Background
The QUERI program
QUERI Centers and guiding frameworks
1. A structured program of implementation research
2. New implementation research findings and insights
CORE STEPS |
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Step 1: Select conditions per patient populations associated with high risk of disease and/or disability and/or burden of illness for veterans
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1A. Identify and prioritize (via a formal ranking procedure) |
1B. Identify high-priority clinical practices and outcomes within a selected condition |
▪ Overall conditions addressed by QUERI Coordinating Centers are selected by the VHA [Veterans Health Administration; also referred to as VA in this Series] and national QUERI leadership. QUERI Center Executive Committee then assigns priorities to specific sub-topics within each clinical area selected to provide the greatest possible impact on veteran health. |
▪ QUERI groups seek opportunities for collaboration on overlapping priorities, such as relevant coexisting diagnoses (e.g., mental illness and substance use disorder). |
▪ Epidemiological and outcomes studies may be conducted or, if available, used to facilitate decision making. |
Step 2: Identify evidence-based guidelines, recommendations and best practices
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2A. Identify evidence-based clinical practice guidelines |
2B. Identify evidence-based clinical recommendations |
2C. Identify evidence-based clinical practices |
▪ Can include systematic reviews and/or a consensus process
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Step 3: Measure and diagnose quality and performance gaps
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3A. Measure existing practice patterns and outcomes across VA and identify variations from evidence-based practices ("quality/performance gaps") |
3B. Identify determinants of current practices |
3C. Diagnose quality/performance gaps |
3D. Identify barriers and facilitators to improvement |
▪ Includes variations studies to a) measure care processes related to clinical conditions and related deviations from best practices, and b) explain various influences on practices. |
▪ Studies focus on general, VA-wide gaps relative to a targeted condition or issue. |
Step 4: Implement improvement programs
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4A. Identify improvement/implementation strategies, programs and program components or tools |
4B. Develop or adapt improvement/implementation strategies, programs and program components or tools |
4C. Implement improvement/implementation strategies/programs to address quality gaps |
▪ Requires literature searches for evidence-based implementation interventions, change strategies and related tools. |
▪ Includes development and evaluation of implementation or practice support toolkits, such as educational materials or clinical reminder content. |
▪ Researchers expected to consider relevant methodological approaches, e.g., a conceptual framework, an appropriate study design and facilitation [11]. |
Step 5/6: Evaluate improvement programs
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5. Assess improvement program feasibility, implementation and impacts on patient, family and healthcare system processes and outcomes |
6. Assess improvement program impacts on health related quality of life (HRQOL) |
▪ Should consider both formative and summative evaluation. |
▪ As part of formative evaluation [FE], would include a developmental-stage local diagnostic analysis to affirm generically identified barriers in study sites; would also consider other FE stages [9]. |
▪ Should consider a cost- or business case analysis. |
SUPPLEMENTAL RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
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Step M: Develop measures, methods and data resources
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M1. Develop, refine and validate patient registries and databases documenting healthcare organizational features, clinical practices and utilization, and outcomes. |
M2. Develop and/or evaluate case-finding and screening tools. |
M3. Develop and/or evaluate measures of healthcare structures, processes and outcomes. |
Step C: Develop clinical evidence
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C1. Develop and evaluate evidence-based clinical practices and recommendations (clinical research). |
C2. Develop and evaluate evidence-based health services interventions (health services research). |
▪ Step M and C projects are considered to be outside the core QUERI process, although they support implementation research. Such projects are generally funded through regular VHA or external clinical science and health services research funding programs. |
Phase 1: Pilot project to develop/refine an improvement/implementation program and assess basic feasibility: |
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◆ Small scale study within a single clinic or facility |
◆ Used with a substantiated clinical or delivery best practice |
◆ Identifies potential issues relative to routine integration of best practice such as acceptability of the recommendation, process barriers, and needed toolkit elements |
Phase 2: Small clinical trials to further refine and evaluate an improvement/implementation program |
◆ Relatively modest but multi-site evaluation (e.g., 4-6 facilities within one or two VA regions) |
◆ Conducted within a formal research and evaluation framework, e.g., an experimental design. Usually is a hybrid design, i.e., a traditional intervention design plus a descriptive formative evaluation [9] |
◆ Requires active research team support and involvement, plus modest real-time refinements to maximize the likelihood of success and to study the process for replication requirements |
◆ Enables refinement before larger-scale implementation |
Phase 3: "Regional roll-out" projects |
◆ Test of large-scale adoption program prior to full VA implementation with 10-20 facilities in 3-5 VA regions |
◆ Decreased research team support at local sites and greater involvement of stakeholders, both nationally and locally |
◆ Should require less need for real-time refinements of the implementation strategy |
◆ Preparation for hand-off at national level |
Phase 4: "National roll-out" effort |
◆ Implementation of a tested, refined strategy throughout the VA |
◆ Existing operations or designated leadership entity deliver the program |
◆ Research team support as determined per Phase 3 evaluation |
◆ Concurrent and ongoing evaluation, per methodology determined/refined in Phase 3 |
Progress and promise
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▪ The need for the QUERI Program to develop an understanding of its mission and to develop effective practice-oriented research activities and approaches for QUERI researchers and other stakeholders.
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▪ The need for many QUERI researchers to obtain grounding in the field of implementation science and related disciplines (e.g., organizational science and anthropology), as well as in unfamiliar methods (e.g., formative evaluation and qualitative methods).
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▪ Funding, proposal review and ethics review (Institutional Review Board) timelines.
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▪ The need to develop frameworks and other tools to guide the envisioned implementation activity and research.