Embedded implementation research determinants in Latin American health systems

OBJECTIVE: To assess the determinants of embedded implementation research (EIR) conduct in seven Latin American and Caribbean countries. METHODS: This qualitative interpretative study conducted and analyzed 14 semi-structured interviews based on a grounded theory approach using Atlas-ti© 7.5.7. We grouped the conditions appointed by interviewees as determinants of EIR conduct into six domains. RESULTS: The participation of high-level engaged decision makers as research co-producers is an important EIR determinant that fosters research use. Nevertheless, EIR faces challenges such as dealing with key personnel changes and fluctuating political contexts. CONCLUSIONS: Despite its limitations, EIR is effective in creating a sense of ownership of research results among implementers, which helps bridge the gap between research and decision-making in health system

Erratum: Correia, S.D., et al. Development of a Test-Bench for Evaluating the Embedded Implementation of the Improved Elephant Herding Optimization Algorithm Applied to Energy-Based Acoustic Localization. Computers 2020, 9, 87

The third affiliation of the paper should have been completed in our original article [...]

The value and impact of embedded implementation research: insights from Latin America and the Caribbean

[Extract ] Embedded research is carried out as an integrated and systematic part of health decisions and policymaking and implementation (1). It means continuous collaboration between decision-makers, researchers, and communities. Embedded research focuses on systems-level challenges and illuminates context-specific factors for real-world health programs, policy, and system decisions. It improves ownership and implementation (2). With this in mind, a joint initiative between the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research (Alliance HPSR), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and the World Health Organization (WHO) Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) issued an open call for researchers and policy and decision-makers to identify challenges requiring embedded research to accelerate progress towards the SDGs in the Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) region and provided technical cooperation throughout the process.[...]