UW First Author Archives - Page 10 of 23 - Implementation Science at UW

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

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

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

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**}

✪ HPV vaccination in Kenya: a study protocol to assess stakeholders’ perspectives on implementation drivers of HPV vaccination and the acceptability of the reduced dose strategy among providers

Abstract:

Background:

Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Kenyan women. Persistent infection with high-risk oncogenic Human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes is a necessary cause of cervical cancer. HPV vaccines are safe, durable, and efficacious in preventing incident HPV infections. In Kenya, despite efforts to increase HPV vaccination, coverage remains low. We sought to assess: (1) barriers and facilitators of HPV vaccination from the perspective of adolescent girls and young women (AGYW), their guardians as well as stakeholders involved in HPV vaccine delivery, and (2) the acceptability of the single dose of the HPV vaccination among healthcare providers (HCPs).

Methods:

Our study is nested within the KENya Single-dose HPV-vaccine Efficacy study (KEN SHE) that sought to test the efficacy of single-dose bivalent (HPV 16/18) and single-dose nonavalent (HPV 16/18/31/33/45/52/58/6/11) vaccination. We are conducting this study in Kiambu, Nairobi, and Kisumu counties. In these counties, we are interviewing stakeholders (n = ∼25), selected based on their role in HPV vaccination at the county and national levels. Interviews are audio recorded and conducted in English or Swahili. The semi-structured interview guides were designed based on: (1) the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) for AGYW and guardians and (2) the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) for other stakeholders. The Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) was leveraged to design the survey administered to HCPs (n = ∼309) involved in HPV vaccination. We will develop a codebook based on emerging codes from the transcripts and constructs from the TDF and CFIR. Emerging themes will be summarized highlighting similarities and differences between and within the different stakeholder groups and counties. Descriptive statistics and a χ2 test will be used to assess the distribution of responses between the different sites and regression analysis will be used to assess factors associated with high acceptability of the single-dose strategy while controlling for confounding variables.

Discussion:

Our study will describe key barriers and facilitators that affect HPV vaccination from the perspective of multiple stakeholders as well as insights on the perspective of HCPs towards the single-dose strategy to inform the designing of strategies to increase HPV vaccination uptake in Kenya and comparable settings.

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

✪ Assessing drivers of implementing “Scaling-up the Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach” for Prevention of Mother-to-Child HIV Transmission in Mozambique (SAIA-SCALE) over implementation waves

Authors:

Celso Inguane, Sarah Gimbel, Caroline Soi, Esperança Tavede, Filipe Murgorgo, Xavier Isidoro, Yaesh Sidat, Regina Nassiaca, Joana Coutinho, Maria Cruz, Mery Agostinho, Fernando Amaral, Aneth Dinis, Kristjana Ásbjörnsdóttir, Jonny Crocker, Nélia Manaca, Isaias Ramiro, James Pfeiffer, Maria de Fátima Cuembelo, & Kenneth Sherr

^{University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.}

✪ Open Access

Published: July 2023

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

Abstract:

Background

The Systems Analysis and Improvement Approach (SAIA) is an evidence-based package of systems engineering tools originally designed to improve patient flow through the prevention of Mother-to-Child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) cascade. SAIA is a potentially scalable model for maximizing the benefits of universal antiretroviral therapy (ART) for mothers and their babies. SAIA-SCALE was a stepped wedge trial implemented in Manica Province, Mozambique, to evaluate SAIA’s effectiveness when led by district health managers, rather than by study nurses. We present the results of a qualitative assessment of implementation determinants of the SAIA-SCALE strategy during two intensive and one maintenance phases.

Methods

We used an extended case study design that embedded the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) to guide data collection, analysis, and interpretation. From March 2019 to April 2020, we conducted in-depth individual interviews (IDIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) with district managers, health facility maternal and child health (MCH) managers, and frontline nurses at 21 health facilities and seven districts of Manica Province (Chimoio, Báruè, Gondola, Macate, Manica, Sussundenga, and Vanduzi).

Results

We included 85 participants: 50 through IDIs and 35 from three FGDs. Most study participants were women (98%), frontline nurses (49.4%), and MCH health facility managers (32.5%). An identified facilitator of successful intervention implementation (regardless of intervention phase) was related to SAIA’s compatibility with organizational structures, processes, and priorities of Mozambique’s health system at the district and health facility levels. Identified barriers to successful implementation included (a) inadequate health facility and road infrastructure preventing mothers from accessing MCH/PMTCT services at study health facilities and preventing nurses from dedicating time to improving service provision, and (b) challenges in managing intervention funds.

Conclusions

The SAIA-SCALE qualitative evaluation suggests that the scalability of SAIA for PMTCT is enhanced by its fit within organizational structures, processes, and priorities at the primary level of healthcare delivery and health system management in Mozambique. Barriers to implementation that impact the scalability of SAIA include district-level financial management capabilities and lack of infrastructure at the health facility level. SAIA cannot be successfully scaled up to adequately address PMTCT needs without leveraging central-level resources and priorities.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03425136. Registered on 02/06/2018.

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

✪ Comparison of methods to engage diverse stakeholder populations in prioritizing PrEP implementation strategies for testing in resource-limited settings: a cross-sectional study

Abstract:

Background

There is a lack of consensus about how to prioritize potential implementation strategies for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) delivery. We compared several prioritization methods for their agreement and pragmatism in practice in a resource-limited setting.

Methods

We engaged diverse stakeholders with clinical PrEP delivery and PrEP decision-making experience across 55 facilities in Kenya to prioritize 16 PrEP delivery strategies. We compared four strategy prioritization methods: (1) “past experience surveys” with experienced practitioners reflecting on implementation experience (N = 182); (2 and 3) “pre- and post-small-group ranking” surveys before and after group discussion (N = 44 and 40); (4) “go-zone” quadrant plots of perceived effectiveness vs feasibility. Kendall’s correlation analysis was used to compare strategy prioritization using the four methods. Additionally, participants were requested to group strategies into three bundles with up to four strategies/bundle by phone and online survey.

Results

The strategy ranking correlation was strongest between the pre- and post-small-group rankings (Tau: 0.648; p < 0.001). There was moderate correlation between go-zone plots and post-small-group rankings (Tau: 0.363; p = 0.079) and between past-experience surveys and post-small-group rankings (Tau: 0.385; p = 0.062). For strategy bundling, participants primarily chose bundles of strategies in the order in which they were listed, reflecting option ordering bias. Neither the phone nor online approach was effective in selecting strategy bundles. Participants agreed that the strategy ranking activities conducted during the workshop were useful in prioritizing a final set of strategies.

Conclusions

Both experienced and inexperienced stakeholder participants’ strategy rankings tended to prioritize strategies perceived as feasible. Small group discussions focused on feasibility and effectiveness revealed moderately different priorities than individual rankings. The strategy bundling approach, though less time- and resource-intensive, was not effective. Future research should further compare the relative effectiveness and pragmatism of methodologies to prioritize implementation strategies.

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

✪ Implementation and scale-up of a single-visit, screen-and-treat approach with thermal ablation for sustainable cervical cancer prevention services: a protocol for a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial in Kenya

Abstract:

Background

An important cervical cancer prevention strategy in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has been single-visit screen-and-treat (SV-SAT) approach, using visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and ablative treatment with cryotherapy to manage precancerous lesions. While SV-SAT with VIA and cryotherapy have established efficacy, its population level coverage and impact on reducing cervical cancer burden remains low. In Kenya, the estimated cervical cancer screening uptake among women aged 30–49 is 16% and up to 70% of screen-positive women do not receive treatment. Thermal ablation for treatment of precancerous lesions of the cervix is recommended by the World Health Organization and has the potential to overcome logistical challenges associated with cryotherapy and facilitate implementation of SV-SAT approach and increase treatment rates of screen-positive women. In this 5-year prospective, stepped-wedge randomized trial, we plan to implement and evaluate the SV-SAT approach using VIA and thermal ablation in ten reproductive health clinics in central Kenya.

Methods

The study aims to develop and evaluate implementation strategies to inform the national scale-up of SV-SAT approach with VIA and thermal ablation through three aims: (1) develop locally tailored implementation strategies using multi-level participatory method with key stakeholders (patient, provider, system-level), (2) implement SV-SAT approach with VIA and thermal ablation and evaluate clinical and implementation outcomes, and (3) assess the budget impact of SV-SAT approach with VIA and thermal ablation compared to single-visit, screen-and-treat method using cryotherapy.

Discussion

Our findings will inform national scale-up of the SV-SAT approach with VIA and thermal ablation. We anticipate that this intervention, along with tailored implementation strategies will enhance the adoption and sustainability of cervical cancer screening and treatment compared to the standard of care using cryotherapy.

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

✪ Co-developed implementation guidelines to maximize acceptability, feasibility, and usability of mobile phone supervision in Kenya

Abstract:

Opportunities exist to leverage mobile phones to replace or supplement in-person supervision of lay counselors. However, contextual variables, such as network connectivity and provider preferences, must be considered. Using an iterative and mixed methods approach, we co-developed implementation guidelines to support the implementation of mobile phone supervision with lay counselors and supervisors delivering a culturally adapted trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy in Western Kenya. Guidelines were shared and discussed with lay counselors in educational outreach visits led by supervisors. We evaluated the impact of guidelines and outreach on the acceptability, feasibility, and usability of mobile phone supervision. Guidelines were associated with significant improvements in acceptability and usability of mobile phone supervision. There was no evidence of a significant difference in feasibility. Qualitative interviews with lay counselors and supervisors contextualized how guidelines impacted acceptability and feasibility – by setting expectations for mobile phone supervision, emphasizing importance, increasing comfort, and sharing strategies to improve mobile phone supervision. Introducing and discussing co-developed implementation guidelines significantly improved the acceptability and usability of mobile phone supervision. This approach may provide a flexible and scalable model to address challenges with implementing evidence-based practices and implementation strategies in lower-resourced areas.

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

✪ Implementation fidelity to HIV assisted partner services (aPS) during scale-up in western Kenya: a convergent mixed methods study

Abstract:

Background

HIV assisted partner services (aPS) is an intervention to improve HIV status awareness among sex and drug-injecting partners of people newly diagnosed with HIV (index clients). Implementation fidelity—the degree to which an intervention is conducted as intended – is critical to effectiveness, but there are limited data about aPS fidelity when delivered by HIV testing service (HTS) providers. We explored factors affecting implementation fidelity to aPS in two high-HIV prevalence counties in western Kenya.

Methods

We used convergent mixed methods adapting the conceptual framework for implementation fidelity within the aPS scale-up project. This was an implementation study examining scale-up of APS within HTS programs in Kisumu and Homa Bay counties that recruited male sex partners (MSPs) of female index clients. We defined implementation fidelity as the extent to which HTS providers followed the protocol for phone and in-person participant tracing at six expected tracing attempts. Quantitative data were collected from tracing reports in 31 facilities between November 2018 and December 2020, and in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with HTS providers. Descriptive statistics were used to describe tracing attempts. IDIs were analyzed using thematic content analysis.

Results

Overall, 3017 MSPs were mentioned of whom 98% (2969/3017) were traced, with most tracing attempts being successful (2831/2969, 95%). Fourteen HTS providers participated in the IDIs—mostly females (10/14, 71%) with a median age of 35 years (range 25–52), who all had post-secondary education (14/14, 100%). The proportion of tracing attempts occurring by phone ranged from 47 to 66%, with the highest proportion occurring on the first attempt and lowest on the sixth attempt. Contextual factors either enhanced or impeded implementation fidelity to aPS. Positive provider attitudes towards aPS and conducive work environment factors promoted implementation fidelity, while negative MSP responses and challenging tracing conditions impeded it.

Conclusion

Interactions at the individual (provider), interpersonal (client—provider), and health systems (facility) levels affected implementation fidelity to aPS. As policymakers prioritize strategies to reduce new HIV infections, our findings highlight the importance of conducting fidelity assessments to better anticipate and mitigate the impact of contextual factors during the scale-up of interventions.

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

“Another tool in the toolkit”—Perceptions, suggestions, and concerns of emergency service providers about the implementation of a supervised consumption site

Authors:

✪ Open Access

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

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Aims

Design

Sample

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Impact

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✪ Open Access

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

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Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

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✪ Open Access

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

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Background

Methods

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Trial registration

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✪ Open Access

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

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✪ Open Access

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

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Background

Methods

Results

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Trial registration

Authors:

✪ Open Access

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

Abstract:

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Authors:

✪ Open Access

Read the full text in the open access journal Implementation Science

Abstract:

Background

Methods

Discussion

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✪ Open Access

Read the full text in the open access journal Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health

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✪ Open Access

Read the full text in the open access journal BMC Health Services Research

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Conclusion

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