81 A rapid-cycle application of the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research allows timely identification of barriers and facilitators to implementing the World Health Organization’s Emergency Care Toolkit in Zambia

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Implementation science evaluations are often too time-intensive to provide actionable feedback during implementation, suggesting the need for more agile methods. We present an evaluation of the World Health Organization’s Emergency Care Toolkit implementation in Zambia using rapid qualitative methods to provide timely feedback. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: We evaluated the implementation of the Emergency Care Toolkit in eight general and referral hospitals in Zambia in 2023 using a rapid-cycle, qualitative template analysis approach grounded in the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). We gathered qualitative data from operational field notes, focus groups, and key informant interviews of administrators, clinicians, nurses, and support staff in all eight hospitals in Zambia. We parsimoniously applied CFIR constructs and tool-specific codes, focused on barriers and facilitators, to allow for rapid but comprehensive cross-case analysis. The results were used to generate a matrix of stakeholder-relevant, plain-language barriers and facilitators for each tool. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: We completed eight site visits with focus groups and interviews following initial implementation in September 2023 to gather firsthand knowledge related to implementation of the Toolkit. The CFIR-focused coding accelerated analysis by centering on barriers and facilitators for each tool while maintaining a comprehensive evaluation framework. Summary tables of barriers and facilitators were easily interpreted by lay stakeholders. Visualization in tables allowed for identification of common themes across tools and hospitals, making comprehensive recommendations to the implementation and dissemination process quickly possible. We anticipate the study findings will empower implementing partners to make timely, actionable improvements. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Rapid-cycle qualitative implementation evaluations allow for rigorous yet timely feedback on the implementation process compared to traditional methods. This efficient strategy is particularly important in resource-constrained environments where inefficient implementation wastes limited resources and create delays that cost lives.