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✪ Combining legal epidemiology and implementation science to improve global access to medicines: challenges and opportunities

Authors:

Jeff Lane & Andy Stergachis

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: January 2024

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

Abstract:

Laws and policies affecting access to medicines have been in the global health spotlight for decades, yet our understanding of their effects remains substantially underdeveloped. The emerging field of legal epidemiology combined with the methods of implementation science presents an opportunity to help address this gap. Legal epidemiology refers to the scientific study and deployment of law as a factor in the cause, distribution, and prevention of disease and injury in a population. Legal epidemiology studies consist of a systematic collection and coding of laws and policies relating to a particular topic. Quasi-experimental or observational research methods can then be applied to take advantage of natural experiments resulting from heterogenous adoption and/or implementation of laws and policies.

Often legal epidemiology studies fail to account for heterogenous law implementation processes, presenting a need and opportunity to integrate implementation science methods. Researchers may face challenges in integrating these methods for access to medicines studies, including data access issues and a complex legal and implementation environment. Yet, the opportunities presented by increasingly transparent legal environments, improved monitoring of medicine availability, universal health coverage expansion, and electronic health and insurance records integration may facilitate overcoming these challenges. Improved collaboration and communication between researchers, health authorities, manufacturers, and health providers from public and private sectors will be critical. In spite of the challenges, combining the fields of legal epidemiology and implementation science may present an important strategy toward creating a legal and policy environment that supports global and equitable access to medicines.

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

✪ A case study of pragmatic measure development of the Treatment Integrity for Elementary Settings self-report measure for teachers

Authors:

Emma R Dear, Bryce D McLeod, Nicole M Peterson, Kevin S Sutherland, Michael D Broda, Alex R Dopp & Aaron R Lyon

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: January 2024

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

Abstract:

Introduction

Due to usability, feasibility, and acceptability concerns, observational treatment fidelity measures are often challenging to deploy in schools. Teacher self-report fidelity measures with specific design features might address some of these barriers. This case study outlines a community-engaged, iterative process to adapt the observational Treatment Integrity for Elementary Settings (TIES-O) to a teacher self-report version designed to assess the use of practices to support children's social-emotional competencies in elementary classrooms.

Method

Cognitive walkthrough interviews were conducted with teachers to improve the usability of the teacher self-report measure, called the Treatment Integrity for Elementary Schools–Teacher Report (TIES-T). Qualitative content analysis was used to extract themes from the interviews and inform changes to the measure.

Results

Increasing clarity and interactive elements in the measure training were the dominant themes, but suggestions for the measure format and jargon were also suggested.

Conclusion

The suggested changes resulted in a brief measure, training, and feedback system designed to support the teacher's use of practices to support children's social-emotional competencies in elementary classrooms. Future research with the TIES-T will examine the score reliability and validity of the measure.

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

✪ Uncovering determinants of perceived feasibility of TF-CBT through coincidence analysis

Authors:

Clara Johnson, Rashed AlRasheed, Christine Gray, Noah Triplett, Anne Mbwayo, Andrew Weinhold, Kathryn Whetten & Shannon Dorsey

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: January 2024

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

Abstract:

Introduction

A mental health provider's perception of how well an intervention can be carried out in their context (i.e., feasibility) is an important implementation outcome. This article aims to identify determinants of feasibility of trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) through a case-based causal approach.

Methods

Data come from an implementation-effectiveness study in which lay counselors (teachers and community health volunteers) implemented a culturally adapted manualized mental health intervention, TF-CBT, delivered to teens who were previously orphaned and were experiencing posttraumatic stress symptoms and prolonged grief in Western Kenya. The intervention team identified combinations of determinants that led to feasibility among teacher- and community health volunteer-counselors through coincidence analysis.

Results

Among teacher-counselors, organizational-level factors (implementation climate, implementation leadership) determined moderate and high levels of feasibility. Among community health volunteer-counselors, a strong relationship between a clinical supervisor and the supervisee was the most influential determinant of feasibility.

Conclusion

Methodology and findings from this article can guide the assessment of determinants of feasibility and the development of implementation strategies for manualized mental health interventions in contexts like Western Kenya.

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

✪ The Science of Precision Prevention: Research Opportunities and Clinical Applications to Reduce Cardiovascular Health Disparities

Authors:

Thomas A Pearson, Debbie Vitalis, Charlotte Pratt, Rebecca Campo, Antonis A Armoundas, David Au, Bettina Beech, Olga Brazhnik, Christopher G Chute, Karina W Davidson, Ana V Diez-Roux, Lawrence J Fine, Davera Gabriel, Peter Groenveld, Jaclyn Hall, Alison B Hamilton, Hui Hu, Heng Ji, Amy Kind, William E Kraus, Harlan Krumholz, George A Mensah, Raina M Merchant, Dariush Mozaffarian, David M Murray, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Maya Petersen & David Goff

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: January 2024

Read the full text in the open access journal JACC: Advances

Abstract:

Precision prevention embraces personalized prevention but includes broader factors such as social determinants of health to improve cardiovascular health. The quality, quantity, precision, and diversity of data relatable to individuals and communities continue to expand. New analytical methods can be applied to these data to create tools to attribute risk, which may allow a better understanding of cardiovascular health disparities. Interventions using these analytic tools should be evaluated to establish feasibility and efficacy for addressing cardiovascular disease disparities in diverse individuals and communities. Training in these approaches is important to create the next generation of scientists and practitioners in precision prevention. This state-of-the-art review is based on a workshop convened to identify current gaps in knowledge and methods used in precision prevention intervention research, discuss opportunities to expand trials of implementation science to close the health equity gaps, and expand the education and training of a diverse precision prevention workforce.

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

✪ Integrating HPV self-collect into primary care to address cervical cancer screening disparities

Authors:

Rebekah Pratt, Christina Bliss Barsness, John Lin, Jay Desai, Kristi Fordyce, Rahel Ghebre, Faiza Hassan, Anisa Ibrahim, Tim Ramer, Adam Szpiro, Bryan J. Weiner, Serena Xiong, Sophia Yohe, and Rachel L. Winer

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: January 2024

Read the full text in the open access journal Preventative Medicine Reports

Abstract:

Human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collect shows promise to increase cervical cancer screening rates in underscreened populations, such as Somali patients, but little is known about how to integrate such an approach in primary care. In this study, primary care providers and staff who provide primary care services to Somali women were asked for their views on integrating HPV self-collect into routine care to address cervical cancer screening disparities. Thirty primary care providers and staff participated in semi-structured interviews exploring their views on HPV self-collect and their anticipated needs or barriers to implementing this approach into the clinic generally and with specific patient populations, such as Somali women. A thematic analysis using the constructivist version of grounded theory was undertaken. Providers and staff anticipate positive patient reaction to the option of HPV self-collect, and were interested in using this approach both for Somali patients and for all patients in general. HPV self-collect was viewed as straightforward to integrate into existing clinic workflows. Providers largely lacked awareness of the evidence supporting primary HPV testing and HPV self-collect specifically, sharing concerns about effectiveness of self-collect and the lack of a physical exam. Providers felt clinic-wide staff education and patient education, along with strategies to address disparities, such as cultural and linguistic tailoring would be needed for successful implementation. Integrating HPV self-collect as an option in the cervical cancer screening process in a primary care clinical encounter offers considerable opportunity to address health disparities and may benefit all patients

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

✪ Protocol for a hybrid type 3 effectiveness-implementation trial of a pragmatic individual-level implementation strategy for supporting school-based prevention programming

Authors:

Aaron R. Lyon, Clayton R. Cook, Madeline Larson, Maria L. Hugh, Alex Dopp, Corinne Hamlin, Peter Reinke, Mahasweta Bose, Amy Law, Roger Goosey, Annie Goerdt, Nicole Morrell, Alisha Wackerle-Hollman & Michael D. Pullmann

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: January 2024

Read the full text in the open access journal Implementation Science

Abstract:

Background

For approximately one in five children who have social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) challenges, accessible evidence-based prevention practices (EBPPs) are critical. In the USA, schools are the primary setting for children’s SEB service delivery. Still, EBPPs are rarely adopted and implemented by front-line educators (e.g., teachers) with sufficient fidelity to see effects. Given that individual behavior change is ultimately required for successful implementation, focusing on individual-level processes holds promise as a parsimonious approach to enhance impact.

Beliefs and Attitudes for Successful Implementation in Schools for Teachers (BASIS-T) is a pragmatic, multifaceted pre-implementation strategy targeting volitional and motivational mechanisms of educators’ behavior change to enhance implementation and student SEB outcomes. This study protocol describes a hybrid type 3 effectiveness-implementation trial designed to evaluate the main effects, mediators, and moderators of the BASIS-T implementation strategy as applied to Positive Greetings at the Door, a universal school-based EBPP previously demonstrated to reduce student disruptive behavior and increase academic engagement.

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

✪ Supporting Psychosis Research, Implementation, and Training Through an Academic Intermediary–Purveyor Organization

Authors:

Sarah L. Kopelovich, Rachel M. Brian, Akansha Vaswani-Bye, Lydia Chwastiak, Chris McCain, Victoria Shepard, Wenqi Zhang, Mackenzie Tennison, Sarah Fikre, and Maria Monroe-DeVita

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: January 2024

Read the full text open access in the journal Psychological Services

✪ 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**

✪ Dissemination and implementation analysis of the Ross procedure in adults: Time to update the guidelines?

Authors:

Kyle S. Bilodeau, David C. Mauchley, Scott DeRoo & Christopher R. Burke

University of Washington affiliated authors are displayed in bold.

✪ Open Access

Published: December 2023

Read the full text in the open access journal The cardiothoracic surgeon

Abstract:

Background

The science of dissemination and implementation (D&I) aims to improve the quality and effectiveness of care by addressing the challenges of incorporating research and evidence-based practice into routine clinical practice. This lens of D&I has challenged the interpretation and incorporation of data, noting that failure of a given therapy may not reflect lack of efficacy, but instead reflect an imperfect implementation. The aim of this manuscript is to review the influence of the Ross procedure’s historical context on its D&I.

Method

A contextual baseline of the Ross procedure was defined from the procedure’s original description in the literature to major publications since the 2017 valvular heart disease guidelines. D&I evaluation was conducted using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), using constructs from each of the five respective domains to define the main determinants.

Results

Each of the five CFIR domains appears to be correlated with a factor influencing the Ross procedure’s varied history of enthusiasm and acceptance. The complex nature of Ross required adaptation for optimization, with a strong correlation of center volume on outcomes that were not considered in non-contemporary studies. Outcomes later published from those studies influenced social and cultural contexts within the aortic surgery community, and led to further organizational uncertainty, resulting in slow guideline incorporation.

Conclusion

The D&I of the Ross procedure was a result of inadequate appreciation of technical complexity, effect of patient selection, and complex aortic surgery experience, resulting in dismissal of an efficacious procedure due to a misunderstanding of effectiveness

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