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✪ Core Components and Implementation Determinants of Multilevel Service Delivery Frameworks Across Child Mental Health Service Settings

Authors:

Stephanie A. Moore, Jennifer McGrory Cooper, JoAnne Malloy, & Aaron R. Lyon

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: December 2023

Read the full text in the open access journal Administration and Policy in Mental Health

Abstract:

Multilevel service delivery frameworks are approaches to structuring and organizing a spectrum of evidence-based services and supports, focused on assessment, prevention, and intervention designed for the local context. Exemplar frameworks in child mental health include positive behavioral interventions and supports in education, collaborative care in primary care, and systems of care in community mental health settings. Yet, their high-quality implementation has lagged. This work proposes a conceptual foundation for multilevel service delivery frameworks spanning diverse mental health service settings that can inform development of strategic implementation supports. We draw upon the existing literature for three exemplar multilevel service delivery frameworks in different child mental health service settings to (1) identify core components common to each framework, and (2) to highlight prominent implementation determinants that interface with each core component. Six interrelated components of multilevel service delivery frameworks were identified, including, (1) a systems-level approach, (2) data-driven problem solving and decision-making, (3) multiple levels of service intensity using evidence-based practices, (4) cross-linking service sectors, (5) multiple providers working together, including in teams, and (6) built-in implementation strategies that facilitate delivery of the overall model. Implementation determinants that interface with core components were identified at each contextual level. The conceptual foundation provided in this paper has the potential to facilitate cross-sector knowledge sharing, promote generalization across service settings, and provide direction for researchers, system leaders, and implementation intermediaries/practitioners working to strategically support the high-quality implementation of these frameworks.

**This abstract is posted with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License**

✪ Association of organizational culture and climate with variation in the clinical outcomes of collaborative care for maternal depression in community health centers

Authors:

Nathaniel J. Williams, Joan Russo, Melinda Vredevoogd, Tess Grover, Phillip Green, Enola Proctor, Amritha Bhat, Jürgen Unützer & Ian M. Bennett

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: October 2023

Read the full text in the open access journal Implementation Research and Practice

Abstract:

Background

Organizational factors may help explain variation in the effectiveness of evidence-based clinical innovations through implementation and sustainment. This study tested the relationship between organizational culture and climate and variation in clinical outcomes of the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM) for treatment of maternal depression implemented in community health centers.

Method

Organizational cultures and climates of 10 community health centers providing CoCM for depression among low-income women pregnant or parenting were assessed using the organizational social context (OSC) measure. Three-level hierarchical linear models tested whether variation in culture and climate predicted variation in improvement in depression symptoms from baseline to 6.5-month post-baseline for N = 468 women with care ±1 year of OSC assessment. Depression symptomology was measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9).

Results

After controlling for patient characteristics, case mix, center size, and implementation support, patients served by centers with more proficient cultures improved significantly more from baseline to 6.5-month post-baseline than patients in centers with less proficient cultures (mean improvement = 5.08 vs. 0.14, respectively, p = .020), resulting in a large adjusted effect size of dadj = 0.78. A similar effect was observed for patients served by centers with more functional climates (mean improvement = 5.25 vs. 1.12, p < .044, dadj = 0.65). Growth models indicated that patients from all centers recovered on average after 4 months of care. However, those with more proficient cultures remained stabilized whereas patients served by centers with less proficient cultures deteriorated by 6.5-month post-baseline. A similar pattern was observed for functional climate.

Conclusions

Variation in clinical outcomes for women from historically underserved populations receiving Collaborative Care for maternal depression was associated with the organizational cultures and climates of community health centers. Implementation strategies targeting culture and climate may improve the implementation and effectiveness of integrated behavioral health care for depression.

**This abstract is posted with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License**

✪ Integrating a focus on health equity in implementation science: Case examples from the national cancer institute’s implementation science in cancer control centers (ISC3) network

Authors:

Kelly A. Aschbrenner, April Y. Oh, Rachel G. Tabak, Peggy A. Hannon, Heather E. Angier, W. Todd Moore, Sonja Likumahuwa-Ackman, Jennifer K. Carroll, Ana A. Baumann, Rinad S. Beidas, Stephanie Mazzucca-Ragan, Erika A. Waters, Rajani S. Sadasivam, and Rachel C. Shelton

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published:September 2023

Read the full text in the open access Journal of Clinical and Translational Science

Abstract:

Background

A Health Equity Task Force (HETF) of members from seven Centers funded by the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Implementation Science in Cancer Control Centers (ISC3) network sought to identify case examples of how Centers were applying a focus on health equity in implementation science to inform future research and capacity-building efforts.

Methods

HETF members at each ISC3 collected information on how health equity was conceptualized, operationalized, and addressed in initial research and capacity-building efforts across the seven ISC3 Centers funded in 2019–2020. Each Center completed a questionnaire assessing five health equity domains central to implementation science (e.g., community engagement; implementation science theories, models, and frameworks (TMFs); and engaging underrepresented scholars). Data generated illustrative examples from these five domains.

Results

Centers reported a range of approaches focusing on health equity in implementation research and capacity-building efforts, including (1) engaging diverse community partners/settings in making decisions about research priorities and projects; (2) applying health equity within a single TMF applied across projects or various TMFs used in specific projects; (3) evaluating health equity in operationalizing and measuring health and implementation outcomes; (4) building capacity for health equity-focused implementation science among trainees, early career scholars, and partnering organizations; and (5) leveraging varying levels of institutional resources and efforts to engage, include, and support underrepresented scholars.

Conclusions

Examples of approaches to integrating health equity across the ISC3 network can inform other investigators and centers’ efforts to build capacity and infrastructure to support growth and expansion of health equity-focused implementation science.

**This abstract is posted with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License**

✪ Toward a more comprehensive understanding of organizational influences on implementation: the organization theory for implementation science framework

Authors:

Sarah A. Birken, Cheyenne R. Wagi, Alexandra G. Peluso, Michelle C. Kegler, Jure Baloh, Prajakta Adsul, Maria E. Fernandez, Manal Masud, Terry T-K Huang, Matthew Lee, Mary Wangen, Per Nilsen, Miriam Bender, Mimi Choy-Brown, Grace Ryan, Aliza Randazzo, and Linda K. Ko

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: August 2023

Read the full text in the open access journal Frontiers in Health Services

Abstract:

Introduction

Implementation is influenced by factors beyond individual clinical settings. Nevertheless, implementation research often focuses on factors related to individual providers and practices, potentially due to limitations of available frameworks. Extant frameworks do not adequately capture the myriad organizational influences on implementation. Organization theories capture diverse organizational influences but remain underused in implementation science. To advance their use among implementation scientists, we distilled 70 constructs from nine organization theories identified in our previous work into theoretical domains in the Organization Theory for Implementation Science (OTIS) framework.

Methods

The process of distilling organization theory constructs into domains involved concept mapping and iterative consensus-building. First, we recruited organization and implementation scientists to participate in an online concept mapping exercise in which they sorted organization theory constructs into domains representing similar theoretical concepts. Multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analyses were used to produce visual representations (clusters) of the relationships among constructs in concept maps. Second, to interpret concept maps, we engaged members of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network (CPCRN) OTIS workgroup in consensus-building discussions.

Results

Twenty-four experts participated in concept mapping. Based on resulting construct groupings' coherence, OTIS workgroup members selected the 10-cluster solution (from options of 7–13 clusters) and then reorganized clusters in consensus-building discussions to increase coherence. This process yielded six final OTIS domains: organizational characteristics (e.g., size; age); governance and operations (e.g., organizational and social subsystems); tasks and processes (e.g., technology cycles; excess capacity); knowledge and learning (e.g., tacit knowledge; sense making); characteristics of a population of organizations (e.g., isomorphism; selection pressure); and interorganizational relationships (e.g., dominance; interdependence).

Discussion

Organizational influences on implementation are poorly understood, in part due to the limitations of extant frameworks. To improve understanding of organizational influences on implementation, we distilled 70 constructs from nine organization theories into six domains. Applications of the OTIS framework will enhance understanding of organizational influences on implementation, promote theory-driven strategies for organizational change, improve understanding of mechanisms underlying relationships between OTIS constructs and implementation, and allow for framework refinement. Next steps include testing the OTIS framework in implementation research and adapting it for use among policymakers and practitioners.

**This abstract is posted with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License**

✪ Enhancing the Introduction and Scale Up of Self-Administered Injectable Contraception (DMPA-SC) in Health Systems (the EASIER Project): Protocol for Embedded Implementation Research

Authors:

Colin Baynes, Petrus S Steyn, Kenneth Sherr, and James Kiarie

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published:August 2023

Read the full text in the open access journal JMIR Research Protocols

Abstract:

Background

The introduction of self-administered injectable contraception presents an opportunity to address the unmet need for family planning. As ministries of health scale up self-administered injectable contraception, there is a scarcity of knowledge on the implementation practices and contextual conditions that help and hinder these efforts. The World Health Organization has launched the “enhancing self-administered family planning through embedded research project” (EASIER) to address this challenge.

Objective

EASIER’s objectives are to: (1) assess the coverage of self-injectable contraception, and the readiness of health systems to integrate it into the contraceptive method mix; (2) document strategies used to introduce and scale up self-injectable contraception and understand practices that have led to success and challenges; (3) identify the contextual factors that affect the adoption and implementation of self-injectable contraception throughout health systems; (4) understand whether implementation addresses users’ preferences and needs; (5) strengthen collaboration between decision makers, researchers, and implementers; support and build capacity to use evidence.

Methods

EASIER developed a global protocol that implementation research (IR) teams in Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Kenya adapted into country-level embedded IR projects. In all countries (1) at the national level, IR teams evaluate the policy environment for scaling up by conducting a desk review and in-depth interviews; (2) at the local level, IR teams implement quantitative questionnaires on structural and organizational readiness to integrate self-injection into the method mix; (3) in “case study” localities, IR teams conduct in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with implementers, method users, and community members; and (4) IR teams use participatory action research to elicit stakeholder participation and translate findings into programmatic decisions.

Results

EASIER has been launched in all 3 countries. Preliminary findings are available from Burkina Faso and Kenya. In Burkina Faso, IR teams identified the need to strengthen health worker training approaches to ensure that family planning providers at primary health care facilities are adequately oriented to depo-medroxyprogesterone acetate subcutaneous (DMPA-SC) and self-injection and capacitated to initiate women to the method. In addition, they report the need for service communication strategies that reach potential users of the method with knowledge about self-injection and how to initiate the practice. In Kenya, the findings illuminate the need for practice guidelines that county health teams can use to coordinate the rollout of self-administered DMPA-SC. In addition, Kenya’s findings underscore the importance of addressing logistical bottlenecks to help avoid stock-outs.

Conclusions

EASIER presents a strategy to embed IR in contraceptive method introduction and scale-up, address local knowledge needs, devise ways to maximize the impact of new technologies in health systems, and build capacity for using evidence in programmatic decisions. Adaptation and implementation of country-level IR studies will advance the use of IR to strengthen family planning programs.

**This abstract is posted with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License**

✪ Organizational contexts, implementation processes, and capacity outcomes of multicultural, multilingual Home-Based Programs in public initiatives: A Mixed-Methods study

Authors:

Eunjung Kim, Doris M. Boutain, Sungwon Lim, Sanithia Parker, Di Wang, Rebekah Maldonado Nofziger, & Byran J. Weiner

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: August 2023

Read the full text in the open access Journal of Advanced Nursing

Abstract:

Aims

The study aim was to examine the impact of a home-based programme intervention on organizational contexts, implementation processes and organizational capacity outcomes from multicultural, multilingual participants working at community-based organizations.

Design

This was a sequential exploratory, mixed-methods longitudinal study using community-based participatory research principles.

Sample

Twenty participants from nine multicultural, multilingual community-based organizations were in this public health initiative's intervention to develop community-designed, home-based programmes.

Methods

Capacity building providers delivered the intervention selected by the funders. Workshop outcomes were descriptively measured in April/May 2019. In April/May and November 2019, participants completed surveys about organizational contexts, implementation processes and organizational capacity outcomes, which were analysed with t-tests using the organization as the unit of analysis. Qualitative data were analysed using content analysis.

Results

Seven programmes were new and two were modified. As workshop outcomes, 59% of participants reported increased overall implementation knowledge and 74% reported capacity building providers as the most helpful resource. After 6 to 7 months, no statistically significant changes were noted in organizational contexts, implementation processes or organizational capacity outcomes. Participants benefited from capacity building because they had programmes developed, formed partnerships with capacity building providers, gained implementation knowledge, and engaged in networking.

Conclusion

Participants reported excellent individual and organizational strengths. Many Initiative factors contributed to no statistical changes. Namely, there was no opportunity for baseline data; limited community-based organization engagement in the intervention model selection, timeline and processes; the Initiative's timeline did not fit participants' timeline; insufficient time to develop culturally and linguistically appropriate programmes; late literature review abstracts; lack of adequate, planful and paid capacity building time; and a contract requirement to have the programme due when it was not implementable. These Initiative design factors, as reported by participants, limited the Initiative's home-based programme development.

Impact

This study highlights the strengths of participants, community-based organizations and capacity building providers. Model selection, timeline and budget were identified as key factors for equitable implementation in multicultural, multilingual organizations.

**This abstract is posted with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License**

✪ Selecting implementation strategies to improve implementation of integrated PrEP for pregnant and postpartum populations in Kenya: a sequential explanatory mixed methods analysis

Authors:

Sarah Hicks, Ben Odhiambo, Felix Abuna, Julia C. Dettinger, Nancy Ngumbau, Laurén Gómez, Joseph Sila, George Oketch, Enock Sifuna, Bryan J. Weiner, Grace John-Stewart, John Kinuthia & Anjuli D. Wagner

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: August 2023

Read the full text in the open access journal Implementation Science Communications

Abstract:

Background

There is a higher risk for HIV acquisition during pregnancy and postpartum. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is recommended during this period for those at high risk of infection; integrated delivery in maternal and child health (MCH) clinics is feasible and acceptable but requires implementation optimization.

Methods

The PrEP in Pregnancy, Accelerating Reach and Efficiency study (PrEPARE; NCT04712994) engaged stakeholders to prioritize determinants of PrEP delivery (using Likert scores) and prioritize PrEP delivery implementation strategies. Using a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, we conducted quantitative surveys with healthcare workers at 55 facilities in Western Kenya and a stakeholder workshop (including nurses, pharmacists, counselors, and county and national policymakers), yielding visual plots of stakeholders’ perceived feasibility and effectiveness of the strategies. A stepwise elimination process was used to identify seven strategies for empirical testing. Facilitator debriefing reports from the workshop were used to qualitatively assess the decision-making process.

Results

Among 146 healthcare workers, the strongest reported barriers to PrEP delivery were insufficient providers and inadequate training, insufficient space, and high volume of patients. Sixteen strategies were assessed, 14 of which were included in the final analysis. Among rankings from 182 healthcare workers and 44 PrEP policymakers and implementers, seven strategies were eliminated based on low post-workshop ranking scores (bottom 50th percentile) or being perceived as low feasibility or low effectiveness for at least 50% of the workshop groups. The top seven strategies included delivering PrEP within MCH clinics instead of pharmacies, fast-tracking PrEP clients to reduce waiting time, delivering PrEP-related health talks in waiting bays, task shifting PrEP counseling, task shifting PrEP risk assessments, training different providers to deliver PrEP, and retraining providers on PrEP delivery. All top seven ranked strategies were grouped into bundles for subsequent testing. Facilitator debriefing reports generally aligned with rankings but noted how stakeholders’ decision-making changed when considering the impact of strategies on facility staff and non-PrEP clients.

Conclusions

The most impactful barriers to integrated PrEP delivery in MCH clinics were insufficient staffing and space. Implementation strategies prioritized through multiple methods of stakeholder input focused on co-location of services and increasing clinic efficiency. Future testing of these stakeholder-prioritized strategy bundles will be conducted to assess the effectiveness and implementation outcomes.

**This abstract is posted with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License**

✪ Characterizing provider-led adaptations to mobile phone delivery of the Adolescent Transition Package (ATP) in Kenya using the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications to Evidence-based Implementation Strategies (FRAME-IS): a mixed methods approach

Authors:

Dorothy Imbuka Mangale, Alvin Onyango, Cyrus Mugo, Caren Mburu, Nok Chhun, Dalton Wamalwa, Irene Njuguna, Arianna Rubin Means, Grace John-Stewart, Bryan J. Weiner & Kristin Beima-Sofie

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: August 2023

Read the full text in the open access journal Implementation Science Communication

Abstract:

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in disruptions to routine HIV services for youth living with HIV (YLH), provoking rapid adaptation to mitigate interruptions in care. The Adolescent Transition to Adult Care for HIV-infected adolescents (ATTACH) study (NCT03574129) was a hybrid I cluster randomized trial testing the effectiveness of a healthcare worker (HCW)-delivered disclosure and transition intervention — the Adolescent Transition Package (ATP). During the pandemic, HCWs leveraged phone delivery of the ATP and were supported to make adaptations. We characterized real-time, provider-driven adaptations made to support phone delivery of the ATP.

Methods

We conducted continuous quality improvement (CQI) meetings with HCWs involved in phone delivery of the ATP at 10 intervention sites. CQI meetings used plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles and were audio-recorded. Adaptations were coded by two-independent coders using the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications to Evidence-based Implementation Strategies (FRAME-IS). Adaptation testing outcomes (adopt, retest, or abandon) and provider experience implementing the adaptations were also recorded. We summarized adaptation characteristics, provider experience, and outcomes.

Results

We identified 72 adaptations, 32 were unique. Overall, adaptations included modification to context (53%, n = 38), content (49%, n = 35), and evaluation processes (13%, n = 9). Context adaptations primarily featured changes to personnel, format, and setting, while content and evaluation adaptations were frequently achieved by simple additions, repetition, and tailoring/refining of the phone delivery strategy. Nine adaptations involved abandoning, then returning to phone delivery. HCWs sought to increase reach, improve fidelity, and intervention fit within their context. Most adaptations (96%, n = 69) were perceived to increase the feasibility of phone delivery when compared to before the changes were introduced, and HCWs felt 83% (n = 60) of adaptations made phone delivery easier. Most adaptations were either incorporated into routine workflows (47%) or tested again (47%).

Conclusion

Adaptation of phone delivery was a feasible and effective way of addressing challenges with continuity of care for YLH during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adaptations were primarily context adaptions. While FRAME-IS was apt for characterizing adaptations, more use cases are needed to explore the range of its utility.

Trial registration

Trial registered on ClinicalTrial.gov as NCT03574129.

**This abstract is posted with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License**

Prevention of Opioid Use and Disorder Among Youth Involved in the Legal System: Innovation and Implementation of Four Studies Funded by the NIDA HEAL Initiative

Authors:

Kym Ahrens, Natalie Blackburn, Matthew Aalsma, Kevin Haggerty, Kelly Kelleher, Danica K. Knight, Elizabeth Joseph, Carrie Mulford, Ted Ryle & Marina Tolou-Shams

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

Subscription Required for Full Text Access

Published: July 2023

Read the full text in the subscription access journal Prevention Science

✪ Understanding Clinic and Community Member Experiences with Implementation of Evidence-Based Strategies for HPV Vaccination in Safety-Net Primary Care Settings

Authors:

Jennifer Tsui, Michelle Shin, Kylie Sloan, Bibiana Martinez, Lawrence A. Palinkas, Lourdes Baezconde-Garbanati, Joel C. Cantor, Shawna V. Hudson & Benjamin F. Crabtree

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: June 2023

Read the full text in the open access journal Prevention Science

Abstract:

HPV vaccination rates remain below target levels among adolescents in the United States, which is particularly concerning in safety-net populations with persistent disparities in HPV-associated cancer burden. Perspectives on evidence-based strategies (EBS) for HPV vaccination among key implementation participants, internal and external to clinics, can provide a better understanding of why these disparities persist. We conducted virtual interviews and focus groups, guided by the Practice Change Model, with clinic members (providers, clinic leaders, and clinic staff) and community members (advocates, parents, policy-level, and payers) in Los Angeles and New Jersey to understand common and divergent perspectives on and experiences with HPV vaccination in safety-net primary care settings. Fifty-eight interviews and seven focus groups were conducted (n = 65 total). Clinic members (clinic leaders n = 7, providers n = 12, and clinic staff n = 6) revealed conflicting HPV vaccine messaging, lack of shared motivation to reduce missed opportunities and improve workflows, and non-operability between clinic electronic health records and state immunization registries created barriers for implementing effective strategies. Community members (advocates n = 8, policy n = 11, payers n = 8, and parents n = 13) described lack of HPV vaccine prioritization among payers, a reliance on advocates to lead national agenda setting and facilitate local implementation, and opportunities to support and engage schools in HPV vaccine messaging and adolescents in HPV vaccine decision-making. Participants indicated the COVID-19 pandemic complicated prioritization of HPV vaccination but also created opportunities for change. These findings highlight design and selection criteria for identifying and implementing EBS (changing the intervention itself, or practice-level resources versus external motivators) that bring internal and external clinic partners together for targeted approaches that account for local needs in improving HPV vaccine uptake within safety-net settings.

**This abstract is posted with permission under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License**