Developing a Practice-Driven Taxonomy of Implementation Strategies for HIV Prevention

Effective implementation of evidence-based HIV prevention interventions continues to be a challenge in the United States, and the field is increasingly turning to implementation science for solutions. As such, it is critical to expand the current implementation science vocabulary-and its taxonomy of implementation strategies-to increase its relevance and utility for front-line implementers.

Community-based health centers providing HIV prevention services in the southeastern United States.

We conducted a collective case-study analysis, combining document review and qualitative interviews with program directors, clinicians, and other providers (N = 30) at 5 sites. We used an inductive and iterative analytic approach to specify and categorize strategies, and then conducted in-depth cross-case analysis to derive a practice-driven taxonomy of HIV prevention implementation strategies.

From an initial matrix of 264 activities, we identified 50 strategies common across sites. In contrast to existing implementation science frameworks, most (68%, n = 34) strategies were designed to affect implementation outcomes (eg, acceptability, adoption, feasibility) for patients. We present a practice-driven taxonomy of these strategies, operationalized according to implementation science literature, but with terminology that more directly relates to implementers.

Findings demonstrate the feasibility and utility of this method for developing a practice-driven implementation science vocabulary for HIV prevention. Our evidence-based taxonomy provides a framework for implementers seeking data about the universe of strategies they might consider for their own programs, and increases researchers' ability to measure and evaluate the effectiveness of implementation strategies being enacted in practice settings.