Implementation science research in the intensive care unit: a scoping review

The purpose of this review is to identify the theoretical framework of implementation science in the intensive care unit (ICU), the determinants affecting implementation results, the intervention guided by a theoretical framework and the assessment of implementation effectiveness based on implementation science to guide further advancement of the implementation of evidence in the field of ICU.

The scoping review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) Scoping Review Methodology Group's guidance and reported following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. The study protocol was registered with the International Prospective Registry of Systematic Reviews on 15 December 2024 (registration number: CRD42024614246).

We searched the following databases and sources: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and EBSCO.

We included studies exploring the implementation science in the ICU that were published in English language.

Two researchers conducted the literature search by referring to the search strategies, and one researcher removed duplicates using EndNote. Two independent investigators screened the retrieved studies based on their titles and abstracts using eligibility criteria. Subsequently, the same two researchers conducted a full-text screening.

13 articles were included: 8 qualitative studies, 3 mixed studies, 1 quasi-experimental study and 1 prospective observational study. Regarding the implementation of the theoretical framework for research, seven studies applied the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR), two studies applied the research implementation in health services framework (i-PARIHS) and one each of the research into the translating research into practice model, the exploration, preparation, implementation, sustain, the reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation and maintenance model and the behaviour change wheel. The CFIR was the most applied in the ICU, followed by the i-PARIHS. The literature demonstrated how implementation science is used and how it can reduce the gap between evidence and practice.

Strategies to support the implementation of accelerated evidence-based practice in the ICU are important, and more researchers need to conduct implementation science studies of the ICU to facilitate the translation of evidence and improve the quality of nursing practice in the future.