Health Trajectories of Skilled Nursing Facility Patients With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias: Evidence for Practicing Nurses.

PURPOSE: Older adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) are at high risk for acute medical problems and their health trajectories frequently include hospital admission and care in a skilled nursing facility (SNF). Their health trajectories after SNF discharge are poorly understood. Therefore, in the current study, we sought to describe health trajectories and factors associated with hospital read-missions for older adults with ADRD during the 30 days following SNF discharge. METHOD: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a clinical trial of transitional care of older adults with transitions from SNF to home and assisted living. A multiple case study design was used in the analysis of the health trajectories of 49 SNF patients with ADRD, 51% discharged from SNF to their own home, 34% discharged to a family member's home, and 15% transferred to assisted living. RESULTS: Within 30 days of discharge, 20% of patients with ADRD experienced new or recurrent acute needs and hospital readmission. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest the need for nursing interventions to support patients with ADRD during care transitions, such as focusing care on the patient-caregiver dyad, providing transitional care, referring patients for palliative care consultation, and conducting nurse-led research to improve care transitions of these patients and their caregivers. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50(4), 34-41.].

Identifying unmet needs of older adults transitioning from home health care to independence at home: A qualitative study.

Health care practices to prepare older adults and their family caregivers for transitions from home health care (HHC) to independence at home are rarely studied. The objective of this multiple case study was to describe HHC patient and clinician perceptions of unmet needs after HHC discharge and recommendations to address them in future research. In this qualitative study, data were collected using chart-reviews and semi-structured interviews with paired patients (or caregivers as proxy) and HHC clinicians (N=17 pairs). We identified three themes: (1) low patient and caregiver engagement in care planning increased risk for preventable health events after HHC discharge, (2) limited continuity of care restricted patient and caregiver access to community-based services, and (3) gaps in patient and caregiver education influenced independent care of chronic illnesses after discharge. Findings suggest opportunities to improve care practices to prepare older adults and their caregivers for transitions from HHC to independence at home.

Characteristics of health care interventions in affordable senior housing: A scoping review.

AIMS: Older adults in affordable senior housing often experience chronic illness and unmet health care needs. This review describes studies reporting the characteristics and primary outcomes of health care interventions for older adults living in affordable senior housing. DESIGN: A scoping review METHODS: After a systematic search in three databases, a team of investigators screened 1,284 titles and abstracts and selected 31 records with reports on 28 studies for review. Narrative synthesis was used to describe studies of interventions in senior housing and primary outcomes. RESULTS: Studies typically used observational designs and added clinical staff, such as nurses and social workers, to provide health care interventions in groups (n = 15) or with individuals (n = 13). Outcomes were classified in four groups: wellness, symptom management, health care use, and physical function. A subset of 23 studies (82.1%) reported effective interventions. IMPACT: Findings identify innovative interventions to promote health in affordable senior housing.

Adapting the Connect-Home transitional care intervention for the unique needs of people with dementia and their caregivers: A feasibility study.

AIMS: After leaving skilled nursing facilities (SNF), 20% of people with dementia (PWD) are re-hospitalized within 30 days. We assessed fidelity, acceptability, preliminary outcomes, and mechanisms of the Connect-Home ADRD transitional care intervention. DESIGN: A feasibility study of Connect-Home ADRD. METHODS: The Connect-Home intervention was adapted for dementia-specific needs. PWD and caregiver dyads in 2 SNFs received transitional care. Data sources included interviews with PWD and caregivers and a review of health records. RESULTS: 19 of 34 eligible dyads (56%) were enrolled. The intervention was feasible (components delivered for >84% of dyads) and acceptable (dyads rated it very helpful and not difficult to use). Connect-Home ADRD adaptations included in-home support to manage symptoms of dementia and unplanned events, such as transition to hospice. IMPACT: Connect-Home ADRD is feasible, acceptable, and merits future research as an intervention to reduce rapid return to acute care following SNF stays.

Perceptions of ACT Team Members on the Implementation of Physical Health Services: A Qualitative Study.

BACKGROUND: Adults with severe mental illnesses have mortality rates 2.5 to 3 times higher than the general population, largely due to medical illnesses. Those with the most profound mental illnesses are served by assertive community treatment (ACT) teams that provide intensive mental health care; however, there are no clearly established models to integrate physical health treatment into ACT and this is a critical gap in the literature. AIMS: To describe perceptions of ACT team members regarding services provided for their clients to treat physical health, how those services can be improved, and what implementation strategies would likely be needed to promote uptake and sustainability of those services on ACT teams. METHOD: Qualitative interviews were conducted via Zoom using a semistructured interview guide with 19 employees from three ACT teams in a southeastern state. Interview transcripts were analyzed, using manifest content analysis, a form of qualitative analysis, to identify key themes in the interview transcripts. RESULTS: ACT team members described limited physical health services for their clients. They reported (1) system-level barriers to improving physical health care, such as inadequate tools and training; and (2) patient-level barriers, such as limited awareness of physical care needs. ACT team members reported the need for additional medical staff and strengthened relationships with primary care providers. They also recommended changes in policy, education, and quality monitoring to implement new physical health care services. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest intervention components and implementation strategies for improving physical health care of ACT consumers.

Quality improvement studies in nursing homes: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Quality improvement (QI) is used in nursing homes (NH) to implement and sustain improvements in patient outcomes. Little is known about how QI strategies are used in NHs. This lack of information is a barrier to replicating successful strategies. Guided by the Framework for Implementation Research, the purpose of this study was to map-out the use, evaluation, and reporting of QI strategies in NHs. METHODS: This scoping review was completed to identify reports published between July 2003 through February 2019. Two reviewers screened articles and included those with (1) the term "quality improvement" to describe their methods, or reported use of a QI model (e.g., Six Sigma) or strategy (e.g., process mapping) (2), findings related to impact on service and/or resident outcomes, and (3) two or more NHs included. Reviewers extracted data on study design, setting, population, problem, solution to address problem, QI strategies, and outcomes (implementation, service, and resident). Vote counting and narrative synthesis were used to describe the use of QI strategies, implementation outcomes, and service and/or resident outcomes. RESULTS: Of 2302 articles identified, the full text of 77 articles reporting on 59 studies were included. Studies focused on 23 clinical problems, most commonly pressure ulcers, falls, and pain. Studies used an average of 6 to 7 QI strategies. The rate that strategies were used varied substantially, e.g., the rate of in-person training (55%) was more than twice the rate of plan-do-study-act cycles (20%). On average, studies assessed two implementation outcomes; the rate these outcomes were used varied widely, with 37% reporting on staff perceptions (e.g., feasibility) of solutions or QI strategies vs. 8% reporting on fidelity and sustainment. Most studies (n = 49) reported service outcomes and over half (n = 34) reported resident outcomes. In studies with statistical tests of improvement, service outcomes improved more often than resident outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This study maps-out the scope of published, peer-reviewed studies of QI in NHs. The findings suggest preliminary guidance for future studies designed to promote the replication and synthesis of promising solutions. The findings also suggest strategies to refine procedures for more effective improvement work in NHs.

Implementing transitional care in skilled nursing facilities: Evaluation of a learning collaborative.

Proctor's Framework for Implementation Research describes the role of implementation strategies and outcomes in the pathway from evidence-based interventions to service and client outcomes. This report describes the evaluation of a learning collaborative to implement a transitional care intervention in skilled nursing facilities (SNF). The collaborative protocol included implementation strategies to promote uptake of a transitional care intervention in SNFs. Using RE-AIM to evaluate outcomes, the main findings were intervention reach to 550 SNF patients, adoption in three of four SNFs that expressed interest in participation, and high fidelity to the implementation strategies. Fidelity to the transitional care intervention was moderate to high; SNF staff provided the five key components of the transitional care intervention for 64-93% of eligible patients. The evaluation was completed during the COVID-19 pandemic, which suggests the protocol was valued by staff and feasible to use amid serious internal and external challenges.

Supporting the Dynamic Careers of Licensed Practical Nurses: A Strategy to Bolster the Long-Term Care Nurse Workforce.

As the U.S. population ages and the demand for long-term care increases, an insufficient number of licensed practical nurses (LPNs) is expected in the nursing workforce. Understanding the characteristics of LPN participation in the workforce is essential to address this challenge. Drawing on the theory of boundaryless careers, the authors examined longitudinal employment data from LPNs in North Carolina and described patterns in LPN licensure and career transitions. Two career patterns were identified: (a) the continuous career, in which LPNs were licensed in 75% or more of the years they were eligible to be licensed and (b) the intermittent career, in which lapses in licensure occurred. Findings indicated that LPNs who made job transitions were more likely to demonstrate continuous careers, as were Black LPNs. These findings suggest the importance of organizational support for LPN career transitions and support for diversity in the LPN workforce.

What does it take to scale-up a complex intervention? Lessons learned from the Connect-Home transitional care intervention.

AIMS: To discuss the multiple phases of research done to plan for wide-scale implementation (i.e. scale-up) of Connect-Home, a complex nurse-develop intervention. Barker et al.'s (Implementation Science, 2016, 11, 12) framework for intervention scale-up is applied to address the methods used to answer the following four questions: 'Who' needs to be involved in scale-up? 'What' intervention and implementation strategies need to be taken to scale? 'How' will scale-up be achieved? And what contextual factors influence 'when' scale-up is or is not successful? DESIGN: Discussion paper. DATA SOURCES: Data sources include the experience of our research team, supported by literature and theory. The Connect-Home team conducted multiple research studies to plan for Connect-Home scale-up. Early studies (2008-2015) focused on formative work to design the Connect-Home intervention. Recent studies have involved successive pilot tests of Connect-Home's effectiveness, implementation, and scale-up (2015-2019). IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: This article describes a systematic approach that nurse researchers can apply to plan for taking their interventions to scale. CONCLUSIONS: Planning for scale-up early in the process of intervention development is essential to speeding the translation of effective interventions into wide-scale practice. IMPACT: This article details the methods that nursing researchers applied to develop and test the strategies needed to plan for taking a complex intervention to scale across multiple settings. The methods described are applicable to nursing and other health researchers' development and scale-up of any complex intervention.

An untapped resource in the nursing workforce: Licensed practical nurses who transition to become registered nurses.

BACKGROUND: A more diverse registered nurse (RN) workforce is needed to provide health care in North Carolina (NC) and nationally. Studies describing licensed practical nurse (LPN) career transitions to RNs are lacking. PURPOSE: To characterize the occurrence of LPN-to-RN professional transitions; compare key characteristics of LPNs who do and do not make such a transition; and compare key characteristics of LPNs who do transition in the years prior to and following their transition. METHODS: A retrospective design was conducted using licensure data on LPNs from 2001 to 2013. Cohorts were constructed based on year of graduation. FINDINGS: Of 39,398 LPNs in NC between 2001 and 2013, there were 3,161 LPNs (8.0%) who had a LPN-to-RN career transition between 2001 and 2013. LPNs were more likely to transition to RN if they were male; from Asian, American Indian, or other racial groups; held an associate or baccalaureate degree in their last year as an LPN (or their last year in the study if they did not transition); worked in a hospital inpatient setting; worked in the medical-surgical nursing specialty; and were from a rural area. DISCUSSION: Our findings indicate that the odds of an LPN-to-RN transition were greater if LPNs were: male; from all other racial groups except white; of a younger age at their first LPN licensure; working in a hospital setting; working in the specialty of medical-surgical nursing; employed part-time; or working in a rural setting during the last year as an LPN. CONCLUSION: This study fills an important gap in our knowledge of LPN-to-RN transitions. Policy efforts are needed to incentivize: LPNs to make a LPN-to-RN transition; educational entities to create and communicate curricular pathways; and employers to support LPNs in making the transition.

Engaging national and regional partners to accelerate broad-scale implementation of nurse-developed interventions.

Only a small proportion of research-tested interventions translate into broad-scale implementation in real world practice, and when they do, it often takes many years. Partnering with national and regional organizations is one strategies that researchers may apply to speed the translation of interventions into real-world practice. Through these partnerships, researchers can promote and distribute interventions to the audiences they want their interventions to reach. In this paper, we describe five nurse scientists' programs of research and their partnerships with networks of national, regional, and local organizations, including their initial formative work, activities to engage multi-level network partners, and lessons learned about partnership approaches to speeding broad-scale implementation.

Transitional care in skilled nursing facilities: a multiple case study.

BACKGROUND: Among hospitalized older adults who transfer to skilled nursing facilities (SNF) for short stays and subsequently transfer to home, twenty two percent require additional emergency department or hospital care within 30 days. Transitional care services, that provide continuity and coordination of care as older adults transition between settings of care, decrease complications during transitions in care, however, they have not been examined in SNFs. Thus, this study described how existing staff in SNFs delivered transitional care to identify opportunities for improvement. METHODS: In this prospective, multiple case study, a case was defined as an individual SNF. Using a sampling plan to assure maximum variation among SNFs, three SNFs were purposefully selected and 54 staff, patients and family caregivers participated in data collection activities, which included observations of care (N = 235), interviews (N = 66) and review of documents (N = 35). Thematic analysis was used to describe similarities and differences in transitional care provided in the SNFs as well as organizational structures and the quality of care-team interactions that supported staff who delivered transitional care services. RESULTS: Staff in Case 1 completed most key transitional care services. Staff in Cases 2 and 3, however, had incomplete and/or absent services. Staff in Case 1, but not in Cases 2 and 3, reported a clear understanding of the need for transitional care, used formal transitional care team meetings and tracking tools to plan care, and engaged in robust team interactions. CONCLUSIONS: Organizational structures in SNFs that support staff and interactions among patients, families and staff appeared to promote the ability of staff in SNFs to deliver evidence-based transitional care services. Findings suggest practical approaches to develop new care routines, tools, and staff training materials to enhance the ability of existing SNF staff to effectively deliver transitional care.

Transitional care of older adults in skilled nursing facilities: A systematic review.

Transitional care may be an effective strategy for preparing older adults for transitions from skilled nursing facilities (SNF) to home. In this systematic review, studies of patients discharged from SNFs to home were reviewed. Study findings were assessed (1) to identify whether transitional care interventions, as compared to usual care, improved clinical outcomes such as mortality, readmission rates, quality of life or functional status; and (2) to describe intervention characteristics, resources needed for implementation, and methodologic challenges. Of 1082 unique studies identified in a systematic search, the full texts of six studies meeting criteria for inclusion were reviewed. Although the risk for bias was high across studies, the findings suggest that there is promising but limited evidence that transitional care improves clinical outcomes for SNF patients. Evidence in the review identifies needs for further study, such as the need for randomized studies of transitional care in SNFs, and methodological challenges to studying transitional care for SNF patients.

Rural Medicare Beneficiaries Have Fewer Follow-up Visits and Greater Emergency Department Use Postdischarge.

BACKGROUND: Hospitals are focused on improving postdischarge services for older adults, such as early follow-up care after hospitalization to reduce readmissions and unnecessary emergency department (ED) use. Rural Medicare beneficiaries face many barriers to receiving quality care, but little is known about their postdischarge care and outcomes. We hypothesize that rural Medicare beneficiaries compared with urban beneficiaries, will have fewer follow-up visits, and a greater likelihood of readmission and ED use. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of elderly Medicare beneficiaries discharged home using the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, Cost and Use files, 2000-2010. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were used to assess the risk of rural residency on readmission, ED use, and follow-up care up to 30 days' postdischarge. Covariates include demographic, health, and hospital-level characteristics. RESULTS: Compared with urban beneficiaries, Medicare beneficiaries living in isolated rural settings had a lower rate of follow-up care [hazard ratio (HR)=0.81, P<0.001]. Beneficiaries in large and small rural settings had a greater risk of an ED visit compared with urban beneficiaries (HR=1.44, P<0.001; HR=1.52, P<0.01). Rural beneficiaries did not have a greater risk of readmission, though risk of readmission was higher for beneficiaries discharged from hospitals in large and small rural settings (HR=1.33, P<0.05; HR=1.42, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study provides evidence of lower quality postdischarge care for Medicare beneficiaries in rural settings. As readmission penalties expand, hospitals serving rural beneficiaries may be disproportionately affected. This suggests a need for policies that increase follow-up care in rural settings.

Implementation of an Exercise Program in an Assisted Living Facility.

This quality improvement project was designed to implement a sit-to-stand exercise program delivered by nursing assistants in an assisted living facility. The primary outcome was for residents to either improve or maintain function in activities of daily living. The findings of this program have implications for nursing and the role that nursing assistants can play in promoting exercise and thus preventing avoidable decline in institutionalized residents.

Local interaction strategies and capacity for better care in nursing homes: a multiple case study.

BACKGROUND: To describe relationship patterns and management practices in nursing homes (NHs) that facilitate or pose barriers to better outcomes for residents and staff. METHODS: We conducted comparative, multiple-case studies in selected NHs (N = 4). Data were collected over six months from managers and staff (N = 406), using direct observations, interviews, and document reviews. Manifest content analysis was used to identify and explore patterns within and between cases. RESULTS: Participants described interaction strategies that they explained could either degrade or enhance their capacity to achieve better outcomes for residents; people in all job categories used these 'local interaction strategies'. We categorized these two sets of local interaction strategies as the 'common pattern' and the 'positive pattern' and summarize the results in two models of local interaction. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest the hypothesis that when staff members in NHs use the set of positive local interaction strategies, they promote inter-connections, information exchange, and diversity of cognitive schema in problem solving that, in turn, create the capacity for delivering better resident care. We propose that these positive local interaction strategies are a critical driver of care quality in NHs. Our hypothesis implies that, while staffing levels and skill mix are important factors for care quality, improvement would be difficult to achieve if staff members are not engaged with each other in these ways.

Transitional Care of People With Dementia and Caregivers in the ADRD-PC Trial: A Mixed Methods Study.

CONTEXT: People with late-stage Alzheimer's diseases and related dementias (ADRD) have high risk for postacute complications and readmission; however, minimal research describes hospital transitional care. OBJECTIVE: Within the context of the ongoing ADRD-PC clinical trial, the purpose of this study was to describe the content and quality of transitional care of people with ADRD. METHODS: Descriptive mixed methods using data from a retrospective chart review and interviews with palliative care social workers and a nurse providing transitional care in the ADRD-PC clinical trial. RESULTS: Of 40 dyads of people with late-stage ADRD and their caregivers, palliative care plans were documented for 29 patients (73%); completed postdischarge calls in 72 hours were made for 39 (98%) caregivers and calls in 2 weeks were made for 33 (78%). The content of postdischarge care was promoting continuity, identifying resources, helping caregivers feel heard, troubleshooting problems, and providing grief support. Challenges during transitional care were limited time to engage caregivers in hospital-based palliative care, educate caregivers about palliative care plans, coordinate care after transfers to long term care, and the scarcity of community ADRD resources. Facilitators of high quality transitional care were continuity of staff who saw the patient or caregiver across hospital and postacute contacts, caregiver understanding of goals of care, written palliative care plans, and resources for postdischarge care. CONCLUSION: Findings indicate high quality dementia-specific transitional care occurs when staff have resources, such as ADRD training and care planning template, to pull the hospital palliative care plan forward into the postdischarge destination, help families fit the plan to new circumstances, and manage strain and grief related to changes in health and function.

Life-Space of Older Adults after Discharge from Skilled Nursing Facilities.

OBJECTIVES: Describe (1) patient or caregiver perceptions of physical function in 30 days after skilled nursing facility (SNF) discharge indicated by Life-Space Assessment (LSA) scores, and (2) patient and caregiver factors associated with LSA scores. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of baseline and outcomes data from the cluster randomized trial of the Connect-Home transitional care intervention. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Six SNFs in North Carolina. Patient and caregiver dyads with LSA scores (N = 245). METHODS: SNF patients or their caregivers serving as proxy reported the life-space of the SNF patient using the LSA tool, a measure of environmental and social factors that influence physical mobility. Simple scores for highest life-space attained depending on equipment and/or caregiver support range from 0 to 5, with higher scores indicating greater mobility. Multiple linear regression models for simple LSA scores and Composite Life-Space (0-120), adjusted for treatment, time via a COVID pandemic indicator, and treatment × COVID effect as fixed effects, were used to estimate the association of patient and caregiver variables and life-space. RESULTS: Patients had a mean age of 76.3 years, 62.6% were female, and 74.7% were white. Caregivers were commonly female (73.9%) and adult children of the patient (46.5%). The mean Composite Life-Space score was 22.6 (16.09). The mean Assisted Life-Space score (range: 0-5) was 1.6 (1.47), and 76.3% of patients could not move beyond their bedroom, house, and yard without assistance of another person. Higher Composite Life-Space scores were associated with lower levels of cognitive impairment and shorter SNF length of stay. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: SNF patients and their caregivers reported very low LSA scores in 30 days after SNF care. Findings indicate the need for care redesign to promote recovery of physical function of older adults after SNF discharge, such as optimizing SNF rehabilitative therapy and adding postdischarge rehabilitative supports at home.

Novel Definitions of Wellness and Distress among Family Caregivers of Patients with Acute Cardiorespiratory Failure: A Qualitative Study.

Rationale: Family caregivers of patients with acute cardiorespiratory failure are at high risk for distress, which is typically defined as the presence of psychological symptoms such as anxiety, depression, or posttraumatic stress. Interventions to reduce caregiver distress and increase wellness have been largely ineffective to date. An incomplete understanding of caregiver wellness and distress may hinder efforts at developing effective support interventions. Objectives: To allow family caregivers to define their experiences of wellness and distress 6 months after patient intensive care unit (ICU) admission and to identify moderators that influence wellness and distress. Methods: Primary family caregivers of adult patients admitted to the medical ICU with acute cardiorespiratory failure were invited to participate in a semistructured interview 6 months after ICU admission as part of a larger prospective cohort study. Interview guides were used to assess caregiver perceptions of their own well-being, record caregiver descriptions of their experiences of family caregiving, and identify key stress events and moderators that influenced well-being during and after the ICU admission. This study was guided by the Chronic Traumatic Stress Framework conceptual model, and data were analyzed using the five-step framework approach. Results: Among 21 interviewees, the mean age was 58 years, 67% were female, and 76% were White. Nearly half of patients (47%) had died before the caregiver interview. At the time of the interview, 9 caregivers endorsed an overall sense of distress, 10 endorsed a sense of wellness, and 2 endorsed a mix of both. Caregivers defined their experiences of wellness and distress as multidimensional and composed of four main elements: 1) positive versus negative physical and psychological outcomes, 2) high versus low capacity for self-care, 3) thriving versus struggling in the caregiving role, and 4) a sense of normalcy versus ongoing life disruption. Postdischarge support from family, friends, and the community at large played a key role in moderating caregiver outcomes. Conclusions: Caregiver wellness and distress are multidimensional and extend beyond the absence or presence of psychological outcomes. Future intervention research should incorporate novel outcome measures that include elements of self-efficacy, preparedness, and adaptation and optimize postdischarge support for family caregivers.

A streamlined approach to classifying and tailoring implementation strategies: recommendations to speed the translation of research to practice.

BACKGROUND: Implementation science emerged from the recognized need to speed the translation of effective interventions into practice. In the US, the science has evolved to place an ever-increasing focus on implementation strategies. The long list of implementation strategies, terminology used to name strategies, and time required to tailor strategies all may contribute to delays in translating evidence-based interventions (EBIs) into practice. To speed EBI translation, we propose a streamlined approach to classifying and tailoring implementation strategies. MAIN TEXT: A multidisciplinary team of eight scholars conducted an exercise to sort the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) strategies into three classes: implementation processes (n = 25), capacity-building strategies (n = 20), and integration strategies (n = 28). Implementation processes comprise best practices that apply across EBIs and throughout the phases of implementation from exploration through sustainment (e.g., conduct local needs assessment). Capacity-building strategies target either general or EBI-specific knowledge and skills (e.g., conduct educational meetings). Integration strategies include "methods and techniques" that target barriers or facilitators to implementation of a specific EBI beyond those targeted by capacity building. Building on these three classes, the team collaboratively developed recommendations for a pragmatic, five-step approach that begins with the implementation processes and capacity-building strategies practice-settings are already using prior to tailoring integration strategies. A case study is provided to illustrate use of the five-step approach to tailor the strategies needed to implement a transitional care intervention in skilled nursing facilities. CONCLUSIONS: Our proposed approach streamlines the formative work required prior to implementing an EBI by building on practice partner preferences, expertise, and infrastructure while also making the most of prior research findings.