Oilcloth sessions as an implementation strategy: a qualitative study in Denmark

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Implementation Science
• Educational Strategies

Background:

• Healthcare system implementation challenges in Denmark.
• The critical role of strategic alignment in project success.
• Limited attention to alignment in existing literature and practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore healthcare professionals' experiences with oilcloth sessions.
• To evaluate oilcloth sessions as an alignment strategy for new emergency departments.
• To understand participant perspectives on implementation strategies.

Main Methods:

• Observation of 13 oilcloth sessions.
• 53 semi-structured interviews with key personnel.
• Deductive analysis using Biggs and Tang's didactic alignment model.

Main Results:

• Identified complexities in oilcloth sessions across three phases: preparation, execution, and evaluation.
• Nine main themes emerged, detailing challenges and facilitators.
• Preparation phase involved individual/collective readiness, objectives, participant involvement, and case selection.
• Execution phase focused on materials, facilitation, and temporal structures.
• Evaluation involved follow-up and contextual adaptation.

Conclusions:

• Ensuring alignment is crucial for successful implementation strategies.
• Oilcloth sessions with high alignment effectively address implementation challenges.
• Biggs and Tang's didactic model provides a useful framework for analyzing alignment in implementation strategies.