group focused on a stepwise approach to implement the guidelines. The control group (n = 5) implemented the guidelines independently or used the standard implementation plan supplementary to the guideline. The effectiveness of the programme was measured using questionnaires for nurses, interviews with nurses and a questionnaire for family of deceased patients, in the period from December 2014-December 2015.

RESULTS

Overall, an increase in adherence to the guidelines was found in both groups. Overall, use of the guidelines in the intervention group was higher, but on some aspects the control group showed a higher score. Care for the patient and the overall nursing care scored significantly higher according to family in the intervention group.

CONCLUSION

The increase in adherence to the guidelines and the significantly higher satisfaction of family in the intervention group indicate that the supportive programme had a more positive effect.

Keys to successful implementation of a French national quality indicator in health care organizations: a qualitative study

Background

Several countries have launched public reporting systems based on quality indicators (QIs) to increase transparency and improve quality in health care organizations (HCOs). However, a prerequisite to quality improvement is successful local QI implementation. The aim of this study was to explore the pathway through which a mandatory QI of the French national public reporting system, namely the quality of the anesthesia file (QAF), was put into practice.

Method

Seven ethnographic case studies in French HCOs combining in situ observations and 37 semi-structured interviews.

Results

A significant proportion of potential QAF users, such as anesthetists or other health professionals were often unaware of quality data. They were, however, involved in improvement actions to meet the QAF criteria. In fact, three intertwined factors influenced QAF appropriation by anesthesia teams and impacted practice. The first factor was the action of clinical managers (chief anesthetists and head of department) who helped translate public policy into local practice largely by providing legitimacy by highlighting the scientific evidence underlying QAF, achieving consensus among team members, and pointing out the value of QAF as a means of work recognition. The two other factors related to the socio-material context, namely the coherence of information systems and the quality of interpersonal ties within the department.

Conclusions

Public policy tends to focus on the metrological validity of QIs and on ranking methods and overlooks QI implementation. However, effective QI implementation depends on local managerial activity that is often invisible, in interaction with socio-material factors. When developing national quality improvement programs, health authorities might do well to specifically target these clinical managers who act as invaluable mediators. Their key role should be acknowledged and they ought to be provided with adequate resources.