Strategy Categories

This study used the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) classification system to code implementation strategies according to more than 70 pre-identified strategy types. We organized these into 9 broader categories that we adapted from ERIC groupings. These categories and the strategies included are listed below. Strategies within each category are listed in descending order by how often they were used across the studies we reviewed. Click the strategy category to see detailed results.

Mobilize Site Staff for Implementation

  • Organize implementation teams and team meetings
  • Conduct internal consensus discussions to develop buy-in
  • Recruit, designate, and train site staff for leadership
  • Identify and prepare clinical champions
  • Inform internal opinion leaders about implementation

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Tailor, Iterate, and Adapt to Context

  • Purposefully reexamine and adjust the implementation
  • Promote adaptability within the evidence-based practice (EBP)
  • Tailor the implementation strategy to the site
  • Conduct cyclical small tests of change
  • Assess and redesign workflows
  • Obtain formal commitments from leadership to implement change

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Prepare Sites for Implementation

  • Develop an implementation blueprint
  • Assess for site readiness or identify implementation barriers and facilitators
  • Develop and implement tools for quality monitoring
  • Conduct a local needs assessment for the EBP
  • Model and simulate possible effects of planned changes

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Train Site Staff and Clinicians

  • Conduct educational meetings
  • Distribute educational materials to clinicians
  • Conduct ongoing training
  • Make training dynamic
  • Provide ongoing consultation (EBP focused)
  • Use train-the-trainer strategies

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Provide Interactive Assistance and Site Support

  • Provide external implementation facilitation
  • Audit and provide feedback
  • Centralize technical assistance
  • Facilitate collaborative learning environment (i.e., A earning collaborative)
  • Conduct interactive educational outreach visits (Academic detailing)
  • Provide internal implementation facilitation
  • Provide local technical assistance
  • Capture and share local implementation site knowledge
  • Create an online learning community
  • Provide clinical supervision (of EBP provision)

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Support Clinician Practice Change

  • Clinical decision support tools
  • Remind clinicians (clinical reminders)
  • Change record systems, including accreditation, credentialing, and licensure standards
  • Facilitate relay of individual clinical data to clinicians
  • Use data warehousing techniques and data experts (Dashboard)
  • Create new clinical teams
  • Revise professional roles

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Engage Patients and Families

  • Prepare patients/consumers to be active participants in implementation
  • Intervene with patients to enhance uptake and adherence
  • Involve end users and family members (in implementation planning)
  • Increase demand
  • Obtain and use consumer and family feedback

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Strategies Not Featured

Some strategy categories and ERIC strategies within these categories were not featured in this study due to low representation in included research. These include utilizing financial strategies and strategies to engage external partners and resources. View the report for details.

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