One size fits all? A latent profile analysis to identify care professional subgroups based on implementation...

Area of Science:

• Implementation Science
• Child Welfare Research
• Mental Health Services Research

Background:

• Implementation science acknowledges the interconnectedness of determinants and context heterogeneity.
• Practical application of these insights in implementation research remains limited.
• Focus on identifying distinct subgroups of care professionals (CPs) based on implementation determinants.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify distinct subgroups of CPs based on Childcheck implementation determinants.
• Explore the influence of organization type on subgroup membership.
• Assess the relationship between subgroup membership and CPs' implementation level.

Main Methods:

• Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) used to identify subgroups among 562 Dutch CPs.
• Chi-Squared test examined the influence of organization type on subgroup membership.
• One-way ANOVA explored the impact of subgroup membership on implementation levels.

Main Results:

• Five distinct subgroups of CPs were identified based on implementation determinants.
• Subgroup B faced the most challenges (collaboration, organizational issues), showing the lowest implementation level.
• Subgroup C achieved the highest implementation level, while Subgroups D and E showed varied implementation levels.
• Subgroup E, mainly from mental health settings, reported indifferent attitudes and low to average implementation.

Conclusions:

• Tailored implementation plans are vital, moving beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.
• LPA effectively revealed variations in implementation determinants among CPs.
• Customized strategies for identified subgroups are key for successful guideline implementation and child well-being.