Ready, set, go!: exploring use of a readiness process to implement pharmacy services.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Implementation Science
• Organizational Readiness Assessment
• Medication Management Services

Background:

• Readiness is crucial for successful implementation but often difficult to conceptualize and apply.
• The R = MC^2 framework operationalizes readiness for practical application in healthcare settings.
• Assessing and building readiness is a critical step for effective service implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the application of the R = MC^2 framework for assessing and building readiness across nine healthcare sites.
• To gain insights into healthcare sites' experiences with the R = MC^2 readiness process.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of readiness-building strategies in the context of medication management service implementation.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods exploratory study utilizing process evaluation data.
• Analysis of team involvement, readiness challenges, and strategy execution for Aim 1.
• Interviews with site representatives to identify facilitators, barriers, and lessons learned for Aim 2.

Main Results:

• Nine diverse healthcare sites (clinics, pharmacies) participated, with teams of 4-11 members.
• Five categories of readiness-building strategies were identified, with 68% in progress after 4 months.
• Facilitators included coaching and internal support; barriers included competing priorities and resource limitations.

Conclusions:

• The application of the R = MC^2 readiness process yielded valuable outputs and benefits, including improved alignment and intervention fit.
• Key lessons learned emphasize the importance of service fit, stakeholder engagement, and a structured, rightsized readiness approach.
• Understanding the application and value of readiness processes is critical for their integration into routine implementation efforts.