ADVANCE-ing patient care: Implementation of the academic detailing program Illinois ADVANCE

Academic detailing (AD) is a unique educational resource that provides evidence-based decision-making tools for health care clinicians and is commonly done by pharmacists. Implementation of an AD program requires intentional planning, evaluation, and adaptation.

This brief report aimed to describe the creation of a pharmacist-led AD program, Illinois ADVANCE (Academic Detailing Visits and New Evidence Center, or ILA), and lessons learned from the process, framed through the 4 phases of the quality implementation framework (QIF), to inform future AD program development.

ILA program implementation is described using the 4 phases of QIF: initial considerations regarding the host setting, creating a structure for implementation, ongoing structure once implementation begins, and improving future applications.

The clinical pharmacists of ILA had expertise in providing AD and clinician outreach, making it an ideal fit for an AD program. Additional staff were hired, and all were trained on AD knowledge and skills. An initial structure was created based on best practices in the AD space. Through staff experience and feedback, the structure was adapted and future applications improved with the development of teams and the clarity of roles.

This brief report describes the implementation and adaptation of a pharmacist-led AD program, ILA, through the QIF framework. ILA's current structure resulted from several sources of feedback, primarily from staff input and experiences. Ultimately, this work serves as a guide for future AD program implementation.