Organization Theory for Implementation Science (OTIS): reflections and recommendations

Sarah A Birken; Jure Baloh; Michelle C Kegler; Terry T-K Huang; Matthew Lee; Prajakta Adsul; Grace Ryan; Alexandra Peluso; Cheyenne Wagi; Aliza Randazzo; Megan A Mullins; Kristin E Morrill; Linda K Ko

doi:10.3389/frhs.2024.1449253

Organization Theory for Implementation Science (OTIS): reflections and recommendations

Front Health Serv. 2024 Dec 13:4:1449253. doi: 10.3389/frhs.2024.1449253. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Implementation Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, United States.
² Department of Health Policy and Management, College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.
³ Emory Prevention Research Center, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States.
⁴ Center for Systems and Community Design and NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States.
⁵ Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
⁶ Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States.
⁷ Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, United States.
⁸ O'Donnell School of Public Health, Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, United States.
⁹ LeCroy & Milligan Associates Inc., Tucson, AZ, United States.
¹⁰ Department of Health Systems and Population Health, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.

Abstract

Organizations exert influence on the implementation of evidence-based practices and other innovations that are independent of the influence of organizations' individual constituents. Despite their influence, nuanced explanations of organizations' influence remain limited in implementation science. Organization theories are uniquely suited to offer insights and explain organizational influences on implementation. In this paper, we describe the efforts of the Cancer Prevention and Control Research Network's (CPCRN) Organization Theory for Implementation Science (OTIS) workgroup to equip implementation scientists with theory-guided understanding of organizational influences on implementation. We provide a set of recommendations for future efforts to enhance implementation through the use of organization theories and OTIS tools.

Keywords: framework; healthcare; implementation science; organization science; organization theory.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This publication was supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award with 100 percent funded by CDC/HHS (Cooperative Agreement Number U48 DP006400). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CDC/HHS, or the U.S. Government.