BackgroundGuideline implementation has been an ongoing challenge in the dental practice setting. Despite this, there are no reviews summarising the existing evidence regarding effective guideline implementation strategies in this setting. In order to address this, this systematic review examines the effectiveness of guideline implementation strategies in the dental practice setting.MethodsA systematic search was undertaken according to the PRISMA statement across nine electronic databases, targeting randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies which evaluated the effectiveness of guideline implementation strategies in improving guideline adherence in the dental setting. All records were independently examined for relevance and appraised for study quality by two authors, with consensus achieved by a third author. Data were extracted from included studies using a standardised data extraction pro forma.ResultsA total of 15 records were eligible for inclusion in this review, which focused on the effects of audit and feedback, reminders, education, patient-mediated interventions, pay for performance and multifaceted interventions. Although there were some conflicting evidence, studies within each category of implementation strategy indicated a positive effect on guideline adherence.ConclusionsThis study has identified education, reminders and multifaceted interventions as effective implementation strategies for the dental practice setting. Although this is similar to research findings from other health sectors, there is some evidence to suggest patient-mediated interventions may be less effective and pay for performance may be more effective in the dental setting. These findings can inform policy makers, professional associations, colleges and organisations in the future adoption of clinical guidelines in the dental practice setting.Trial registrationThis systematic review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), registration ID CRD42018093023.

This article emphasises the main strategies that can be used to respond to ethical challenges when researching with a small easily identifiable group. The learning discussed here may be relevant to or even transferable to other similar research studies or research contexts. These methods fostered a greater credibility throughout the research process and predisposed the participants to greater trust, and thus, they disclosed their experiences and speak more freely, thus enhancing the quality of the study.

This study examined the relationship between condom use motivation and condom use behavioural skills, and their direct and mediated influence on condom use consistency from the perspective of the Information-Motivation-Behavioural Skills (IMB) model of health behaviour. Participants were 149 currently sexually active heterosexual males aged 18–24 (M=18.6). The motivation component of the IMB model was operationalized with measures of attitudes toward condoms and perceptions of social norms, while assessing the implementation of negotiation strategies that can be used to obtain or avoid condom use operationalized the behavioural skills component. Results indicated that condom use motivation was positively correlated with specific condom use obtaining strategies, and condom use consistency was negatively correlated with certain condom use avoiding strategies. Moreover, specific condom negotiation strategies partially mediated the relationships between motivational constructs and condom use consistency. These findings confirm the propositions of the IMB model, illustrate the utility of measurement of behavioural skills in relation to implementation of specific actions, and highlight the need for interventions to focus on dyadic negotiation and communication strategies as important influences on condom use consistency. Implications for future research and theoretical refinement are discussed.

Background To support AIDS service organisations and other community-based organisations’ use of research evidence to inform HIV-related programmes, services and policies, the Ontario HIV Treatment Network (OHTN) developed a Rapid Response Service. The final product of the rapid response process at the OHTN, which is more streamlined than that of traditional systematic reviews, consists of a detailed report answering questions regarding an HIV-specific issue and how the findings apply within the local context. In 2016, the OHTN conducted an evaluation to assess the effectiveness of its Rapid Response Service. This article reports on the development of this service as well as the results of the evaluation. Methods All rapid responses published between January 1, 2009, and September 30, 2016, by the OHTN ( n = 102) were analysed using univariate analyses. Frequency distributions were determined for the following variables for each rapid response: populations observed, topics covered, requestor affiliations and number of downloads from the OHTN’s website. Requestors of rapid responses were also interviewed regarding perceived helpfulness and utility of the service and final products, and suggestions for changes to the service. Six-month follow-up interviews were conducted to determine how affiliated organisations used the evidence from the rapid response they requested. Results The 102 rapid responses published covered 14 different populations of interest. Topics covered included the HIV prevention, engagement and care cascade, determinants of health, syndemics, and comorbidities. Requestor affiliations consisted of AIDS service organisations, government agencies and policy-makers, non-HIV-focused community-based organisations, and hospitals, universities or health centres. Requestors perceived most aspects of the Rapid Response Service as very helpful and most frequently suggested that the rapid responses should provide recommendations. Follow-up interviews regarding the impact of rapid responses show that rapid responses have been used to assist organisations in numerous activities. Conclusions Organisations that have used the OHTN’s Rapid Response Service describe it as a valuable service useful for the development of programmes and policies. Improvements in capacity-building efforts may increase its utility. Describing the findings of this evaluation may serve as a reference for similar programmes to increase the use of research evidence among public health decision-makers. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12961-019-0476-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Healthcare organisations should create an appropriate working environment that supports practice development nurses and clearly distinguishes their responsibilities and authority. Practice development nurses should become more socio-economically and politically focused to enable them to function strategically and effectively in their clinical working environment.