Development and usability testing of an online support tool to identify models and frameworks to inform...

Area of Science:

• Implementation Science
• Healthcare Interventions
• Knowledge Translation

Background:

• Theories, models, and frameworks (TMFs) are crucial for implementing, evaluating, and sustaining evidence-based healthcare interventions.
• Identifying the most suitable TMF for a specific implementation project can be challenging for practitioners and researchers.
• A need exists for tools to streamline the selection process of TMFs in implementation science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and test the usability of an online tool designed to assist individuals in identifying appropriate TMFs for their implementation work.
• To enhance the accessibility and selection of TMFs for healthcare evidence-based interventions.

Main Methods:

• Employed user-centered design principles and implementation science evidence.
• Conducted a scoping review of TMFs and interviewed 24 researchers/implementers to understand barriers to TMF selection.
• Developed a tool algorithm categorizing TMFs by aim, implementation stage, and change level, then tested usability with 10 end-users using the System Usability Scale (SUS).

Main Results:

• Developed 'Find TMF,' an online tool using a 3-4 question algorithm to match user project characteristics with suitable TMFs.
• Usability testing with 10 participants yielded a high mean SUS score of 84.5, indicating the tool is easy to use and visually appealing.
• User feedback led to improvements, including an overview figure, single-page questions, and enhanced results page functionality with direct links.

Conclusions:

• 'Find TMF' is an easy-to-use online tool that increases the accessibility of numerous TMFs for implementation practitioners.
• The tool supports a standardized approach to identifying and selecting relevant TMFs, potentially improving the consistency of implementation efforts.
• This resource can benefit individuals supporting implementation practice by simplifying the complex task of TMF selection.