Abstract
BackgroundIntervention toolkits are common products of grant-funded research in public health and primary care settings. Toolkits are designed to address the knowledge translation gap by speeding implementation and dissemination of research into practice. However, few studies describe characteristics of effective intervention toolkits and their implementation. Therefore, we conducted this study to explore what clinic and community-based users want in intervention toolkits and to identify the factors that support application in practice.MethodsIn this qualitative descriptive study we conducted focus groups and interviews with a purposive sample of community health coalition members, public health experts, and primary care professionals between November 2010 and January 2012. The transdisciplinary research team used thematic analysis to identify themes and a cross-case comparative analysis to explore variation by participant role and toolkit experience.ResultsNinety six participants representing primary care (n = 54, 56%) and community settings (n = 42, 44%) participated in 18 sessions (13 focus groups, five key informant interviews). Participants ranged from those naïve through expert in toolkit development; many reported limited application of toolkits in actual practice. Participants wanted toolkits targeted at the right audience and demonstrated to be effective. Well organized toolkits, often with a quick start guide, with tools that were easy to tailor and apply were desired. Irrespective of perceived quality, participants experienced with practice change emphasized that leadership, staff buy-in, and facilitative support was essential for intervention toolkits to be translated into changes in clinic or public -health practice.ConclusionsGiven the emphasis on toolkits in supporting implementation and dissemination of research and clinical guidelines, studies are warranted to determine when and how toolkits are used. Funders, policy makers, researchers, and leaders in primary care and public health are encouraged to allocate resources to foster both toolkit development and implementation. Support, through practice facilitation and organizational leadership, are critical for translating knowledge from intervention toolkits into practice.
Highlights
Intervention toolkits are common products of grant-funded research in public health and primary care settings
Data collection and analysis was conducted by a transdisciplinary team with expertise in implementation science, qualitative methods, rural health, community health development, and participatory research in primary care and public health settings
Our objective was to engage a purposive sample of participants by role, gender, and who displayed a breadth of experience utilizing intervention toolkits and/or supporting change in practice and community settings
Summary
Intervention toolkits are common products of grant-funded research in public health and primary care settings. Funders, and researchers express concern that scientific discoveries are not being translated into primary care or public health settings [1,2,3]. Studies indicate it takes 17 years for 14% of research evidence to reach practice, and the implementation of evidence-based interventions is often incomplete or ineffective [4, 5]. Intervention toolkits are increasingly requested by funding agencies as research products that can be used to support the translation of evidence-based practices into diverse real-world settings.
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