Table 1.
Evidence Informed Factors Related to Project Implementation and Sustainability*
| Infrastructure | |
|---|---|
| 1. Patient safety culture† | 3. Incentives or rewards for patient safety |
| Places a priority on ensuring safe care | Provide financial incentives |
| Facilitates reporting of errors and events | Provide nonfinancial incentives |
| Provides nonpunitive environment re: errors | Offer recognition for efforts taken |
| Allows anonymous error reporting | 4. Data system effectiveness† |
| Responds actively when issues are identified | 5. Culture of excellence † |
| Enables staff to share information to learn from errors | Emphasis on meeting quality performance Standards |
| Communicates with physicians and staff about patient safety | Structure and process to support quality improvement |
| Communicates with patients about patient safety | Involved staff in quality improvement |
| 2. Patient safety standards | Management style that supports quality improvement |
| Documented in protocols or guidelines | |
| Published and disseminated widely | |
| Clear and easy to understand | |
|
Implementation Process | |
| 1. Resource support for project | 5. Financial support |
| Adequate time to carry out tasks related to the project? | To complete project activities To sustain the project |
| Adequate funding to carry out the project? | 6. Monitoring performance outcomes† |
| Autonomy to carry out the project? | Use of quantified measures Analyzing trends Reporting data to stakeholders regularly |
| 2. Types of stakeholders represented on the project team | 7. Leadership support/involvement for the Project† |
| 3. Implementation team performance† | |
| Defined a strategy and plan for the project | |
| Persevered in implementing the project | Shaping project vision |
| Collaborated effectively across disciplines | |
| Felt empowered by the organization's leadership | Planning for start-up |
| 4. Degree of end-user involvement† | Making revisions during implementation |
| Shaping project vision | Requesting project updates from the team |
| Planning for start-up | Providing guidance and feedback to the team |
| Implementing the project | Assisting in removing barriers to implementation |
| Making revisions during the implementation | Promoting/marketing the project |
| Promoting/marketing the project | |
*
These were identified in a review of the literature as being important to the success of implementation projects. However, not surprisingly, many factors were identified in the early grantee interviews, indicating that the grantees were sharing experiences already reported by others in published papers.
†
Likert scale response options (1=“not at all” and 5=“a great deal”) were used for these items. Items for the other factors had yes/no response options.