Lifestyle Medicine Implementation in 8 Health Systems: Protocol for a Multiple Case Study Investigation

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Implementation Science
• Preventive Medicine

Background:

• Lifestyle medicine (LM) utilizes therapeutic lifestyle changes to prevent and treat chronic diseases.
• Despite evidence, LM faces challenges in healthcare settings, including clinician training and reimbursement issues.
• Understanding implementation barriers and facilitators is key to successful LM adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the protocol for identifying barriers and facilitators impacting LM implementation in health systems.
• To provide a framework for studying LM integration in diverse healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research methods including in-depth interviews, document reviews, and site visits were employed.
• A diverse sample of 8 health systems was recruited, representing various characteristics.
• The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) guided the semistructured interviews.

Main Results:

• Data collection from 8 health systems, including 68 interviews, is complete.
• Descriptive case narratives are being drafted for member checking and dissemination.
• Cross-case analyses are underway to identify facilitators, barriers, training strategies, and burnout connections.

Conclusions:

• This protocol offers practical insights for researching LM implementation in health systems.
• Findings can inform LM integration strategies across different healthcare contexts.
• Lessons learned can guide future implementation science studies.