Terminology, definitions and resources
| Term used in this paper | Definition Sources of information | Alternative terminology and similar concepts |
|---|---|---|
| Implementation strategy | Methods or techniques used to enhance the adoption, implementation and sustainability of a clinical programme or practice14–16 | Implementation approach Implementation programmes Implementation process Implementation intervention |
| Exemplar resources: Consolidated Framework For Implementation Research (CFIR) http://www.cfirguide.org/imp.html Dissemination and implementation models http://www.dissemination-implementation.org/index.aspx | ||
| Implementation outcome | Process or quality measures to assess the impact of the implementation strategy, such as adherence to a new practice, acceptability, feasibility, adaptability, fidelity, costs and returns14 58 | End point |
| Intervention | The evidence-based practice, programme, policy, process, or guideline recommendation that is being implemented (or deimplemented).12 In the context of healthcare, this might be a preventive, diagnostic or therapeutic clinical practice, delivery system change, or public health activity being implemented to improve patient's outcomes, system quality and efficiency, or population health. | Treatment Evidence-based intervention |
| Health outcome | Patient-level health outcomes for a clinical intervention, such as symptoms or mortality; or population-level health status or indices of system function for a system/organisational-level intervention.14 | Health status Client outcome |
| Logic pathway | The manner in which the implementation strategy is hypothesised to operate | Logic model Causal pathway/model Mechanisms of action/impact Theory of change Driver diagrams Cause-and-effect diagram (Ishikawa, fishbone diagrams) Donabedian model |
| Exemplar resource: Logic models: https:/www.wkkf.org/resource-directory/resource/2006/02/wk-kellogg-foundation-logic-model-development-guide | ||
| Process evaluation | A study that aims to understand the functioning of an intervention, by examining its implementation, mechanisms of impact and contextual factors. Process evaluation is complementary to, but not a substitute for, high quality outcomes evaluation61 Process evaluation aims to describe the strategy for change as planned, the strategy as delivered, the actual exposure of the target population to the activities that are part of the strategy, and the experiences of the people exposed60 (Formative evaluation) is a rigorous assessment process designed to identify potential and actual influences on the progress and effectiveness of implementation efforts62 | Formative evaluation |
| Exemplar resource: process evaluation of complex interventions. Available from https://www.ioe.ac.uk/MRC_PHSRN_Process_evaluation_guidance_final(2).pdf | ||
| ‘Barriers and facilitators’ | Aspects related to the individual (ie, healthcare practitioner or healthcare recipient) or to the organisation that ‘determine its degree of readiness to implement, barriers that may impede implementation, and strengths that can be used in the implementation effort’50 | Drivers Mediators, Moderators Contextual factors Enablers Organisational conditions for change |