AIMD - a validated, simplified framework of interventions to promote and integrate evidence into health practices, systems, and policies
Abstract Background Proliferation of terms describing the science of effectively promoting and supporting the use of research evidence in healthcare policy and practice has hampered understanding and development of the field. To address this, an international Terminology Working Group developed and...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2017-03-01
|
| Series: | BMC Medical Research Methodology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12874-017-0314-8 |
| _version_ | 1830284076191318016 |
|---|---|
| author | Peter Bragge Jeremy M. Grimshaw Cynthia Lokker Heather Colquhoun The AIMD Writing/Working Group |
| author_facet | Peter Bragge Jeremy M. Grimshaw Cynthia Lokker Heather Colquhoun The AIMD Writing/Working Group |
| author_sort | Peter Bragge |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Proliferation of terms describing the science of effectively promoting and supporting the use of research evidence in healthcare policy and practice has hampered understanding and development of the field. To address this, an international Terminology Working Group developed and published a simplified framework of interventions to promote and integrate evidence into health practices, systems, and policies. This paper presents results of validation work and a second international workgroup meeting, culminating in the updated AIMD framework [Aims, Ingredients, Mechanism, Delivery]. Methods Framework validity was evaluated against terminology schemas (n = 51); primary studies (n = 37); and reporting guidelines (n = 10). Framework components were independently categorized as fully represented, partly represented, or absent by two researchers. Opportunities to refine the framework were systematically recorded. A meeting of the expanded international Terminology Working Group updated the framework by reviewing and deliberating upon validation findings and refinement proposals. Results There was variation in representativeness of the components across the three types of literature, in particular for the component ‘causal mechanisms’. Analysis of primary studies revealed that representativeness of this concept lowered from 92 to 68% if only explicit, rather than explicit and non-explicit references to causal mechanisms were included. All components were very well represented in reporting guidelines, however the level of description of these was lower than in other types of literature. Twelve opportunities were identified to improve the framework, 9 of which were operationalized at the meeting. The updated AIMD framework comprises four components: (1) Aims: what do you want your intervention to achieve and for whom? (2) Ingredients: what comprises the intervention? (3) Mechanisms: how do you propose the intervention will work? and (4) Delivery: how will you deliver the intervention? Conclusions The draft simplified framework was validated with reference to a wide range of relevant literature and improvements have enhanced useability. The AIMD framework could aid in the promotion of evidence into practice, remove barriers to understanding how interventions work, enhance communication of interventions and support knowledge synthesis. Future work needs to focus on developing and testing resources and educational initiatives to optimize use of the AIMD framework in collaboration with relevant end-user groups. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T03:13:01Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-18293c14eebd4762b43c59b483a08b23 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2288 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T03:13:01Z |
| publishDate | 2017-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Medical Research Methodology |
| spelling | doaj.art-18293c14eebd4762b43c59b483a08b232022-12-21T20:37:58ZengBMCBMC Medical Research Methodology1471-22882017-03-0117111110.1186/s12874-017-0314-8AIMD - a validated, simplified framework of interventions to promote and integrate evidence into health practices, systems, and policiesPeter Bragge0Jeremy M. Grimshaw1Cynthia Lokker2Heather Colquhoun3The AIMD Writing/Working GroupBehaviourWorks Australia, Monash Sustainable Development Institute, Monash UniversityClinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute and Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, School of Epidemiology, Public Health and Preventive MedicineDepartment of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster UniversityDepartment of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of TorontoAbstract Background Proliferation of terms describing the science of effectively promoting and supporting the use of research evidence in healthcare policy and practice has hampered understanding and development of the field. To address this, an international Terminology Working Group developed and published a simplified framework of interventions to promote and integrate evidence into health practices, systems, and policies. This paper presents results of validation work and a second international workgroup meeting, culminating in the updated AIMD framework [Aims, Ingredients, Mechanism, Delivery]. Methods Framework validity was evaluated against terminology schemas (n = 51); primary studies (n = 37); and reporting guidelines (n = 10). Framework components were independently categorized as fully represented, partly represented, or absent by two researchers. Opportunities to refine the framework were systematically recorded. A meeting of the expanded international Terminology Working Group updated the framework by reviewing and deliberating upon validation findings and refinement proposals. Results There was variation in representativeness of the components across the three types of literature, in particular for the component ‘causal mechanisms’. Analysis of primary studies revealed that representativeness of this concept lowered from 92 to 68% if only explicit, rather than explicit and non-explicit references to causal mechanisms were included. All components were very well represented in reporting guidelines, however the level of description of these was lower than in other types of literature. Twelve opportunities were identified to improve the framework, 9 of which were operationalized at the meeting. The updated AIMD framework comprises four components: (1) Aims: what do you want your intervention to achieve and for whom? (2) Ingredients: what comprises the intervention? (3) Mechanisms: how do you propose the intervention will work? and (4) Delivery: how will you deliver the intervention? Conclusions The draft simplified framework was validated with reference to a wide range of relevant literature and improvements have enhanced useability. The AIMD framework could aid in the promotion of evidence into practice, remove barriers to understanding how interventions work, enhance communication of interventions and support knowledge synthesis. Future work needs to focus on developing and testing resources and educational initiatives to optimize use of the AIMD framework in collaboration with relevant end-user groups.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12874-017-0314-8Knowledge translationImplementation scienceFramework validationHealthcare quality improvementDissemination and implementation |
| spellingShingle | Peter Bragge Jeremy M. Grimshaw Cynthia Lokker Heather Colquhoun The AIMD Writing/Working Group AIMD - a validated, simplified framework of interventions to promote and integrate evidence into health practices, systems, and policies BMC Medical Research Methodology Knowledge translation Implementation science Framework validation Healthcare quality improvement Dissemination and implementation |
| title | AIMD - a validated, simplified framework of interventions to promote and integrate evidence into health practices, systems, and policies |
| title_full | AIMD - a validated, simplified framework of interventions to promote and integrate evidence into health practices, systems, and policies |
| title_fullStr | AIMD - a validated, simplified framework of interventions to promote and integrate evidence into health practices, systems, and policies |
| title_full_unstemmed | AIMD - a validated, simplified framework of interventions to promote and integrate evidence into health practices, systems, and policies |
| title_short | AIMD - a validated, simplified framework of interventions to promote and integrate evidence into health practices, systems, and policies |
| title_sort | aimd a validated simplified framework of interventions to promote and integrate evidence into health practices systems and policies |
| topic | Knowledge translation Implementation science Framework validation Healthcare quality improvement Dissemination and implementation |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12874-017-0314-8 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT peterbragge aimdavalidatedsimplifiedframeworkofinterventionstopromoteandintegrateevidenceintohealthpracticessystemsandpolicies AT jeremymgrimshaw aimdavalidatedsimplifiedframeworkofinterventionstopromoteandintegrateevidenceintohealthpracticessystemsandpolicies AT cynthialokker aimdavalidatedsimplifiedframeworkofinterventionstopromoteandintegrateevidenceintohealthpracticessystemsandpolicies AT heathercolquhoun aimdavalidatedsimplifiedframeworkofinterventionstopromoteandintegrateevidenceintohealthpracticessystemsandpolicies AT theaimdwritingworkinggroup aimdavalidatedsimplifiedframeworkofinterventionstopromoteandintegrateevidenceintohealthpracticessystemsandpolicies |