Five Practical Tips for Collecting Individual and Organizational Barriers and Facilitators
By Maoliosa Donald, Implementation Support Consultant
6-min read
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While individuals and organizations support the idea of collecting barriers and facilitators to inform and accelerate change, we have been getting many questions regarding logistics and how to practically do this. Many people initially worry that this will be resource intensive in terms of time and cost, but it doesn’t have to be. A comprehensive approach can be taken including collecting qualitative and quantitative data; however, you can gather this data from other sources such as the literature and/or sitting in on team meetings where the proposed practice change is being discussed. If you go to the literature (which is a great place to start), make sure you also collect barriers and facilitators directly from people in the setting in which you are implementing. Once you have identified relevant barriers and facilitators, you can then map them to an implementation framework(s) that will help inform relevant implementation strategies to support your intended change.
Collecting individual and organizational barriers and facilitators also depends on engaging appropriate people and asking them relevant questions using data collection methods and tools that are feasible and accessible. Those involved in the process are also eager to learn about the findings which in turn will support engagement and willingness to actively support the proposed implementation strategies.
We recommend the following five practical tips:
Tip 1: Engaging the right people
Consider connecting with individuals interested or involved in the intended change. Who might these individuals be? Ask yourself, “Who has to do what differently?” From here, you can expand with each individual or group. You will want to draw boundaries by discerning who has direct, indirect, or no involvement at all. Engaging the right people based on their roles in the system will provide you with a range of perspectives that will more effectively inform change.
Tip 2: Asking the right questions and collecting the right type of data
Asking appropriate questions to the people involved in the intended change can give you information that will result in effective outcomes. For example, patients aren’t going to be able to accurately describe the culture of an organization, but they can describe their experiences interacting with staff. You should also consider how questions are framed. The questions you ask should reflect what you want to know; for example, what do individuals or organizations need to do differently? Choosing the right questions will determine what is working (facilitators) and what potentially needs to be addressed (barriers).
Tip 3: Don’t be afraid to use multiple methods to collect data
When you consider collecting barriers and facilitators from various people or groups, think about using different methods such as interviews, focus groups, observations, surveys, or informal conversations. Your choice may be directed by your budget, time, the individuals involved, and resources available. For example, you could provide surveys to staff, hold interviews with patients, and have informal chats with leadership. Think about using a combination of these methods to form a more accurate picture of the barriers and facilitators involved. Qualitative approaches can provide a deeper understanding of the issues of interest, whereas quantitative approaches can help quantify the concerns identified. You can also leverage natural opportunities (e.g., during an existing meeting, a side-of-the-desk conversation), which can help make data collection less onerous.
Tip 4: When possible, use the same data collection tools over time
We can choose from a number of frameworks to collect data over time or for different purposes to support the implementation effort. Certain frameworks or tools can be used for multiple purposes – for example, could you use the same (or similar) questions to understand readiness, understand context during implementation, and plan for sustainability?
Tip 5: Tell people what you found
It is important to share findings with people who were included in the data collection process as well as those who may be indirectly affected by implementing the innovation. One of the most common complaints (from research and implementation work) is that people provide data, but never hear about the results. This can negatively influence implementation efforts as these individuals are important advocates and agents of change. For example, they can use the strategies identified to successfully implement the innovation. You should also consider who will be receiving this information — know your audience and speak to their interests.
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