Use of the i-PARIHS framework in nutrition and dietetics research and practice: A citation analysis of the literature and case studies.

Theoretical approaches can help to plan, guide, and evaluate implementation projects that target real-world practice problems. This paper provides an overview of the integrated Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (i-PARIHS) framework and summarizes its use in nutrition and dietetics research and practice. A narrative summary of its use was compiled from the published literature based on citations from two key reference sources of the i-PARIHS framework. Searches were performed in Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and PubMed. Data were extracted about the study characteristics and the application of i-PARIHS. Thirty articles from 20 implementation studies were included, with studies mostly originating from Australia (n = 9) and focused on adult patients/clients (n = 17) in the hospital setting (n = 13) and other practice settings. Studies included diverse clinical areas categorized as malnutrition (n = 9) or nutrition-related chronic disease (n = 10). Studies used i-PARIHS across phases of planning, implementing, and evaluating (n = 6 planning only, n = 6 evaluating only, n = 8 a combination of phases, and n = 5 across all three phases) and often in combination with other theoretical approaches (n = 10). The facilitation process and/or role were a common feature of implementation and evaluation studies. The framework's ability to aid comprehensive identification of barriers and enablers across the constructs was highlighted as a strength. The i-PARIHS framework can be a useful tool to support all phases of implementation in nutrition practice and research, particularly where facilitation is a core component of the implementation process. Two case studies are presented to demonstrate how it might be practically applied.