Is the Implementation Research Logic Modell Suitable for Describing the Context and Implementation in a Real World...

The Implementation Research Logic Model (IRLM) visualizes and systematizes the interconnection of determinants, clinical interventions, implementation strategies, mechanisms and outcomes and aims at highlighting the context of complex clinical interventions. This study asked whether the IRLM methodology could be applied for describing the context of a customer led, commercial patient portal project in a hospital. To capture potential elements of the IRLM categories seven project meetings were observed, notes of 30 meetings and related documents were prepared, 29 minutes analysed retrospectively, and seven interviews conducted with stakeholders from the hospital and the vendor. All 26 determinants proposed within the IRLM concept could be identified and more than half of the implementation strategies (43 of 73) matched the ones applied in this project. TOPCOP that served as a taxonomy for patient portals reflected patient engagement very well, however, it missed to cover back-office processes in the hospital. Taking the upstream perspective of the IRLM to analyse the processes from the end, causal pathways could be proposed. We found that the IRLM was suitable to describe the implementation process of the patient portal. Benefits can therefore be expected for planning similar future projects and for testing the hypothetical pathways in controlled studies.