Scaling evidence-based interventions: Examining factors promoting and limiting the dissemination of research mentor training.

Introduction: Mentorship education has been shown to positively impact the experiences of mentors and mentees. Entering Mentoring, an evidence-based mentor training curriculum, has been widely implemented to train research mentors across the country, including the mentors of clinical and translational scientists. Facilitating Entering Mentoring, a train-the-trainer based workshop, has been used as a dissemination strategy to increase the number of facilitators prepared to implement mentor training in their local contexts. The objective of this research was to examine individual and institutional factors promoting and limiting mentor training implementation efforts of trained facilitators.

Methods: Using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), we examined self-reported data from surveys administered annually to Facilitating Entering Mentoring participants. Data analyses included t-tests to compare differences between the implementer and non-implementer groups and binary logistic regression to determine which factors best predict implementation status.

Results: Factors associated with the inner setting domain were found to have the most impact on implementation efforts, with administrative support, leadership support, and interest from potential participants being the most significant predictors of implementation. Additionally, those who implemented were more likely to report receiving institutional support compared with those who did not implement the intervention. Those who did not implement were more likely to report the presence of perceived institutional barriers.

Conclusions: The CFIR model provides a useful framework for understanding factors that promote and limit implementation outcomes of an evidence-based research mentor training intervention. Findings emphasize the role of institutional support to promote the implementation of research mentor training.