Guideline panel social dynamics influence the development of clinical practice recommendations: a mixed-methods systematic review.

OBJECTIVES: To synthesize empirical studies that investigate the cognitive and social processes involved in the deliberation process of guideline development meetings and determine the distribution of deliberated topics. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We conducted a mixed-method systematic review using a convergent segregated approach. We searched for empirical studies that investigate the intragroup dynamics of guideline development meetings indexed in bibliographic databases. RESULTS: Of the 5,899 citations screened, 12 studies from six countries proved eligible. Chairs, cochairs, and methodologists contributed to at least one-third of the discussion time in guideline development meetings; patient partners contributed the least. In interdisciplinary groups, male gender and occupation as a physician were positively associated with the amount of contribution. Compared to groups that used the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach, for groups that did not, when faced with insufficient or low-quality evidence, relied more on their clinical experience. The presence of a cognitive "yes" bias was apparent in meetings: panelists tended to acquiesce with positive statements that required less cognitive effort than negative statements. CONCLUSION: The social dynamics of the discussions were linked to each panelist's activity role, professional background, and gender, all of which influenced the level of contributions they made in guideline development meetings.

Qualitative study of guideline panelists: innovative surveys provided valuable insights regarding patient values and preferences.

OBJECTIVES: To explore guideline panelists' understanding of panel surveys for eliciting panels' inferences regarding patient values and preferences, and the influence of the surveys on making recommendations. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We performed sampling and data collection from all four guideline panels that had conducted the surveys through October 2020. We collected the records of all panel meetings and interviewed some panelists in different roles. We applied inductive thematic analysis for analyzing and interpreting data. RESULTS: We enrolled four guideline panels with 99 panelists in total and interviewed 25 of them. Most panelists found the survey was easy to follow and facilitated the incorporation of patient values and preferences in the tradeoffs between benefits and harms or burdens. The variation of patient preferences and uncertainty regarding patient values and preferences reflected in the surveys helped the panels ponder the strength of recommendations. In doing so, the survey results enhanced a rationale for panels' decision on the recommendations. CONCLUSION: The panel surveys have proved to help guideline panels explicitly consider and incorporate patient values and preferences in making recommendations. Guideline panels would benefit from widespread use of the panel surveys, particularly when primary evidence regarding patient values and preferences is scarce.

The perceptions and experience of developing patient (version of) guidelines: a descriptive qualitative study with Chinese guideline developers.

OBJECTIVE: To understand developers' perception of patient (versions of) guidelines (PVGs), and identify challenges during the PVG development, with the aim to inform methodological guidance for future PVG development. METHODS: We used a descriptive qualitative design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted virtually from December 2021 to April 2022, with a purposive sampling of 12 PVG developers from nine teams in China. Conventional and directed content analysis was used for data analysis. RESULTS: The interviews identified PVG developers' understanding of PVGs, their current practice experience, and the challenges of developing PVGs. Participants believed PVGs were a type of health education material for patients; therefore, it should be based on patient needs and be understandable and accessible. Participants suggested that PVGs could be translated/adapted from one or several clinical practice guidelines (CPG), or developed de novo (i.e., the creation of an entirely new PVG with its own set of research questions that are independent of existing CPGs). Participants perceived those existing methodological guidelines for PVG development might not provide clear instructions for PVGs developed from multiple CPGs and from de novo development. Challenges to PVG development include (1) a lack of standardized and native guidance on developing PVGs; (2) a lack of standardized guidance on patient engagement; (3) other challenges: no publicly known and trusted platform that could disseminate PVGs; concerns about the conflicting interests with health professionals. CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Our study suggests clarifying the concept of PVG is the primary task to develop PVGs and carry out related research. There is a need to make PVG developers realize the roles of PVGs, especially in helping decision-making, to maximize the effect of PVG. It is necessary to develop native consensus-based guidance considering developers' perspectives regarding PVGs.

A novel framework for incorporating patient values and preferences in making guideline recommendations: guideline panel surveys.

OBJECTIVE: Universally acknowledged standards for trustworthy guidelines include the necessity to ground recommendations in patient values and preferences. When information is limited-which is typically the case-guideline panels often find it difficult to explicitly integrate patient values and preferences into their recommendations. Our objective was to develop and evaluate a framework for systematically navigating guideline panels in incorporating patient values and preferences in making recommendations. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: In the context of developing a guideline for colorectal cancer screening, we generated an initial framework for creating panel surveys to elicit guideline panelists' views of patient values and preferences and to inform panel discussions on recommendations. With further applications in guidelines of diverse topic areas, we dynamically refined the framework through iterative discussions and consensus. RESULTS: The finial framework consists of five steps for creating and implementing panel surveys. The surveys can serve three objectives following from the quantitative information regarding patient values and preferences that guideline panels usually require. An accompanying video provides detailed instructions of the survey. CONCLUSION: The framework for creating and implementing panel surveys offers explicit guidance for guideline panels considering transparently and systematically incorporating patient values and preferences into guideline recommendations.

Corrigendum to "Exploring social movement concepts and actions in a knowledge uptake and sustainability context: A concept analysis" [Int J Nurs Sci 9/4 (2022) 411-421].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnss.2022.08.003.].

Learning pediatric emergency medicine over time: A realist evaluation of a longitudinal pediatric emergency medicine clinical experience.

Introduction: Emergency medicine (EM) practitioners must be proficient at caring for patients of all ages, including pediatric patients. Traditionally, EM trainees learn pediatric emergency medicine (PEM) through block rotations. This is problematic due to the seasonal nature of pediatric diseases and infrequent critical events. Spaced repetition learning theory suggests PEM would be better learned through longitudinal rotations. The transition to competency-based medical education (CBME) in Canada is accelerating the need to find novel ways to attain competencies in postgraduate training. At McMaster University, senior EM trainees can choose either traditional PEM blocks or longitudinal rotations. Our objective was to understand how learners experience these different rotations given the transition to CBME in Canada. Methods: Using a realist framework of program evaluation, we conducted semistructured interviews with key stakeholders (trainees, program directors, attending physicians) in EM. The realist framework was used to understand how context interacts with theoretical mechanisms to produce outcomes of interest. Data were analyzed using inductive, conventional content analysis. All investigators coded a subset of transcripts independently and in duplicate to achieve intercoder agreement. Results: A total of 13 interviews were completed with trainees (n = 11) and staff physicians (n = 2). The learning experience exists within an educational and clinical context, which are logistically distinct but inseparable. The longitudinal learning experience appears to improve learning through spaced repetition, which prevents atrophy of skills and knowledge while also benefitting from the offsetting of seasonal variability associated with many pediatric diseases. Improved feedback and entrustment are facilitated through the building of coaching relationships over time. Barriers to the learning experience are related mainly to logistical difficulties associated with resolving longitudinal and blocked learning experiences. Improved relationships with the interprofessional team may provide distinct learning opportunities and improved team functioning. Block rotations were identified as more valuable to junior trainees learning fundamental concepts. Conclusions: Longitudinal learning provides numerous advantages to learning PEM, including increased case variety, spaced repetition of core concepts, and a perception of greater entrustment of the learner through formation of coaching relationships over time. Future projects looking to quantify the differences between longitudinal and block learning to objectively show a difference in skills and knowledge are needed.

Facilitating Access to Healthcare for Performing Artists Using Subsidized Health Services in Canada: An Interpretive Descriptive Study.

BACKGROUND: Performing artists are often confronted with job insecurity and insufficient health coverage. As a result, artists may not have access to non-publicly funded health services that are essential to their well-being. A health centre in Canada that specializes in providing healthcare to artists offers eligible artists subsidized health services, with the aim to treat acute health issues that impact an artists' ability to engage in their artistic practice. PURPOSE: We evaluated the use of the subsidized health services and explored the subsidy recipients' and the selection committee's perspectives on the impact of these services on the health of performing artists. METHODS: We applied an interpretive descriptive approach to our qualitative inquiry. We conducted individual, semi-structured interviews with recipients of the subsidy and a focus group with the selection committee that selected recipients of the subsidy. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: A total of 14 artists and all members of the selection committee (n=3) participated. Recipients and selection committee perceived that subsidized health services were critical in enabling consistent and timely diagnosis and treatment. Several themes emerged from the data: 1) need for universal health benefits to restore equity and offset healthcare insecurity, 2) the critical role of subsidies in accessing health services, 3) risks of abruptly ending health services when subsidy runs out, 4) barriers in applying for and accessing subsidies, 5) mental health challenges, and 6) importance of the subsidy in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. All recipients saw noticeable improvement in health outcomes that they believed would have been otherwise unattainable if they did not have timely access to care. CONCLUSIONS: Subsidized health services play an important role in ensuring that performing artists have access to care for injuries and health conditions that are related to their profession. Future research can examine the long-term impact of subsidized services on the recipients' health and employment outcomes.

Exploring social movement concepts and actions in a knowledge uptake and sustainability context: A concept analysis.

Objectives: To share a concept analysis of social movement aimed at advancing its application to evidence uptake and sustainability in health-care. Methods: We applied Walker and Avant method to clarify the concept of social movement in the context of knowledge uptake and sustainability. Peer-reviewed and grey literature databases were systematically searched for relevant reports that described how social movement action led to evidence-based practice changes in health and community settings. Titles, abstracts and full texts were reviewed independently and in duplicate, resulting in 38 included articles. Results: Social movement action for knowledge uptake and sustainability can be defined as individuals, groups, or organizations that, as voluntary and intrinsically motivated change agents, mobilize around a common cause to improve outcomes through knowledge uptake and sustainability. The 10 defining attributes, three antecedents and three consequences that we identified are dynamic and interrelated, often mutually reinforcing each other to fortify various aspects of the social movement. Examples of defining attributes include an urgent need for action, collective action and collective identity. The concept analysis resulted in the development of the Social Movement Action Framework. Conclusions: Social movement action can provide a lens through which we view implementation science. Collective action and collective identity - concepts less frequently canvassed in implementation science literature - can lend insight into grassroots approaches to uptake and sustainability. Findings can also inform providers and change leaders on the practicalities of harnessing social movement action for real-world change initiatives. By mobilizing individuals, groups, or organizations through social movement approaches, they can engage as powered change agents and teams that impact the individual, organizational and health systems levels to facilitate knowledge uptake and sustainability.

Development of patient versions of guidelines in Chinese mainland: A systematic survey of current practices and methods.

OBJECTIVES: To review current practices and methods underlying the development of patient versions of guidelines (PVGs) in Chinese mainland. METHODS: We systematically searched for PVGs created or published between January 2010 and February 2022. We conducted a framework analysis for the development process and assessed the compliance of PVGs using the Reporting Checklist for Public Versions of Guidelines (RIGHT-PVG). RESULTS: We identified 26 PVGs developed by 16 PVG-working teams. In accordance with the Guidelines International Network (GIN), only two PVGs were translated using one clinical practice guideline (CPG) provided by the CPG-working group source. Several CPGs and other information sources were integrated and translated into a single PVG by other PVG teams. Moreover, we identified various practices described by different PVG teams that could be structured into six steps. Out of the 17 RIGHT-PVG items, five items were fully reported in all PVGs, while two items ("Provide a summary of the PVG" and "Provide a list of terms and abbreviations") were not reported in any of the PVGs. CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: A relatively small number of PVGs were developed in Chinese mainland. The development of a PVG requires comprehensive methodological guidance based on several CPGs and other sources of information as opposed to only using one.

GRADE summary of findings tables enhanced understanding of values and preferences evidence.

OBJECTIVES: We conceptualize patient values and preferences as the relative importance of health outcomes (RIO) which are often obtained through utility elicitation research. A transparent and structured approach to present synthesized RIO evidence and the certainty of this evidence is needed. This study aims to adapt the summary of findings (SoF) table to describe the RIO. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: We performed three interactive workshops with a protype version of the SoF table for RIO, evidence adapted from the SoF table for intervention effects. We then tested the new format through semi-structured interviews with professionals who interpret RIO evidence (e.g., systematic review authors and guideline developers). RESULTS: We adapted the SoF table for the presentation of RIO evidence. This SoF table may be easy to use, but bears one risk: some participants misunderstood the utility information and the variability around the RIO. We added a visual analogue scale to clarify the concept of utilities. CONCLUSION: Through a multi-stage process including brainstorming sessions and interviews, we adapted the SoF table to present RIO evidence. This table may enhance understanding of evidence synthesis of values and preferences, facilitating the incorporation of this type of evidence in decision-making.

Assessing cough symptom severity in refractory or unexplained chronic cough: findings from patient focus groups and an international expert panel.

Background: Cough symptom severity represents an important subjective end-point to assess the impact of therapies for patients with refractory or unexplained chronic cough (RCC/UCC). As existing instruments assessing the severity of cough are neither widely available nor tested for measurement properties, we aim to develop a new patient-reported outcome measure addressing cough severity. Objective: The aim of this study was to establish items and domains that would inform development of a new cough severity instrument. Methods: Three focus groups involving 16 adult patients with RCC/UCC provided data that we analysed using directed content analysis. Discussions led to consensus among an international panel of 15 experts on candidate items and domains to assess cough severity. Results: The patient focus group provided 48 unique items arranged under broad domains of urge-to-cough sensations and cough symptom. Feedback from expert panel members confirmed the appropriateness of items and domains, and provided an additional subdomain related to cough triggers. The final conceptual framework comprised 51 items in the following domains: urge-to-cough sensations (subdomains: frequency and intensity) and cough symptom (subdomains: triggers, control, frequency, fit/bout duration, intensity, quality and associated features/sequelae). Conclusions: Consensus findings from patients and international experts established domains of urge-to-cough and cough symptom with associated subdomains and relevant items. The results support item generation and content validity for a novel patient-reported outcome measure for use in health research and clinical practice.

Learning while leading: a realist evaluation of an academic leadership programme.

INTRODUCTION: Many academic health centres and universities have implemented leadership development programmes; however, their potential impact in different contexts in healthcare remains unknown. We assessed the impact of an academic leadership development programme on the self-reported leadership activities of faculty leaders in their respective work contexts. METHODS: Ten faculty leaders who participated in a 10-month leadership development programme between 2017 and 2020 were interviewed. The realist evaluation approach was used to guide deductive content analysis, allowing concepts related to what works for whom, why and when to emerge from the data. RESULTS: Faculty leaders benefited in different ways depending on the organisational context (eg, culture) in which they reside and their individual contexts (eg, personal aspirations as a leader). Faculty leaders who have minimal mentorship in their leadership role gained an increased sense of community and belongingness with peer leaders and received validation in their personal leadership approach from the programme. Faculty leaders with accessible mentors were more likely than their peers to apply the knowledge they learnt to their work settings. Prolonged engagement among faculty leaders in the 10-month programme fostered continuity of learning and peer support that extended beyond programme completion. CONCLUSIONS: This academic leadership programme included participation of faculty leaders in different contexts, resulted in varying impacts on participants' learning outcomes, leader self-efficacy and application of acquired knowledge. Faculty administrators should look for programmes with a multitude of learning interfaces to extract knowledge, hone leadership skills and build networks.

A few panel members dominated guideline development meeting discussions: Social network analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To identify patterns of interactions that may influence guideline panels' decision-making. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Social network analysis (SNA) to describe the conversation network in a guideline development meeting in United States. RESULTS: We analyzed one two-day guideline panel meeting that included 20 members who developed a guideline using the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) approach. The conversation pattern of the guideline panel indicated a well-connected network (density=0.59, clustering coefficient=0.82). GRADE topics on quality of evidence and benefits versus harms accounted for 46%; non-GRADE factors accounted for 30% of discussion. The chair, co-chair and methodologist initiated 53% and received 60% of all communications in the meeting; 42% of their communications occurred among themselves. SNA metrics (eigenvector, betweenness and closeness) indicated that these individuals also exerted highest influence on discussion, controlled information flow and were at the center of all communications. Members were more likely to continue previous discussion with the same individuals after both morning breaks (r=0.54, P<0.005; r=0.17, P=0.04), and after the last break on day 2 (r=0.44, P=0.015). CONCLUSION: Non-GRADE factors such as breaks, and the members' roles, affect guideline development more than previously recognized. Collectively, the chair, co-chair and methodologist dominated the discussion.

Certainty of evidence and intervention's benefits and harms are key determinants of guidelines' recommendations.

OBJECTIVE: Many factors are postulated to affect guidelines developments. We set out to identify the key determinants. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: a) Web-based survey of 12 panels of 153 "voting" members who issued 2941 recommendations; b) qualitative analysis of 13 panels of 311 attendees (panel members, systematic review teams and observers). RESULTS: Compared with "no recommendations", when intervention's benefit outweigh harms (BH-balance), probability of issuing strong recommendations in favor of intervention was 0.22 (95%CI: 0.08 to 0.36) when certainty of evidence (CoE) was very low; 0.5 (95%CI:0.36 to 0.63) when low; 0.74 (95%CI 0.61 to 0.87) when moderate and 0.85 (95%CI:0.71 to 1.00) when high. No other postulated factor significantly affected recommendations. The findings are consistent with a J- curve model when recommendations are issued in favor but not against an intervention. Panelists often changed their judgments as a result of the meeting discussion (67% for CoE to 92% for balance between benefits and harms). The panels spent over 50% of their time debating CoE; the chairs and co-chairs dominated discussion. CONCLUSIONS: CoE and BH-balance are key determinants of recommendations in favor of an intervention. Chairs and co-chairs dominate discussion. Panelists often change their judgments as a result of panel deliberation.

The Teacher, the Assessor, and the Patient Protector: A Conceptual Model Describing How Context Interfaces With the Supervisory Roles of Academic Emergency Physicians.

OBJECTIVES: Emergency medicine is a fast-paced specialty that demands emergency physicians to respond to rapidly evolving patient presentations, while engaging in clinical supervision. Most research on supervisory roles has focused on the behaviors of attending physicians, including their individual preferences of supervision and level of entrustment of clinical tasks to trainees. However, less research has investigated how the clinical context (patient case complexity, workflow) influences clinical supervision. In this study, we examined how the context of the emergency department (ED) shapes the ways in which emergency physicians reconcile their competing roles in patient care and clinical supervision to optimize learning and ensure patient safety. METHODS: Emergency physicians who regularly participated in clinical supervision in several academic teaching hospitals were individually interviewed using a semi-structured format. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using a constructivist grounded theory approach. RESULTS: Sixteen emergency physicians were asked to reflect on their clinical supervisory roles in the ED. We conceptualized a model that describes three prominent roles: teacher, assessor, and patient protector. Contextual features such as trainee competence, pace of the ED, patient complexity, and the culture of academic medicine influenced the extent to which certain roles were considered salient at any given time. CONCLUSIONS: This conceptual model can inform researchers and medical educators about the role of context in accentuating or minimizing various roles of emergency physicians. Identifying how context interfaces with these roles may help design faculty development initiatives aimed to navigate the tension between urgent patient care and medical education for emergency physicians.

Autopsy-reported cause of death in a population-based cohort of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is a diagnosis of exclusion; the definition includes individuals with epilepsy who die suddenly without an identifiable toxicological or anatomical cause of death. Limited data suggest underidentification of SUDEP as the cause of death on death certificates. Here, we evaluate the autopsy-reported cause of death in a population-based cohort of SUDEP cases. METHODS: Case summaries of forensic autopsies conducted in Ontario, Canada between January 2014 and June 2016 were retrospectively screened using a language processing script for decedents with a history of epilepsy or seizures. After manual review for potential SUDEP cases, two neurologists independently examined the autopsy reports and classified deaths by Nashef criteria. Demographic characteristics and consideration by the forensic pathologist of the role of epilepsy, seizure, and SUDEP in death were summarized. RESULTS: One hundred and eight Definite, 34 Definite Plus, and 22 Possible SUDEP cases were identified. Seventy-five percent of Definite/Definite Plus SUDEP cases identified by the neurologists were attributed to SUDEP, epilepsy, or seizure disorder in the autopsy report. There was a significant association between the proportion of cases listed in the autopsy report as SUDEP, epilepsy, or seizure disorder and neurologists' SUDEP classification (86% of Definite, 38% of Definite Plus, 0% of Possible). Age was significantly associated with SUDEP classification; Definite cases were younger than Definite Plus, which were younger than Possible SUDEP cases. SIGNIFICANCE: Most SUDEP cases identified by neurologists were classified concordantly by forensic pathologists in Ontario, Canada; however, concordance decreased with increased case complexity. Although the role of epilepsy/seizures was considered in most Definite/Definite Plus cases, this study highlights the need for autopsy report review of potential SUDEP cases in research studies and assessments of the public health burden of SUDEP. The relationship between age and SUDEP classification has important public health implications; SUDEP incidence may be underappreciated in older adults.

The use of theories, frameworks, or models in knowledge translation studies in healthcare settings in China: a scoping review protocol.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge translation (KT) theories, frameworks, and models (TFMs) can help guide and explain KT processes, and facilitate the evaluation of implementation outcomes. They play a critical role in conducting KT research and practice. Currently, little is known about the usage of TFMs in KT in Chinese healthcare settings. The aim of this scoping review is to identify which TFMs had been used for KT in healthcare settings in China, and how these TFMs were used. METHODS: The protocol for this scoping review is in accordance with the Arksey and O'Malley framework and further enhanced by the recommendations suggested by Levac et al. We will search 8 databases (4 Chinese and 4 English) to identify relevant studies. Four reviewers (2 for Chinese, 2 for English) will independently screen studies based on the eligibility criteria. The basic characteristic of studies and the TFMs utilization (i.e., what, why, and how) will be extracted. Methodological quality and reporting quality will be assessed using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool (MMAT) and the Standards for Reporting Implementation Studies (StaRI) (or Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence, SQUIRE 2.0 for quality improvement studies), respectively. All the retrieved TFMs will be categorized into Nilsen's classifications of TFMs for KT research. We will employ the qualitative content analysis approach to summarize how these TFMs have been used, and the rationale. A consultation will be conducted through a 1-h interactive virtual meeting with an expert panel of knowledge users. DISCUSSION: By conducting this scoping review, we expect to gain a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of why and how TFMs have been used in KT research and practice in China, and to identify gaps and provide recommendations for more efficient and meaningful use of TFMs in the future. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: This review has been registered with the Open Science Framework (10.17605/OSF.IO/8NXAM).

A cluster randomized clinical trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the Implementation of Infant Pain Practice Change (ImPaC) Resource to improve pain practices in hospitalized infants: a study protocol.

BACKGROUND: Hospitalized infants undergo multiple painful procedures daily. Despite the significant evidence, procedural pain assessment and management continues to be suboptimal. Repetitive and untreated pain at this vital developmental juncture is associated with negative behavioral and neurodevelopmental consequences. To address this knowledge to practice gap, we developed the web-based Implementation of Infant Pain Practice Change (ImPaC) Resource to guide change in healthcare professionals' pain practice behaviors. This protocol describes the evaluation of the intervention effectiveness and implementation of the Resource and how organizational context influences outcomes. METHODS: An effectiveness-implementation hybrid type 1 design, blending a cluster randomized clinical trial and a mixed-methods implementation study will be used. Eighteen Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) across Canada will be randomized to intervention (INT) or standard practice (SP) groups. NICUs in the INT group will receive the Resource for six months; those in the SP group will continue with practice as usual and will be offered the Resource after a six-month waiting period. Data analysts will be blinded to group allocation. To address the intervention effectiveness, the INT and SP groups will be compared on clinical outcomes including the proportion of infants who have procedural pain assessed and managed, and the frequency and nature of painful procedures. Data will be collected at baseline (before randomization) and at completion of the intervention (six months). Implementation outcomes (feasibility, fidelity, implementation cost, and reach) will be measured at completion of the intervention. Sustainability will be assessed at six and 12 months following the intervention. Organizational context will be assessed to examine its influence on intervention and implementation outcomes. DISCUSSION: This mixed-methods study aims to determine the effectiveness and the implementation of a multifaceted online strategy for changing healthcare professionals' pain practices for hospitalized infants. Implementation strategies that are easily and effectively implemented are important for sustained change. The results will inform healthcare professionals and decision-makers on how to address the challenges of implementing the Resource within various organizational contexts. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03825822. Registered 31 January 2019.

Usability, acceptability, and feasibility of the Implementation of Infant Pain Practice Change (ImPaC) Resource.

The Implementation of Infant Pain Practice (ImPaC) Resource is an eHealth tool designed to support infant pain practice change and ultimately enhance pain outcomes. The aim of this study was to determine users' perspectives on usability, acceptability, and feasibility of the ImPaC Resource. A descriptive prospective mixed-methods quality improvement study was conducted at a pediatric hospital in Canada. Individual "think aloud" interviews were conducted in a nonclinical environment (Phase A); "near live" testing was conducted while users interacted with the Resource in clinical setting (Phase B); individual "think-aloud" interviews were conducted in a nonclinical environment (Phase C). Outcomes included usability (System Usability Scale-SUS), acceptability (Acceptability E-Scale-AES), and feasibility. Interview transcripts were coded per a priori themes using deductive content analysis to create a structured categorization matrix. In Phase A, 10 clinicians interacted with the Resource in individual sessions. Median SUS score was 73.75 (range 52.5-92.5). In Phase B, four clinicians implemented the Resource in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) over 4 months. Median SUS score was 85 (82.5-92.5), and median AES score was 24 (21-24). In Phase C, an enhanced prototype was produced, and the same users from Phase B navigated the Resource in individual sessions. Median SUS score was 88.75 (85-95), and median AES score was 27.5 (25-29). Users considered the Resource as feasible for implementation, easy to navigate, engaging, intuitive, comprehensive, and evidence-based. Users highlighted the potential transferability of the Resource to other contexts and settings. The enhanced version of the ImPaC Resource was usable, acceptable, feasible, and met users' expectations and requirements. Results lead the way for evaluation of the Resource in a nationwide cluster randomized trial including 18 NICUs. This knowledge-rich platform is expected to enhance infant pain practices and outcomes in diverse clinical settings.