Abstract
Introduction: Contextual factors such as cultural values and traditions impact on implementation processes of healthcare interventions. It is one of the reasons why local stakeholders may decide to role out a program differently from how it has originally been developed or described in scientific literature. This can result in different but most likely more context-specific outcomes. Systematic reviews are considered important in answering what works, for whom and in which circumstances. They often include a section on implications for policymakers and practitioners, in which they discuss relevant options to engage with. Problem statement: Implementation sections are coloured by the cultural background, theoretical and disciplinary perspective of the reviewers formulating them. They do not necessarily consider local contexts in which the evidence needs to be applied, hence the recommendations may be too general to be useful. When policy makers and practitioners implement systematic review findings the evidence presented needs to be translated to their local context. Summary of main result: We propose CONSENSYS, an instrument that facilitates the transfer from review evidence into practice. CONSENSYS contains 52 contextual factors categorised as either of ecological and socio-cultural relevance or pitched as influencing actor. Implications of the result: CONSENSYS is relevant for reviewers because it supports them in structuring and formulating context-sensitive implications sections. It may also guide end-users of systematic reviews in translating review evidence for use in local policies and practices. CONSENSYS is the first rigorously developed instrument that focusses on implications for policy and practice sections in systematic reviews.
This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.