Improving the sustainability of hospital-based interventions: a study protocol for a systematic review

Introduction Sustaining effective interventions in hospital environments is essential to improving health outcomes, and reducing research waste. Current evidence suggests many interventions are not sustained beyond their initial delivery. The reason for this failure remains unclear. Increasingly research is employing theoretical frameworks and models to identify critical factors that influence the implementation of interventions. However, little is known about the value of these frameworks on sustainability. The aim of this review is to examine the evidence regarding the use of theoretical frameworks to maximise effective intervention sustainability in hospital-based settings in order to better understand their role in supporting long-term intervention use. Methods and analysis Systematic review. We will systematically search the following databases: Medline, AMED, CINAHL, Embase and Cochrane Library (CENTRAL, CDSR, DARE, HTA). We will also hand search relevant journals and will check the bibliographies of all included studies. Language and date limitations will be applied. We will include empirical studies that have used a theoretical framework (or model) and have explicitly reported the sustainability of an intervention (or programme). One reviewer will remove obviously irrelevant titles. The remaining abstracts and full-text articles will be screened by two independent reviewers to determine their eligibility for inclusion. Disagreements will be resolved by discussion, and may involve a third reviewer if required. Key study characteristics will be extracted (study design, population demographics, setting, evidence of sustained change, use of theoretical frameworks and any barriers or facilitators data reported) by one reviewer and cross-checked by another reviewer. Descriptive data will be tabulated within evidence tables, and key findings will be brought together within a narrative synthesis. Ethics and dissemination Formal ethical approval is not required as no primary data will be collected. Dissemination of results will be through peer-reviewed journal publications, presentation at an international conference and social media

Achieving ‘coherence’ in routine practice : a qualitative case-based study to describe speech and language therapy interventions with implementation in mind

Funding This paper is based on work carried out as part of an ESRC funded PhD studentship awarded to AN at the NMAHP Research Unit, University of Stirling. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript Acknowledgements Thank you to all participants for giving so generously of their time and expertise, and to the services and people who facilitated access. Thanks also to retired speech and language therapists Linda Armstrong and Jen Reid for critical feedback throughout the research; to Marian Brady at NMAHP Research Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University for the many discussions around TIDieR as well as critical feedback on early versions of this paper; and to Sue Roulstone at the University of the West of England for sage advice at the revision stage. Finally, thank you to the two peer reviewers for their constructive suggestions, which helped us improve the paper.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Understanding capacity for implementing new interventions : A qualitative study of speech and language therapy services for children with speech sound disorder

Acknowledgements Thank you to all participants who gave so generously of their time to share their experiences of practice change, and to the services and other people who facilitated access, including the Scottish Speech and Language Therapy Managers’ group. Thanks also to the Specialists in SSD Network, Caroline Bowen, Sharynne McLeod, and to team leaders in a fourth Scottish service whose SSD intervention initiative informed the study design. Finally, thank you to retired speech and language therapists Linda Armstrong and Jen Reid for critical feedback throughout the study. Funding statement This paper is based on work carried out as part of an ESRC funded PhD studentship awarded to AN at the NMAHP Research Unit, University of Stirling. The funder had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript. The paper was written after AN moved to the University of Aberdeen.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Recruitment challenges in stroke rehabilitation randomized controlled trials: a qualitative exploration of trialists’ perspectives using Framework analysis

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article: This research was part of a Glasgow Caledonian University funded studentship PhD based at, the Nursing Midwifery and Allied Health Professions Research Unit. The NMAHP RU and MCB are funded by the Chief Science Office, Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorate. The views expressed here are that of the authors and not necessarily the funders.Peer reviewedPostprin

Process Evaluation of Alcohol Brief Interventions in Wider Settings (Young People and Social Work)

This study aimed to explore the feasibility and acceptability of ABIs delivered to young people and in social work settings. The study did not aim to examine whether individuals who received ABIs changed their drinking behaviour and improved their health but did explore how feasible a future outcome evaluation of ABIs in these settings would be, and the issues and challenges which would be involved in such a study

Alcohol brief interventions in youth and social work settings in Scotland

Peer reviewedPublisher PD