Role of External Facilitation in Implementing Research Findings
Author Information
Author(s): Cheryl B. Stetler, Marcia W. Legro, Joanne Rycroft-Malone, Candice Bowman, Geoffrey Curran, Marylou Guihan, Hildi Hagedorn, Sandra Pineros, Carolyn M. Wallace
Primary Institution: Veterans Health Administration
Hypothesis
How does external facilitation impact the implementation of research findings in the Veterans Health Administration?
Conclusion
Facilitation is a distinct intervention that can enhance the implementation of evidence-based practices in healthcare settings.
Supporting Evidence
- Facilitation is viewed as a critical process of interactive problem-solving and support.
- Facilitators help internal change agents understand what needs to change and how to achieve it.
- Facilitation can be considered a distinct implementation intervention.
- Facilitators often integrate other implementation interventions while providing support.
- Successful facilitation requires good communication and relationship-building skills.
Takeaway
Facilitators help healthcare teams understand what changes they need to make and support them in doing it, making it easier to use new practices.
Methodology
The study used semi-structured interviews with VA researchers to evaluate facilitation experiences across multiple QUERI implementation projects.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the dual role of one of the researchers as both an interviewee and note taker.
Limitations
The study was small-scale and relied on self-report data, which may limit generalizability.
Participant Demographics
Participants were VA researchers involved in QUERI implementation projects.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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