Implementing and sustaining evidence-based practice in health care: The Bridge Model experience

ABSTRACT

This qualitative study analyzed the experience of community-based organizations (CBOs) implementing and sustaining the Bridge Model of Transitional Care, a social work-based health service intervention for reducing hospital readmissions. We conducted semi-structured interviews with clinical supervisors from 13 CBOs that received Bridge Model training between 2012 and 2015. CBOs faced significant challenges implementing and sustaining transitional care programs, particularly related to building effective and sustainable partnerships with hospitals. Additional barriers to program implementation and sustainability included financial barriers and staff turnover. Facilitators to implementation and sustainability included organizational champions, organizational culture, and value of evidence. Recommendations for CBOs to implement health service interventions include gaining early buy-in from hospital partners, creating a contractual arrangement with the hospital partner, understanding changes in health-care payment models, diversifying funding sources, developing an evaluation plan, and nurturing organizational champions.

KEYWORDS:

• Transitional care
• implementation
• hospital–community partnership

Declaration of interest

Xiaoling Xiang volunteers (unpaid) as the “head of research” for the Bridge Model National Office (BMNO, a collaborative that is charged with disseminating and implementing the Bridge Model). Walter Rosenberg is the Head of Quality Improvement at BMNO. Renae Alvarez was the Head of Strategic Development of BMNO.

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Additional information

Funding

Research reported in this publication received funding from: the NUCATS Voucher program, funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences: [Grant Number UL1TR001422]; a training grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research: [Grant Number 90AR5019]; and the Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research, funded by from the National Institutes of Health: [Grant Number P30 AG015281]. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agencies.