Implementing a knowledge translation intervention in long-term care: feasibility results from the Vitamin D and Osteoporosis Study (ViDOS).

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the feasibility of implementing an interdisciplinary, multifaceted knowledge translation intervention within long-term care (LTC) and to identify any challenges that should be considered in designing future studies.

DESIGN

Cluster randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

Forty LTC homes across the province of Ontario, Canada.

PARTICIPANTS

LTC teams composed of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and other staff.

MEASUREMENTS

Cluster-level feasibility measures, including recruitment, retention, data completion, and participation in the intervention. A process evaluation was completed by directors of care indicating which process/policy changes had been implemented.

RESULTS

Recruitment and retention rates were 22% and 63%, respectively. Good fidelity with the intervention was achieved, including attendance at educational meetings. After ViDOS, 7 process indicators were being newly implemented by more than 50% of active intervention homes.

CONCLUSION

Despite recruitment and retention challenges, the multifaceted intervention produced a number of policy/process changes and had good intervention fidelity. This study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01398527.