Barriers and Facilitators of High-Efficiency Clinical Pathway Implementation in Community Hospitals

An intervention that involved simultaneously implementing clinical pathways for multiple conditions was tested at a tertiary children's hospital and it improved care quality. We are conducting a randomized trial to evaluate this multicondition pathway intervention in community hospitals. Our objectives in this qualitative study were to prospectively (1) identify implementation barriers and (2) map barriers to facilitators using an established implementation science framework.

We recruited participants via site leaders from hospitals enrolled in the trial. We designed an interview guide using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research and conducted individual interviews. Analysis was done using constant comparative methods. Anticipated barriers were mapped to facilitators using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behavior Framework.

Participants from 12 hospitals across the United States were interviewed (n = 21). Major themes regarding the multicondition pathway intervention included clinician perceptions, potential benefits, anticipated barriers/challenges, potential facilitators, and necessary resources. We mapped barriers to additional facilitators using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, Behavior framework. To address limited time/bandwidth of clinicians, we will provide Maintenance of Certification credits. To address new staff and trainee turnover, we will provide easily accessible educational videos/resources. To address difficulties in changing practice across other hospital units, we will encourage emergency department engagement. To address parental concerns with deimplementation, we will provide guidance on parent counseling.

We identified several potential barriers and facilitators for implementation of a multicondition clinical pathway intervention in community hospitals. We also illustrate a prospective process for identifying implementation facilitators.