Translation of obesity practice guidelines: measurement and evaluation.

OBJECTIVE(S): A public health nurse (PHN) in the Midwestern United States (U.S.) led a collaborative system-level intervention to translate the Institute of Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) Adult Obesity Guideline into interprofessional practice. This study (1) evaluated the extent of guideline translation across organizations and (2) assessed the Omaha System as a method for translating system-level interventions and measuring outcomes. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: This retrospective, mixed methods study was conducted with a purposeful sample of one administrator (n = 10) and two to three clinicians (n = 29) from each organization (n = 10). MEASURES: Omaha System Problem Rating Scale for Outcomes Knowledge, Behavior, and Status (KBS). KBS ratings gathered from semi-structured interviews and Omaha System documentation were analyzed using standard descriptive and inferential statistics and triangulated findings with participant quotes. RESULTS: KBS ratings and participant quotes revealed intervention effectiveness in creating sustained system-level changes. Self-reported and observed KBS ratings demonstrated improvement across organizations. There was moderate to substantial agreement regarding benchmark attainment within organizations. On average, self-reported improvement exceeded observer improvement. CONCLUSIONS: System-level PHN practice facilitator interventions successfully translated clinical obesity guidelines into interprofessional use in health care organizations. The Omaha System Problem Rating Scale for Outcomes reliably measured system-level outcomes.

Translation of obesity practice guidelines: interprofessional perspectives regarding the impact of public health nurse system-level intervention.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the perceptions of administrators and clinicians regarding a public health facilitated collaborative supporting the translation into practice of the Institute for Clinical Systems Improvement (ICSI) Adult Obesity Guideline. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: This qualitative study was conducted with 10 health care organizations participating in a voluntary, interprofessional obesity management collaborative. A purposive sample of 39 participants included two to three clinicians and an administrator from each organization. Interview analysis focused on how the intervention affected participants and their practices. RESULTS: Four themes described participant experiences of obesity guideline translation: (1) a shift from powerlessness to positive motivation, (2) heightened awareness coupled with improved capacity to respond, (3) personal ownership and use of creativity, and (4) a sense of the importance of increased interprofessional collaboration. CONCLUSIONS: The investigation of interprofessional perspectives illuminates the feelings and perceptions of clinician and administrator participants regarding obesity practice guideline translation. These themes suggest that positive motivation, improved capacity, personal creative ownership, and interprofessional collaboration may be conducive to successful evidence-based obesity guideline implementation. Further research is needed to evaluate these findings relative to translating the ICSI obesity guideline and other guidelines into practice in diverse clinical settings.