The Influence of Community and Leadership Support on Implementation Research Behaviors

Abstract

A lack of community and leadership support has been previously identified as a potential barrier to engaging in implementation research. With the aim to identify specific support factors influencing implementation research behavior, we performed an online survey of health researchers in the USA in 2018. Implementation research behaviors and perceived support for implementation research were measured. Support was measured from 1 (none) to 5 (most) community members/leaders perceived to have a characteristic. Measurement of engagement in each implementation research behavior was binary. We performed multivariable logistic regression models of perceived support as predictors of engagement of each implementation research behavior. Of the 1767 health researchers, 90.4% reported using implementation measures, 49.7% reported participating in implementation studies, and only 37.2% reported applying for implementation-focused funding. Implementation measure use was more likely with each increase in perceived level of support in the form of community concern with implementation and having leaders prioritize implementation efforts. Existing efforts to increase implementation research nearly tripled the likelihood of participating in an implementation study and more than doubled studying previously successful intervention trials in a real-world setting. To increase engagement in implementation research, efforts beyond raising community awareness of implementation science are needed. Engaging leadership may be more likely to generate the funding and structural support needed to reduce barriers to implementation research engagement.