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Organize and mobilize for implementation effectiveness to improve overdose education and naloxone distribution from syringe services programs: A randomized controlled trial

Authors:

Barrot H. Lambdin, Ricky N. Bluthenthal, Bryan R. Garner, Lynn D. Wenger, Erica N. Browne, Terry Morris, Lee Ongais, Cariné E. Megerian & Alex H. Kral

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: February 2024

Read the full text in the open access journal Implementation Science

Abstract:

Background

The United States (US) continues to face decades-long increases in opioid overdose fatalities. As an opioid overdose reversal medication, naloxone can dramatically reduce opioid overdose mortality rates when distributed to people likely to experience or witness an opioid overdose and packaged with education on its use, known as overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND). Syringe services programs (SSPs) are ideal venues for OEND with staff who are culturally competent in providing services for people who are at risk of experiencing or observing an opioid overdose. We carried out a randomized controlled trial of SSPs to understand the effectiveness of the organize and mobilize for implementation effectiveness (OMIE) approach at improving OEND implementation effectiveness within SSPs

Methods

Using simple randomization, 105 SSPs were enrolled into the trial and assigned to one of two study arms — (1) dissemination of OEND best practice recommendations (Control SSPs) or the OMIE approach along with dissemination of the OEND best practice recommendations (i.e., OMIE SSPs). OMIE SSPs could participate in 60-min OMIE sessions once a month for up to 12 months. At 12-month post-baseline, 102 of 105 SSPs (97%) responded to the follow-up survey.

Results

The median number of sessions completed by OMIE SSPs was 10. Comparing OMIE SSPs to control SSPs, we observed significant increases in the number of participants receiving naloxone (incidence rate ratio: 2.15; 95% CI: 1.42, 3.25; p < 0.01) and the rate of naloxone doses distributed per SSP participant (adjusted incidence rate ratio: 1.97; 95% CI: 1.18, 3.30; p = 0.01). We observed no statistically significant difference in the number of adopted best practices between conditions (difference in means 0.2, 95% CI: − 0.7, 1.0; p = 0.68). We also observed a threshold effect where SSPs receiving a higher OMIE dose had greater effect sizes with regard to the number of people given naloxone and the number of naloxone doses distributed.

Conclusions

In conclusion, the multifaceted OMIE approach was effective at increasing naloxone distribution from SSPs, despite substantial external shocks during the trial. These findings have major implications for addressing the overdose crisis, which has continued unabated for decades.

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

✪ Drivers of success: improving implementation research tools for better health outcomes

Authors:

Quinhas Fernandes, Orvalho Augusto & Kenneth Sherr

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: February 2024

Read the full text in the open access journal BMC Pediatrics

Abstract:

A thorough examination of context, and how it influences implementation of evidence-based interventions, is a promising strategy for enhancing child survival initiatives. Spreading approaches that are identified as drivers of successful reduction in under-five mortality from ‘exemplar’ countries could be pivotal in leading to reductions in other settings facing stagnant mortality rates, in particular for low- and middle-income countries with high disease burden and insufficient programmatic capacity to effectively implement evidence-based interventions at scale. Yet there remains a lack of robust analytic methods to accurately assess mortality and describe the drivers of interventions’ implementation success at both national and subnational levels. The field of implementation science and its defining targets and tools is well positioned to address this knowledge gap by integrating qualitative and quantitative research methods into an adaptable evaluation framework that can be tailored to meet the specific needs across varying country contexts. These tools enhance the measurement of population health outcomes and provide crucial evidence on implementation barriers and facilitators that can inform policies that can be adjusted for diverse contexts. This commentary aims to emphasize the role of implementation research in understanding how exemplar countries achieved significant improvements in child survival and in identifying replicable lessons for other settings. Ultimately, all manuscripts underscore the relevance of implementation research in bolstering the reduction of under-five mortality.

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

✪ Inequity in the face of success: understanding geographic and wealth-based equity in success of facility-based delivery for under-5 mortality reduction in six countries

Authors:

Jovial Thomas Ntawukuriryayo, Amelia VanderZanden, Alemayehu Amberbir, Alula Teklu, Fauzia Akhter Huda, Mahesh Maskey, Mohamadou Sall, Patricia J. Garcia, Raj Kumar Subedi, Felix Sayinzoga, Lisa R. Hirschhorn & Agnes Binagwaho

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: February 2024

Read the full text in the open access journal BMC Pediatrics

Abstract:

Background

Between 2000–2015, many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) implemented evidence-based interventions (EBIs) known to reduce under-5 mortality (U5M). Even among LMICs successful in reducing U5M, this drop was unequal subnationally, with varying success in EBI implementation. Building on mixed methods multi-case studies of six LMICs (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Nepal, Peru, Rwanda, and Senegal) leading in U5M reduction, we describe geographic and wealth-based equity in facility-based delivery (FBD), a critical EBI to reduce neonatal mortality which requires a trusted and functional health system, and compare the implementation strategies and contextual factors which influenced success or challenges within and across the countries.

Methods

To obtain equity gaps in FBD coverage and changes in absolute geographic and wealth-based equity between 2000–2015, we calculated the difference between the highest and lowest FBD coverage across subnational regions and in the FBD coverage between the richest and poorest wealth quintiles. We extracted and compared contextual factors and implementation strategies associated with reduced or remaining inequities from the country case studies.

Results

The absolute geographic and wealth-based equity gaps decreased in three countries, with greatest drops in Rwanda – decreasing from 50 to 5% across subnational regions and from 43 to 13% across wealth quintiles. The largest increases were seen in Bangladesh – from 10 to 32% across geography – and in Ethiopia – from 22 to 58% across wealth quintiles. Facilitators to reducing equity gaps across the six countries included leadership commitment and culture of data use; in some countries, community or maternal and child health insurance was also an important factor (Rwanda and Peru). Barriers across all the countries included geography, while country-specific barriers included low female empowerment subnationally (Bangladesh) and cultural beliefs (Ethiopia). Successful strategies included building on community health worker (CHW) programs, with country-specific adaptation of pre-existing CHW programs (Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Senegal) and cultural adaptation of delivery protocols (Peru). Reducing delivery costs was successful in Senegal, and partially successful in Nepal and Ethiopia.

Conclusion

Variable success in reducing inequity in FBD coverage among countries successful in reducing U5M underscores the importance of measuring not just coverage but also equity. Learning from FBD interventions shows the need to prioritize equity in access and uptake of EBIs for the poor and in remote areas by adapting the strategies to local context.

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

✪ Improving safety and preventing falls using an evidence-based, front-line staff huddling practice: protocol for a pragmatic trial to increase quality of care in State Veterans Homes, Katherine Ritchey

Authors:

Princess Nash, Valerie Clark, Eleanor McConnell, Whitney Mills, Robert Morgan, Camilla Pimentel, Katherine Ritchey, Cari Levy, A Lynn Snow, & Christine Hartmann

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: February 2024

Read the full text in the open access journal BMJ Open

Abstract:

Introduction

Falls in nursing homes are a major cause for decreases in residents’ quality of life and overall health. This study aims to reduce resident falls by implementing the LOCK Falls Programme, an evidence-based quality improvement intervention. The LOCK Falls Programme involves the entire front-line care team in (1) focusing on evidence of positive change, (2) collecting data through systematic observation and (3) facilitating communication and coordination of care through the practice of front-line staff huddles.

Methods and analysis

The study protocol describes a mixed-methods, 4-year hybrid (type 2) effectiveness-implementation study in State Veterans Homes in the USA. The study uses a pragmatic stepped-wedge randomised trial design and employs relational coordination theory and the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance framework to guide implementation and evaluation. A total of eight State Veterans Homes will participate and data will be collected over an 18-month period. Administrative data inclusive of all clinical assessments and Minimum Data Set assessments for Veterans with a State Veterans Home admission or stay during the study period will be collected (8480 residents total). The primary outcome is a resident having any fall. The primary analysis will be a partial intention-to-treat analysis using the rate of participants experiencing any fall. A staff survey (n=1200) and qualitative interviews with residents (n=80) and staff (n=400) will also be conducted. This research seeks to systematically address known barriers to nursing home quality improvement efforts associated with reducing falls.

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

✪ Adaptation of a Tailored Lung Cancer Screening Decision Aid for People With HIV

Authors:

Meagan C. Brown, Madison Snidarich, Jehan Z. Budak, Nicholas Murphy, Nicholas Giustini, Perrin E. Romine, Bryan J. Weiner, Tanner Caverly, Kristina Crothers, and Matthew Triplette.

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: February 2024

Read the full text in the open access journal CHEST Pulmonary

Abstract:

Background

People with HIV are both at elevated risk of lung cancer and at high risk of multimorbidity, which makes shared decision-making (SDM) for lung cancer screening (LCS) in people with HIV complex. Currently no known tools have been adapted for SDM in people with HIV.

Research Question

Can an SDM decision aid be adapted to include HIV-specific measures with input from both people with HIV and their providers?

Study Design and Methods

This study used qualitative methods including focus groups of people with HIV and interviews with HIV care providers to adapt and iterate an SDM tool for people with HIV. Eligible participants were those with HIV enrolled in an HIV primary care clinic who met age and smoking eligibility criteria for LCS and HIV care providers at the clinic. Both the focus groups and interviews included semistructured discussions of SDM and decision aid elements for people with HIV. We used a framework-guided thematic analysis, mapping themes onto the Health Equity Implementation framework.

Results

Forty-three people with HIV participated in eight focus groups; 10 providers were interviewed. Key themes from patients included broad interest in adapting LCS SDM specifically for people with HIV, a preference for clear LCS recommendations, and the need for positive framing emphasizing survival. Providers were enthusiastic about personalized LCS risk assessments and point-of-care tools. Both patients and providers gave mixed views on the usefulness of HIV-specific risk measures in patient-facing tools. Themes were used to adapt a personalized and flexible SDM tool for LCS in people with HIV.

Interpretation

People with HIV and providers were enthusiastic about specific tools for SDM that are personalized and tailored for people with HIV, that make recommendations, and that inform LCS decision-making. Divergent views on presenting patient-facing quantitative risk assessments suggests that these elements could be optional but available for review. This tool may have usefulness in complex decision-making for LCS in this population and currently is being evaluated in a pilot prospective trial.

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

✪ Reported quality indicators and implementation outcomes of community partnership in autism intervention research: A systematic review

Authors:

Jessica E. Tschida, James D. Lee, Anamiguel Pomales-Ramos, Vivien Koo

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: February 2024

Read the full text in the open access journal Autism Research

Abstract:

There is minimal research on the quality of community partnerships in studies of interventions for autistic children. However, building high quality community engagement in autism intervention research may improve implementation outcomes. This systematic review examined studies that report community partnership in autism intervention research. A total of 135 articles were identified and 11 of these articles were included in the final review. Community partnership data were extracted using indicators from the conceptual framework for assessing research-practice partnerships (RPP; Henrick et al., Henrick et al., Assessing research-practice partnerships: Five dimensions of effectiveness, William T. Grant Foundation, 2017) and implementation outcomes data were extracted using the taxonomy of distinct implementation outcomes (Proctor et al., Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 38:65–76, 2011). Quality of studies were appraised using JBIs critical appraisal tools (Munn et al., JBI Evidence Synthesis, 18:2127–2133, 2020). RPP indicators and implementation outcomes were variably reported across studies. RPP indicators and implementation outcomes more likely to be reported were related to building trust, cultivating partnership relationships, conducting rigorous research to inform action, acceptability, and feasibility. RPP indicators and implementation outcomes less likely to be reported were related to building capacity to engage in partnership work, sustainability, cost, and penetration. Together, these results may suggest the need for increased sustainability and capacity building efforts in partnerships and increased guidelines for reporting outcomes.

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

✪ Recruiting Community Health Centers for Implementation Research: Challenges, Implications, and Potential Solutions

Authors:

April Lee, Rachel Gold, Rachel Caskey, Sadia Haider, Teresa Schmidt, Emily Ott, Rinad S. Beidas, Amritha Bhat, William Pinnock, Melinda Vredevoogd, Tess Grover, Jena Wallander Gemkow, and Ian M. Bennett

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: February 2024

Read the full text open access in the journal Health Equity

✪ Fidelity-consistency and deliberateness of modifications in parenting programs

Authors:

Kristoffer Pettersson, Pernilla Liedgren, Aaron R. Lyon, Henna Hasson & Ulrica von Thiele Schwarz

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: February 2024

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

Abstract:

Background

Evidence-based interventions (EBIs) are frequently modified in practice. It is recommended that decisions to modify EBIs should be made deliberately to ensure fidelity-consistency, yet the relationship between fidelity-consistency and deliberateness is not well understood. This study aims to explore modifications in a sample of practitioners delivering evidence-based parenting programs (i.e., interventions to strengthen parent–child relationships, reduce harmful interactions, and improve child health and well-being). The study investigated three research questions: (1) What kind of modifications are made during the delivery of parenting programs? (2) To what degree are the identified modifications consistent with the core functions of each program? and (3) Is deliberateness associated with the fidelity-consistency of the identified modifications?

Methods

In total, 28 group leaders of five widely disseminated parenting programs in Sweden participated in five focus groups, and two participants from each group also participated in individual interviews (n = 10). A content analysis approach was used where the identification of modifications was directed by the Framework for Reporting Adaptations and Modifications-Enhanced (FRAME) and then assessed for fidelity-consistency and four levels of deliberateness (universal, situational, conditional, and unintentional). Chi-square tests were performed to compare consistent and inconsistent modifications, and logistic regression was performed to explore whether deliberateness predicted consistency

Results

A total of 137 content modifications were identified, covering most of the content modification categories in FRAME. The most common were tailoring/tweaking/refining, adding elements, shortening/condensing, lengthening/extending, and integrating another treatment. Modifications were mostly fidelity-consistent but consistency varied greatly among categories. Furthermore, modifications made unintentionally or situationally were more likely to be fidelity-inconsistent

Conclusions

These results indicate that explicit consideration of modifications and their impact could be essential for sustaining the fidelity-consistent use of EBIs, even as such interventions are continuously modified.

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

✪ Raising the issue of quality in implementation science reporting in global health: Implications for health planning and practice

Authors:

Alexandra L. Rose, Helen E. Jack, Muneera A. Rasheed, Jessica F. Magidson

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: February 2024

Read the full text open access in The International Journal of Health Planning and Management

Abstract:

Implementation outcomes, which focus on the barriers to, and facilitators and processes of healthcare delivery, are critical to translating research evidence to health planning and practice and to improving healthcare delivery. This article summarizes key quality issues in reporting of implementation science outcomes within global health and describes the ways in which this presents a challenge for shifting health planning and practice across low-resource health systems. This article also suggests that the wider use of reporting guidelines for implementation outcomes could help address this issue.

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