Implementation strategies designed to change behavior are complex, and when similar strategies are often reported using a variety of labels, it can be challenging for the clinician wanting to learn from the experiences of others.1 This lack of standardization can create issues when attempting to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention in clinical practice. Implementation reports published within the JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports (JBISRIR) report on the practical experiences of clinicians translating evidence into their unique settings. This month's implementation report focuses on skin tears within the aged community setting.2 How do strategies reported in the community setting, such as "education" for health professionals, be reported in a standard way? As JBI continues to work in advancing implementation research, the aim will be on further developing consensus for reporting these strategies.

The Joanna Briggs Institute's approach to evidence implementation is grounded upon a careful examination of extant literature on effective implementation methods and measurements arising from the human sciences of sociology, public health, medicine, psychology and education. Informed by practice-based experiences gained from an international collaboration comprised of clinicians, educators, administrators, researchers and policy makers focused on the dissemination, implementation and evaluation of evidence-based guidelines across healthcare systems and processes, the program focuses on five interdependent elements:

1. A careful and constructive understanding of organizational cultures - sometimes termed cultural intelligence;

2. Achieving consensus on the measurement of successful implementation;

3. A structured approach to the auditing of the systems and processes of care (using the JBI-Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System [PACES]);

4. Embedding evidence-based information systems and resources across the organization (using JBI-COnNECT+) and;

5. Capacity building service users, health professionals and other key stakeholders.

As JBI builds knowledge around implementation science, implementation reports published within the JBISRIR will continue to provide an opportunity to measure and report on the impact of evidence-based interventions at the point of care. Access to evidence at the point of care is crucial for health professionals, but this evidence needs to be both relevant and timely.3 Reporting of implementation strategies will further develop in the future as larger multi-site organizational clinical audit projects are undertaken. Guidelines for reporting studies of quality improvement interventions are available, such as the Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE)4 guidelines and the Workgroup for Intervention Development and Evaluation Research (WIDER) recommendations.5 The JBI implementation report template endeavors to follow these reporting guidelines. This is important so that there can be consistency in the description of the intervention implemented and of the evidence to guide the suggested strategy to be implemented. It is also important to name and define the implementation strategy that is used, and to have common terms so that the label used is understood by others, and can be replicated in their setting.6

Future JBI work will further explore /develop the methodology to synthesize findings from implementation reports, to ensure accurate interpretation of findings and strategies implemented, and to avoid inconsistent labelling, poor descriptions and unclear justification for specific implementation strategies.

Joanna Briggs Institute Receiving Editor, Implementation Reports

References