Categorising implementation determinants and strategies within the US HIV implementation literature: a systematic review protocol

Abstract

IntroductionDespite decreased rates of new infections, HIV/AIDS continues to impact certain US populations. In order to achieve the goals laid out in the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) in the US initiative, implementation science is needed to expand the sustained use of effective prevention and treatment interventions, particularly among priority populations at risk for and living with HIV/AIDS. Over 200 HIV-related implementation studies have been funded by the US National Institutes of Health. Therefore, a comprehensive review of the literature identifying implementation determinants (barriers and facilitators) and categorising implementation strategies across the continuum of HIV prevention and care in the USA is appropriate and needed to enhance current knowledge and help achieve the goals laid out in the EHE national strategic plan.Methods and analysisThis systematic review protocol follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Between November 2020 and January 2022, a broad database search strategy of Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science was conducted to capture implementation-related studies along the HIV prevention and care continuum. Articles were eligible for inclusion if they were: conducted in the USA, published after the year 2000, written in English, related to HIV/AIDS, focused on outcomes related to dissemination and implementation (ie, did not test/evaluate/explore implementation determinants or strategies) and were behavioural studies (ie, not basic science). We plan to conduct three systematic reviews to identify and categorise determinants and strategies associated with three HIV focus areas: pre-exposure prophylaxis, testing/diagnosing and linkage to care, and treatment. Determinants will be coded according to an adapted Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research 2.0. Implementation strategies and outcomes will be categorised in accordance with existing taxonomies and frameworks.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval is not applicable. No original data will be collected. Results will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and via online tools.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021233089.

A systematic review of experimentally tested implementation strategies across health and human service settings: evidence from 2010-2022

“…Data repositories, like those developed by NCI for rare diseases, U.S. HIV Implementation Science Coordination Initiative [ 87 ], and the Behavior Change Technique Ontology [ 88 ], could allow implementation scientists to report their findings in a more standardized manner, which would promote ease of communication and contextualization of findings across studies. For example, the HIV Implementation Science Coordination Initiative requested all implementation projects use common frameworks, developed user friendly databases to enable practitioners to match strategies to determinants, and developed a dashboard of studies that assessed implementation determinants [ 89 – 94 ]. Develop and apply methods to rigorously study common strategies and bundles.…”

Establishing evidence criteria for implementation strategies in the US: a Delphi study for HIV services

“…We envision several future directions for this tool with implications for both researchers and practitioners that will advance the goals of ISCI and support the EHE Initiative. Systematic reviews of HIV-related implementation strategies are currently underway through ISCI [ 55 ]. The next phase will entail applying these criteria to implementation strategies identified through these reviews and developing a compendium of strategies.…”