Table 1.
Process evaluation systematic review inclusion criteria
| Study design | Must be a primary research study. Research studies including all designs, e.g., experimental, quasi-experimental, and non-experimental designs (e.g., case study). Opinion pieces, commentaries, methodological papers, book chapters, books, dissertations, conference abstracts, protocols, and reviews will not be included. |
| Study criteria |
The study is or includes a process evaluation of a health implementation study/project that has a primary purpose of translating research into action/practice.1 The health (research) information disseminated must therefore be evidence-based. Studies must have clearly defined knowledge translation strategies or interventions to implement the health innovation. A registered/licensed healthcare professional or allied healthcare professional in medicine (physician, dentist), nursing, rehabilitation medicine (physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology), dietetics, or pharmacy must either deliver or receive the intervention (sensu Scott et al. 2011). A trainee healthcare professional (not yet licensed/registered) either delivering or receiving the intervention will be excluded if: a. The intervention is mandatory curricula for finishing their degree/gaining licensing. b. The intervention has no licensed healthcare professional involved. Process evaluations may be separate (stand-alone) or integrated (embedded) and must evaluate the knowledge translation strategies or interventions used to implement the evidence-based innovation (the process of implementation). |
| Outcome(s) | The process evaluation must be distinct from the primary outcomes of the KT/research implementation component. Where the paper is only reporting the process evaluation, this will be considered a distinct outcome. |
1Health is defined according to the WHO (1946) conceptualization of a state of complete physical and mental well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, including prevention components and mental health but not “social health”