Myth versus mystery: A scoping review of the involvement of behavioral science in implementing evidence-informed decision-making initiatives

Abstract

Literature suggests that using behavioral theory to inform research can improve the efficiency of knowledge translation (KT) interventions and guide their implementation. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review of the use of behavioral theories, models, and frameworks in the published literature to guide the implementation of evidence-informed decision-making (EIDM) interventions. We used a thorough two-step search strategy to retrieve articles fulfilling the inclusion criteria published through August 2022. Two reviewers initially screened the articles individually, followed by two reviewers who independently reviewed the articles’ full text. We critically appraised 90 full-text articles from 3172 retrieved articles based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. We finally included 19 articles for qualitative synthesis, which included the elements of KT intervention, underlying theories/models of behavior change and the purpose of their use, and facilitators and barriers to KT intervention. Our results showed that no study explicitly focused on EIDM and simultaneously utilized behavioral theories to design or inform the implementation of an intervention. Furthermore, we found that the Theoretical Domain Framework, the Theory of Planned Behavior, the Behavioral Change Wheel, and the Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation Behavior Model were most frequently used to guide the implementation of KT interventions. Our study identified a vital gap that must be filled in relation to EIDM research on intervention implementation. Thus, our findings can support and enrich those planning to launch an EIDM initiative in terms of selecting the base theory/model/framework, anticipating the facilitators and barriers to implementation, and determining the most appropriate intervention component.