{"title":"Managing urinary incontinence: evaluating the role of practice facilitators in enhancing quality improvement and digital integration in primary care.","authors":"Nipher Malika, Shona Olalere Oluwatola, Gabriela Alvarado, Sangeeta Ahluwalia","doi":"10.1186/s43058-026-00936-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-026-00936-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Practice facilitation is an established strategy for advancing quality improvement in primary care, particularly in chronic disease management. However, knowledge gaps remain regarding its long-term impact, integration of digital tools (e.g., telehealth), and barriers encountered during implementation. This study aimed to address these gaps by evaluating the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)-funded Managing Urinary Incontinence (MUI) Initiative, which supported five US institutions in implementing evidence-based, nonsurgical treatments for urinary incontinence (UI) in women.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Over a two-year period, we conducted virtual semi-structured interviews and focus groups with 15 practice facilitators from each grantee institution, all of whom worked with a total of 270 practices. Discussions explored their evolving roles, implementation processes, challenges encountered, and strategies for supporting UI care. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis in Dedoose, using a team-developed codebook with dual independent coders.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Five major themes emerged: (1) practice facilitator role conceptualization varied across settings and evolved over time; (2) facilitators were central to supporting process improvements with tailored resources; (3) technology integration, such as telehealth and electronic health records (EHRs), was increasingly leveraged but unevenly adopted; (4) substantial barriers included navigating institutional bureaucracy and securing physician champions amidst competing demands; and (5) facilitators implemented strategies for sustaining practice change beyond the funded intervention. Despite successes, facilitators struggled with limitations of time, resources, and systemic constraints.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The findings provide actionable insights into the facilitation process for implementing evidence-based UI care, highlighting the importance of adaptive facilitator roles, technology use, and strategies for overcoming barriers and sustaining improvements. This research contributes to practical approaches for implementation in primary care settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":73355,"journal":{"name":"Implementation science communications","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147846755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Implementation fidelity to the World Health Organization package of essential non-communicable disease interventions (PEN) during scale-up in Nepal's primary healthcare system: a mixed methods study.","authors":"Felix Teufel, Chandani Singh Nakarmi, Sushmita Mali, Soniya Shrestha, Yunika Acharya, Bikram Poudel, Anupama Bishwokarma, Alina Bharati, Asmita Adhikari, Aarati Dhakal, Binuka Kulung Rai, Sangita Manandhar, Surakshya Kc, Dinesh Timalsena, Phanindra Prasad Baral, Meghnath Dhimal, Sashi Silwal, Sanju Bhattarai, Donna Spiegelman, Elizabeth C Rhodes, Archana Shrestha","doi":"10.1186/s43058-026-00922-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-026-00922-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The World Health Organization package of essential non-communicable disease interventions (PEN) comprises evidence-based interventions for primary healthcare systems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Implementation fidelity, defined as the degree to which an intervention is delivered as intended, is crucial for intervention effectiveness. Yet, across LMICs, evidence on fidelity to PEN is scarce and mostly limited to pilot studies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We evaluated fidelity to PEN during national scale-up in Nepal using a convergent parallel mixed methods study design based on the Conceptual Framework for Implementation Fidelity. Data were collected in 2021 from 105 randomly selected primary healthcare facilities across all seven provinces of Nepal. Using direct observation of 172 non-communicable disease (NCD) patient visits, we quantified health service providers' adherence to PEN protocol 1 (hypertension and diabetes management) and protocol 2 (lifestyle counselling). We calculated overall fidelity scores and examined their potential determinants in multivariable regression models using generalized estimating equations. Moreover, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 47 providers and 33 NCD patients to elicit their views on factors affecting fidelity. We analyzed verbatim interview transcripts using thematic analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>PEN-trained health service providers managing hypertension and diabetes patients (protocol 1) mainly focused on asking about medication (76% of patient visits), measuring blood pressure (82%), and adjusting medication (85%). Blood glucose was measured in 28% of eligible patient contacts. Other care steps, including cardiovascular risk estimation, were mostly skipped. Lifestyle counselling for NCD patients (protocol 2) most frequently entailed salt restriction advice (41%) and instructions on medications (62%) and follow-up appointments (69%). Overall fidelity scores for protocols 1 and 2 were 20.8 and 22.1 out of 100, respectively. In multivariable regressions, prior PEN training was associated with 25% (95%-CI: 1-54%; p = 0.04) and 32% (95%-CI: -4-80%; p = 0.08) higher fidelity scores for protocols 1 and 2, respectively. Qualitative data suggested that providers and patients were generally engaged by the intervention, though various factors impede fidelity, including negative user experiences and limited availability of medical supplies. Strategies to improve fidelity to PEN that participants suggested were intervention manuals, supervision and monitoring visits, brief refresher trainings, and community outreach programs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Implementation fidelity to PEN during scale-up in Nepal was often limited to a few diagnostic and therapeutic actions. Next to enhancing user experience, ensuring a reliable supply of diagnostic equipment and medicines will likely be crucial to sustainably improve NCD care. Fidelity as","PeriodicalId":73355,"journal":{"name":"Implementation science communications","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147847138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jeffrey Turner, Spencer Phillips Hey, Zachary G Baker, Vincent Mor, Jennifer L Sullivan
{"title":"Large language models for deductive qualitative content analysis in dementia-focused embedded pragmatic clinical trials: A comparative methodological study.","authors":"Jeffrey Turner, Spencer Phillips Hey, Zachary G Baker, Vincent Mor, Jennifer L Sullivan","doi":"10.1186/s43058-026-00953-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-026-00953-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Thematic coding helps researchers characterize intervention implementation in embedded pragmatic clinical trials (ePCTs), particularly interventions for older adults with dementia and care partners. However, manual coding is time-consuming, requiring multiple researchers. Because implementation science relies on systematic identification of determinants, barriers, and facilitators, advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), specifically large language models (LLMs), may automate this process meaningfully by accelerating implementation evaluations within ePCTs. We developed and tested an automated algorithm using Chat GPT-4o and Chat GPT-4o-mini to achieve human-level performance coding interview transcripts.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We created a Python-based system that uses LLMs to process and code semi-structured interview transcripts about implementation challenges in translating dementia interventions into healthcare systems. The system matches excerpts to an existing codebook. Multiple iterations, including expert review, were used to refine accuracy and efficiency.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The LLM consistently coded more excerpts than humans. In the third iteration (V3), the LLM captured 61.7% of human-coded excerpts, with matching rates reaching as high as 72.6% for individual transcripts. Matching was higher for descriptive codes, 63.7%, than interpretive codes, 57.7%. The LLM identified 206 correct coded excerpts that human coders missed. In the fourth iteration (V4), GPT-4o outperformed GPT-4o-mini: descriptive code matching reached 89% (e.g. \"Site Characteristics\"), compared to 69% for GPT-4o-mini with the R1+R2 85% threshold. GPT-4o showed a weak, but positive correlation (r = 0.230) between transcript word count and matching agreement, while 4o-mini showed a moderate, but negative correlation (r = -0.452). The LLM workflow yielded a 97% reduction in time and a 99% reduction in cost per transcript.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This study compared an LLM-powered workflow with human coding for thematic analysis. The LLM aligned strongly with human coders. While error rates necessitate human oversight, time and cost reduction, and ability to identify missed excerpts make it a potentially reliable supplementary tool. Although ePCTs and implementation science share complementary goals, they differ in focus, this flexible approach enhances efficiency and scalability, with acceptable accuracy. It streamlines the qualitative research workflow from outlining to the analysis of implementation processes in real-world settings and may accelerate existing implementation approaches while minimizing implementation resources.</p>","PeriodicalId":73355,"journal":{"name":"Implementation science communications","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147846591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nicole Lindner, Kristina Buch, Konrad Hierasimowicz, Reinhard Loose, Michael Walz, Karl-Friedrich Schüttler, Veronika van der Wardt, Annika Viniol
{"title":"Development and proof-of-concept of a complex intervention to support appropriate imaging for musculoskeletal pain: the Betti programme.","authors":"Nicole Lindner, Kristina Buch, Konrad Hierasimowicz, Reinhard Loose, Michael Walz, Karl-Friedrich Schüttler, Veronika van der Wardt, Annika Viniol","doi":"10.1186/s43058-026-00949-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43058-026-00949-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Inappropriate diagnostic imaging for musculoskeletal pain is common and causes patient harm and unnecessary costs. Existing interventions frequently target single conditions and stakeholders and show limited integration into routine consultations. This study aimed to develop and test a complex intervention to de-implement low-value care by supporting appropriate imaging decisions for musculoskeletal pain in primary care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We developed Betti (\"Better Imaging\") following the Medical Research Council framework (MRC) for complex interventions. The development was both theory- and evidence-based and included: specification and iterative refinement of a programme theory (logic model); a comprehensive literature review; qualitative interviews with patients; structured expert feedback; and a proof-of-concept test with general practitioners and patients. The Behaviour-Change-Wheel informed intervention components. We addressed early implementation considerations throughout the development process.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Findings from the literature review revealed a wide range of intervention approaches and components. Overall effectiveness was mixed. Reductions in imaging were reported more frequently in multicomponent interventions that included both physician-facing components and patient-facing materials. Qualitative interviews with people with musculoskeletal pain highlighted that expectations of primary care consultations are highly individual and shaped by context (e.g., prior experiences). Expert feedback emphasised communication and reassurance to support imaging decisions. Informed by these findings, we developed Betti, multicomponent intervention comprising: (1) a multimedia training module for general practitioners, (2) a clinical decision support system based on guideline recommendations across musculoskeletal pain, and (3) multimedia patient information materials. In the proof-of-concept test, patients and general practitioners perceived Betti as well structured and supportive. However, implementation challenges emerged: patients were not directed to the materials, indicating that Betti was not integrated into the consultation as intended. These findings led us to refine the programme theory, explicitly positioning consultation-integrated delivery and physician-mediated handover explicitly as essential for our program theory.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Betti is a theory- and evidence-based, stakeholder-developed intervention. Early findings show high acceptability but underscore consultation-integrated delivery as critical. The study adds transferable implementation insights for de-implementing low-value imaging by specifying mechanisms, determinants, and strategy choices beyond tool use, informing further refinement and future feasibility and effectiveness-implementation evaluation.</p>","PeriodicalId":73355,"journal":{"name":"Implementation science communications","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13151194/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147847005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Marina Plesons, Shelby Meaders, Britt DeVries, Megan E Murphy, Tim Santamour, Hansel E Tookes, Tyler S Bartholomew
{"title":"Strengthening implementation of syringe services programs in Florida: insights from a statewide survey and social network analysis.","authors":"Marina Plesons, Shelby Meaders, Britt DeVries, Megan E Murphy, Tim Santamour, Hansel E Tookes, Tyler S Bartholomew","doi":"10.1186/s43058-026-00955-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-026-00955-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Syringe services programs (SSPs) are an evidence-based intervention for preventing infectious diseases and reducing the risk of overdose. Florida passed legislation that authorizes the implementation of SSPs (via the Infectious Disease Elimination Act; IDEA) in 2019. However, little is known about how organizational contexts and interorganizational networks shape adoption, implementation, and sustainment of this intervention.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a cross-sectional, statewide survey of organizations engaged in implementing SSPs and related services between March and May 2025, using a community-based participatory research approach with the Florida Harm Reduction Collective. The survey assessed SSP implementation, barriers and facilitators, implementation climate, organizational sustainability, and interorganizational networks. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests for group comparisons, and social network analysis to examine relational structures and organizational centrality.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 29 organizations representing 18 counties responded to the survey. Eight counties reported operating a sanctioned SSP, while none of the remaining counties had ordinances or champions supporting SSP adoption. Stigma and political resistance, lack of funding, and restrictive laws and policies were cited as major barriers to SSP implementation. There was an overall weak implementation climate for SSPs (mean = 1.4 on a 0-4 scale), though it was significantly stronger in counties with operational SSPs (1.8 vs. 1.1, p = 0.01). Organizations reported relatively strong organizational sustainability (mean = 5.6 on a 1-7 scale), with high ratings for program adaptation and lower scores for funding stability. Social network analysis revealed that the Florida Harm Reduction Collective served as the most central and influential node connecting diverse organizations statewide.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings highlight both structural barriers (e.g., funding, stigma, restrictive policies) and organizational strengths (e.g., adaptability, network connectivity) in Florida's harm reduction landscape. Addressing policy barriers, expanding and stabilizing funding availability, and leveraging statewide networks will be critical for strengthening implementation of SSPs in Florida and expanding equitable access to harm reduction services for people who use drugs.</p>","PeriodicalId":73355,"journal":{"name":"Implementation science communications","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147846920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lindsay A Ballengee, Trevor A Lentz, Devon Check, Leah L Zullig, Susan N Hastings, Rebecca North, Heather A King, Chanee Lynch, Steven Z George
{"title":"Clinically relevant contextual factors for enrolling patients in a pain intervention across multiple health care centers.","authors":"Lindsay A Ballengee, Trevor A Lentz, Devon Check, Leah L Zullig, Susan N Hastings, Rebecca North, Heather A King, Chanee Lynch, Steven Z George","doi":"10.1186/s43058-026-00943-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-026-00943-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Low back pain (LBP) negatively impacts public health and places a significant burden on healthcare systems. Non-pharmacologic interventions are recommended as first-line treatments for LBP, yet their uptake remains low due to implementation challenges. This study examined clinically relevant contextual factors that influenced implementation of two care pathways for LBP.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We applied the Basel Approach for Contextual Analysis (BANANA) to examine 10 contextual factors across 17 sites implementing two low back pain care pathways: a sequenced care pathway integrating physical therapy with psychologically informed treatment via telehealth, and a navigator pathway facilitating access to non-pharmacologic pain treatments. A parallel mixed-methods design (QUAN + qual) evaluated contextual influences on enrollment. Quantitative analysis used a clustered Cox proportional hazards model with robust variance to assess time to minimum enrollment. Qualitative interviews with 12 high- and low-referring providers, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research, explored organizational context, implementation conditions, and pathway impact.</p><p><strong>Clinicaltrials: </strong>gov ID: NCT04411420.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sites in both pathways reached enrollment targets in a similar timeframe (~16 months), though navigator sites showed less variability and enrolled their first patient faster (17.2 vs. 47.5 days). In the clustered survival analysis, urban community-based outpatient clinics demonstrated faster time to minimum enrollment (HR = 3.07, 95% CI 1.31-7.18) compared with medical centers for both pathways. The number (HR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.39-1.63) and years of experience (HR = 1.06 per year, 95% CI 1.02-1.10) of physical therapists in the sequenced care pathway were associated with faster time to minimal enrollment but navigator pathway-related factors were not associated with enrollment speed. Qualitative themes included provider comfort with referring, perceived benefits of holistic care, the role of leadership support, and importance of patient feedback. Barriers identified included communication gaps, site-level variability, and logistical challenges for specific populations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This analysis highlights the role of contextual factors in shaping enrollment within embedded care pathways for LBP. Tailoring implementation strategies to local contexts, care pathway characteristics, strengthening provider engagement, and enhancing feedback mechanisms may improve the reach and scalability of non-pharmacologic interventions in real-world healthcare settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":73355,"journal":{"name":"Implementation science communications","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-05-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147847081","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Culture eats evidence for breakfast: how culture influences implementation of evidence-based practices.","authors":"Per Nilsen, Jeanette Wassar Kirk","doi":"10.1186/s43058-026-00940-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43058-026-00940-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Research has produced a substantial and expanding body of evidence-based practices (EBPs), encompassing interventions, programmes, clinical guidelines, protocols, care pathways and models of care supported by the best available evidence. Despite this, healthcare delivery is still frequently characterised as insufficiently evidence-based, reflecting a persistent gap between what is known to be effective and what is routinely implemented in practice. Traditional explanations only partially account for this gap, often overlooking culture as a critical yet under-theorized influence. Culture is a learned phenomenon rooted in social contexts, encompassing shared norms, values, beliefs and assumptions that define a group, whether a team, profession or organization. This paper argues that the uptake and sustainability of EBPs are profoundly shaped by cultural dynamics operating across three key layers: organizational, professional and disciplinary.</p><p><strong>Main body: </strong>Organizational culture shapes openness to change, learning and psychological safety, influencing whether EBPs are seen as improvements or burdens. Professional cultures, rooted in education and identity, affect how physicians, nurses and other professionals apply guidelines and protocols. Disciplinary cultures, tied to clinical environments (e.g. emergency, intensive, mental health, palliative care), also shape how EBPs are received. Enhancing cultural responsiveness requires aligning EBPs with the shared norms, values, beliefs and assumptions of the intended users. Strategies include fostering clinician engagement in the development of EBPs, cultural competence, local adaptation and leveraging cultural champions.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Implementation of EBPs is shaped by culture, not solely by the strength of evidence or implementation strategies. Organizational, professional and disciplinary cultures interact to influence how EBPs are interpreted, accepted, adapted or resisted in practice, helping to explain persistent variation in uptake. Misalignment between EBPs and prevailing norms, values, beliefs and assumptions undermines implementation even when evidence is strong.</p>","PeriodicalId":73355,"journal":{"name":"Implementation science communications","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13127075/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147790600","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniel M Walker, Alison M Aldrich, Sadie Chen, Elizabeth Jadovich, Michael Goetz, Shaquita Andrews-Higgins, Alexander Y Walley, Hannah K Knudsen, Timothy R Huerta, Timothy Hunt, Mari-Lynn Drainoni
{"title":"The role of external and internal context on adoption and implementation of evidence-based practices: a serial case study qualitative analysis of top performers in the HEALing Communities Study.","authors":"Daniel M Walker, Alison M Aldrich, Sadie Chen, Elizabeth Jadovich, Michael Goetz, Shaquita Andrews-Higgins, Alexander Y Walley, Hannah K Knudsen, Timothy R Huerta, Timothy Hunt, Mari-Lynn Drainoni","doi":"10.1186/s43058-026-00952-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s43058-026-00952-9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73355,"journal":{"name":"Implementation science communications","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147790621","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sarah R Eisenman, Jocelin Vanegas, Colleen Cicchetti, Scott N Compton, Walter S Gilliam, Iheoma U Iruka, Aaron R Lyon, Lauren S Wakschlag, Justin D Smith, Andrea E Spencer, Courtney A Zulauf-McCurdy
{"title":"A pilot Roll-Out Implementation Optimization trial of an adjunctive intervention to improve teacher and caregiver uptake and adherence to a behavioral intervention for externalizing problems in preschool: a study protocol of Parent-Educator Action Response (PEAR).","authors":"Sarah R Eisenman, Jocelin Vanegas, Colleen Cicchetti, Scott N Compton, Walter S Gilliam, Iheoma U Iruka, Aaron R Lyon, Lauren S Wakschlag, Justin D Smith, Andrea E Spencer, Courtney A Zulauf-McCurdy","doi":"10.1186/s43058-026-00938-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-026-00938-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Behavioral interventions are well-established treatments for emerging externalizing problems in preschool. However, caregivers and teachers face barriers to implementing behavioral interventions across home and school. The current study aims to improve joint teacher and caregiver uptake and adherence to a behavioral intervention by testing a new adjunctive intervention co-developed with early childhood constituents, Parent-Educator Action Response (PEAR). PEAR consists of group-based motivational interviewing, psychoeducation, and action planning sessions for preschool teachers and caregivers of a preschooler with elevated externalizing problems, followed by a meeting with each caregiver-teacher dyad to agree upon a plan for supporting improvements in the child's externalizing problems.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We will use a pilot Roll-Out Implementation Optimization (ROIO) design, with three clusters over 18 months to implement and evaluate PEAR. Participants will be approximately 24 preschool teachers and 24 caregivers of a preschool child. All participants will receive PEAR, delivered by a licensed clinical psychologist and supported by a bilingual community health worker. Throughout the study period, participants will be asked to implement the Daily Report Card (DRC), an evidence-based behavioral intervention for externalizing problems. Implementation of the DRC at home and preschool, the primary outcome, will be measured weekly for eight weeks. Additional outcomes will be measured at baseline, post-PEAR, and follow-up (4 weeks post-PEAR).</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This is one of the first pilot ROIO trials and trials in the preschool setting to study a new adjunctive intervention to improve both teacher and caregiver uptake and adherence to behavioral interventions for preschool externalizing problems. Findings are likely to generalize to other public health adjunctive interventions in community settings.</p><p><strong>Trial registration: </strong>clinicaltrials.gov NCT07203014 on 10-02-2025.</p>","PeriodicalId":73355,"journal":{"name":"Implementation science communications","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147791213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Matters arising: a commentary on \"Failing to succeed: advancing mechanistic understanding of implementation strategies through retrospective and prospective use of causal pathway diagrams\" by Austad et al. 2025.","authors":"Bo Kim, Cara C Lewis","doi":"10.1186/s43058-026-00914-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s43058-026-00914-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":73355,"journal":{"name":"Implementation science communications","volume":"7 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.3,"publicationDate":"2026-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13097804/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147790574","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}