The CUSTOMISE (Comparing and Understanding Tailoring Methods for Implementation Strategies in Healthcare) study is funded through a Health Research Board (HRB) Research Leader Award (2020-2025). Dr Sheena McHugh is the Principal Investigator on this five-year programme of research. The award will support research on the process and impact of tailoring strategies to implement evidence-based interventions and build capacity and collaborations in implementation science. The research programme focuses in the first instance on improving care for older people and people with diabetes, two groups prioritised in the national healthcare strategy, Sláintecare. As part of the HRB Research Leader Award, we will train researchers and practitioners involved in implementation to build expertise in Ireland and establish a network of people interested in this topic.

Why are we doing this research?

Our two main research questions are:

1. How can we accurately, efficiently, and effectively tailor strategies to support the implementation of evidence-based interventions for older people and those with complex chronic conditions, to enhance implementation effectiveness and subsequently improve quality of care and health outcomes?
2. How can we strengthen partnerships between researchers and health service organizations to build capacity, support integrated knowledge translation, and increase use of research in the health service for the benefit of service users?

The research programme comprises of a number of work packages.

Who is Involved

CUSTOMISE Health service partners and collaborators

We work with our research partners Prof Sean Dinneen, (Clinical Lead for the National Clinical Programme for Diabetes), Dr Ana Terres (Head of Research and Development, Assistant National Director, HSE), Ms Ciara Mellett (Programme Manager, Slaintecare Programme), Priscilla Lynch (Cork Kerry Community Healthcare), Dr Paul Kavanagh (Consultant in Public Health Medicine at the National Health Intelligence Unit), and Dr Phillip Crowley (National Director, Quality Improvement, HSE).

CUSTOMISE Academic collaborators

Our collaborators on this group include Prof. Corina Naughton (Professor of Clinical Nursing in Older Person’s Healthcare, UCC), Prof Molly Byrne (Director of the Health Behaviour Change Research Group), and  Dr Aileen Murphy (Senior Lecturer in Dept. of Economics, UCC).

CUSTOMISE International Scientific Advisory Group

Our advisory group comprises international experts in implementation research

• Dr Byron Powell
• Dr Cara Lewis
• Prof Geoff Curran
• Prof. Luke Wolfenden
• Prof Justin Presseau

CUSTOMISE outputs

Cochrane review Protocol

• https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7104299

Publications

• Buckley D, McHugh SM and Riordan F. What works to recruit general practices to trials? A rapid review [version 1; peer review: 2 approved, 1 not approved]. HRB Open Res 2023, 6:13 (https://doi.org/10.12688/hrbopenres.13650.1)

• Riordan F, O'Mahoney L, Sheehan C, Murphy K, O'Donnell M, Hurley L, Dinneen S and McHugh SM. Implementing a community specialist team to support the delivery of integrated diabetes care: experiences in Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic [version 1; peer review: 2 approved, 1 approved with reservations]. HRB Open Res 2023, 6:1 (https://doi.org/10.12688/hrbopenres.13635.1)

• Riordan F, Curran GM, Lewis CC et al. Characterising processes and outcomes of tailoring implementation strategies in healthcare: a protocol for a scoping review [version 1; peer review: 1 approved with reservations]. HRB Open Res 2022, 5:17 (https://doi.org/10.12688/hrbopenres.13507.1)
• Sheena M. McHugh, Fiona Riordan, Geoff M. Curran, Cara C Lewis, Luke Wolfenden, Justin Presseau, Rebecca Lengnick-Hall and Byron Powell. “Conceptual tensions and practical trade-offs in tailoring implementation interventions” Frontiers in Health Services 17 November 2022 Sec. Implementation Science.  https://doi.org/10.3389/frhs.2022.974095 
• Sheena M McHugh, Fiona Riordan, Claire Kerins, Geoff Curran, Cara C Lewis, Justin Presseau, Luke Wolfeden, Byron J Powell. Understanding tailoring to support the implementation of evidence-based interventions in healthcare: The CUSTOMISE research programme protocol [version 1; peer review:2 approved]. HRB Open Res 2023, 6:7 https://doi.org/10.12688/hrbopenres.13675.1

Presentations

• Irish Endocrine Society 2023, Sligo, Ireland (Poster presentation) DAFNE delivery in the UK and Ireland 2019 -2022 Presenters: Riordan F., Breen C., Humphreys M., Dineen SF., McHugh SM. 24 November 2023.
• 6th UK and Ireland Implementation Science Research Conference 2023, Univerity of Limerick, Ireland (Rapid fire poster presentation) 'Tailoring implementation strategies which target patients in healthcare contexts: protocol for a scoping review sub-study'. Presenter: Laura-Jane McCarthy. 13-14 July 2023.
• 6th UK and Ireland Implementation Science Research Conference 2023, Univerity of Limerick, Ireland (Rapid fire poster presentation) 'Stakeholder’s experiences of tailoring implementation of the DAFNE structured education programme for type 1 diabetes.' Presenter: Jane Murphy. 13-14 July 2023.
• 6th UK and Ireland Implementation Science Research Conference 2023, Univerity of Limerick, Ireland (Oral presentation) 'Tailored strategies to address determinants of practice: A systematic review protocol.' Presenter: Fiona Riordan. 13-14 July 2023.
• European Implementation Event 2023, Basel, Switzerland (Oral Presentation) Stakeholder’s experiences of tailoring strategies to support implementation of the Dose Adjustment for Normal Eating (DAFNE) structured patient education programme for people with type 1 diabetes: a mixed methods study. Presenter: Fiona Riordan. 8 & 9 June 2023
• 6th Biennial Society for Implementation Research Conference. San Diego, California, USA (Oral presentation) "Characterising processes and outcomes of tailoring implementation strategies in healthcare: a protocol for a scoping review" Presenter:  Nickola Pallin (on behalf of Riordan,F., Albers, B., Clack, L., Pallin, N., Curran, G., Lewis, C., Powell, B., Presseau, J., Wolfenden, L., and McHugh, S.) 9 September 2022.
• UCC College of Medicine and Health Conference 'From molecules to people' (Oral presentation) “Tailoring strategies to support the implementation of Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating (DAFNE), a structured patient education programme for people with Type 1 diabetes”  Presenter: Fiona Riordan. 22 September 2022.
• 5th UK Implementation Science Research Conference, (Poster presentation) “Characterising processes and outcomes of tailoring implementation strategies in healthcare: a protocol for a scoping review”  Presenter: Fiona Riordan. 14-15 July 2022.
• 5th UK Implementation Science Research Conference, (Poster presentation) “Tailoring strategies to support the implementation of Dose Adjustment For Normal Eating (DAFNE), a structured patient education programme for people with Type 1 diabetes” Presenter: Fiona Riordan. 14-15 July 2022.
• 37th Annual Conference of the European Health Psychology Society, Bremen, Germany, (Poster presentation) "Stakeholders experience of tailoring implementation of the DAFNE structured education programme for type 1 diabetes" Presenter: Jane Murphy 4-8 September 2023
• 37th Annual Conference of the European Health Psychology Society, Bremen, Germany, (Oral presentation) "Characterising processes and outcomes of tailoring implementation strategies in healthcare: A scoping review" Presenter: Jane Murphy 4-8 September