Background: Cluster randomized control trials (cRCTs) are useful for asking about system-level interventions compared to other types of clinical research design, however they present unique challenges with conduct and delivery. Numerous cRCTs in hospitals have encountered challenges and time delays in enrolling hospitals and launching the trials which contributes to research waste. While each cRCT has unique barriers and enablers to their conduct, it is important to understand and explore these factors at the general level of the cRCT itself. Previous literature has documented factors associated with successful cRCTs, however, these studies focused primarily on the statistical aspect, while neglecting to evaluate the delivery of the trial. Objectives: The goal of this dissertation was to explore barriers and enablers to conducting cRCTs in hospitals, and to identify potential strategies that facilitate their delivery. This research was conducted to identify evidence and generate guidance for researchers aiming to conduct these trials. Specifically, the objectives were: 1) To explore the current knowledge and evidence surrounding the implementation of cRCTs in hospitals; 2) To explore from the perspective of the coordinating site, what influenced the delivery and hospital engagement of an ongoing cRCT, and what challenges were encountered; 3) To identify strategies to facilitate delivery of cRCTs in hospitals; 4) To systematically review reported recruitment strategies of healthcare facilities in cRCTs. Methods: The dissertation employed multiple research methods. To address the first objective, a scoping review was performed of current literature related to hospitals in cRCTs. The second objective was addressed with a qualitative case study. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with six key members of the team to understand their perceptions of the delivery of the trial. For the third objective, a tool matching two implementation concepts (the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR)- Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) matching tool) was used to identify strategies targeted to address barriers and enablers to cRCT conduct identified in the first two studies. Lastly, a systematic review was performed to address the fourth objective, to identify reported strategies used for hospital engagement in cRCTs. The thesis was guided and analyzed using an over-arching implementation framework, CFIR, and an implementation strategies list, the ERIC compilation. This was done to allow comparability and synthesis of results between methodologies from the dissertation, and between the results from the studies and previous literature. Results: Several key CFIR domains were identified in the literature in the scoping review that were determined to being influential for conducting the cRCTs in hospitals: the adaptability to tailor the trial to each site; the engagement of opinion leaders, champions and formally appointed implementation leaders in the cRCT process as facilitators to conducting the trial; the lack of a site perceiving a relative priority for the trial or tension for change for the clinical field presenting barriers to conducting the cRCT; and limited available resources can present barriers to conducting the cRCT. The qualitative case study identified similar CFIR domains and constructs as potentially influential for cRCT conduct, including the emphasis on adaptability of trial, the importance of tension for change in the sites for accepting inclusion in the trial, the availability of resources, and the engagement of leaders. The CFIR-ERIC matching study identified strategies that may be used to overcome barriers and target enablers for cRCT delivery from CFIR domains and constructs identified in the first two studies. A list of strategies was generated, ranked by the number of many determinants for which the strategy was listed as a Level 1 strategy, then by how many determinants for which the strategy was listed as a Level 2 strategy. The top ERIC strategies that were endorsed as a Level 1 strategy for any or multiple CFIR domains were: 1) Identify and prepare champions, 2) Conduct local needs assessment, 3) Conduct educational meetings, 4) Inform local opinion leaders, 5) Build a coalition, 6) Promote adaptability, 7) Develop a formal implementation blueprint, 8) Involve patients/consumers and family members, 9) Obtain and use patients/consumers and family feedback, 10) Develop educational materials, 11) Promote network weaving, 12) Distribute educational materials, 13) Access new funding, and 14) Develop academic partnerships. The systematic review identified literature reporting on the recruitment of healthcare facility sites into cRCTs. Numerous strategies for cRCT site recruitment were identified, and these were coded to the ERIC compilation. Strategies that were commonly cited were: involve executive boards, promote network weaving, conduct educational meetings, inform local opinion leaders, and centralize technical assistance. Conclusions: The results from the dissertation can contribute to the knowledge for facilitating cRCT delivery in hospitals while recognizing the critical limitations in the studies. Key concepts and strategies to facilitate the conduct and delivery of cRCTs in hospitals were identified. Future research should aim to empirically evaluate the identified strategies. Researchers should aim to address the reporting gap for cRCT delivery identified by this dissertation.

The high prevalence of back and neck pain results in enormous social, psychological, and economic burden. Most seeking help for back or neck pain consult general practitioners or chiropractors. Chiropractic is a regulated health profession (serving approximately 10 – 15% of the population) that has contributed to the health and well-being of North Americans for over a century. Despite available evidence for optimal management of back and neck pain, poor adherences to guidelines and wide variations in services have been noted. For instance, overuse and misuse of imaging services have been reported in the chiropractic literature. Inappropriate use of spine imaging has a number of potential adverse outcomes, including inefficient and potentially inappropriate invasive diagnosis and subsequent treatment, and unnecessary patient exposure to ionizing radiation. Although evidence-based diagnostic imaging guidelines for spinal disorders are available, chiropractors are divided on whether these guidelines apply to them. While guidelines can encourage practitioners to conform to best practices and lead to improvements in care, reviews have demonstrated that dissemination of guidelines alone is rarely sufficient to optimise care. Evidence regarding effective methods to promote the uptake of guidelines is still lacking. There is growing acceptance that problem analysis and development of interventions to change practice should be guided by relevant theories and tailored to the target audience. To date, very little knowledge translation research has addressed research-practice gaps in chiropractic. This thesis reports rigorous methods to: (1) assess practice and providers’ characteristics, (2) determine baseline rates and variations in spine x-ray ordering, (3) evaluate the impact of disseminating guidelines to optimise spine x-ray ordering, and (4) assess determinants of spine x-ray ordering and potential targets for change prior to the design of a tailored intervention. A mixed method using two disciplinary perspectives (epidemiology and psychology) was undertaken. A cross-sectional analysis of administrative claims data was carried out on a sample of chiropractors enlisted in a large American provider network. Despite available clinical practice guidelines, wide geographical variations in x-ray use persist. Higher x-ray ordering rates were associated with practice location (Midwest and South US census regions), setting (urban, suburban), chiropractic school attended, male provider, employment, and years in practice. The impact of web-based guideline dissemination was evaluated over a five year period using interrupted time series and demonstrated a stepwise relative reduction of 5.3% in the use of x-rays. Passive guidelines dissemination appeared to be a simple, cost effective strategy in this setting to improve but not optimise x-ray ordering rates. Focus groups using the theoretical domains framework were conducted among Canadian and US chiropractors to explore their beliefs about managing back pain without x-rays. Findings were used to develop a theory-based survey to identify theoretical constructs predicting spine x-ray ordering practice. Psychological theories and theoretical constructs explained a significant portion of the variance in both behavioural simulation and intention. Results from this thesis provide an empirically-supported, theoretical basis to design quality improvement strategies to increase guidelines adherence and promote behaviour change in chiropractic. Other researchers interested in improving uptake of evidenced-based information could use this method in their own setting to investigate determinants of behaviour among other professional groups. Future research may use knowledge gained to inform the development and evaluation of a theory-based tailored intervention to improve guideline adherence and reduce the use of spine x-rays among targeted providers.

The high prevalence of back and neck pain results in enormous social, psychological, and economic burden. Most seeking help for back or neck pain consult general practitioners or chiropractors. Chiropractic is a regulated health profession (serving approximately 10 – 15% of the population) that has contributed to the health and well-being of North Americans for over a century. Despite available evidence for optimal management of back and neck pain, poor adherences to guidelines and wide variations in services have been noted. For instance, overuse and misuse of imaging services have been reported in the chiropractic literature. Inappropriate use of spine imaging has a number of potential adverse outcomes, including inefficient and potentially inappropriate invasive diagnosis and subsequent treatment, and unnecessary patient exposure to ionizing radiation. Although evidence-based diagnostic imaging guidelines for spinal disorders are available, chiropractors are divided on whether these guidelines apply to them. While guidelines can encourage practitioners to conform to best practices and lead to improvements in care, reviews have demonstrated that dissemination of guidelines alone is rarely sufficient to optimise care. Evidence regarding effective methods to promote the uptake of guidelines is still lacking. There is growing acceptance that problem analysis and development of interventions to change practice should be guided by relevant theories and tailored to the target audience. To date, very little knowledge translation research has addressed research-practice gaps in chiropractic. This thesis reports rigorous methods to: (1) assess practice and providers’ characteristics, (2) determine baseline rates and variations in spine x-ray ordering, (3) evaluate the impact of disseminating guidelines to optimise spine x-ray ordering, and (4) assess determinants of spine x-ray ordering and potential targets for change prior to the design of a tailored intervention. A mixed method using two disciplinary perspectives (epidemiology and psychology) was undertaken. A cross-sectional analysis of administrative claims data was carried out on a sample of chiropractors enlisted in a large American provider network. Despite available clinical practice guidelines, wide geographical variations in x-ray use persist. Higher x-ray ordering rates were associated with practice location (Midwest and South US census regions), setting (urban, suburban), chiropractic school attended, male provider, employment, and years in practice. The impact of web-based guideline dissemination was evaluated over a five year period using interrupted time series and demonstrated a stepwise relative reduction of 5.3% in the use of x-rays. Passive guidelines dissemination appeared to be a simple, cost effective strategy in this setting to improve but not optimise x-ray ordering rates. Focus groups using the theoretical domains framework were conducted among Canadian and US chiropractors to explore their beliefs about managing back pain without x-rays. Findings were used to develop a theory-based survey to identify theoretical constructs predicting spine x-ray ordering practice. Psychological theories and theoretical constructs explained a significant portion of the variance in both behavioural simulation and intention. Results from this thesis provide an empirically-supported, theoretical basis to design quality improvement strategies to increase guidelines adherence and promote behaviour change in chiropractic. Other researchers interested in improving uptake of evidenced-based information could use this method in their own setting to investigate determinants of behaviour among other professional groups. Future research may use knowledge gained to inform the development and evaluation of a theory-based tailored intervention to improve guideline adherence and reduce the use of spine x-rays among targeted providers.

The high prevalence of back and neck pain results in enormous social, psychological, and economic burden. Most seeking help for back or neck pain consult general practitioners or chiropractors. Chiropractic is a regulated health profession (serving approximately 10 – 15% of the population) that has contributed to the health and well-being of North Americans for over a century. Despite available evidence for optimal management of back and neck pain, poor adherences to guidelines and wide variations in services have been noted. For instance, overuse and misuse of imaging services have been reported in the chiropractic literature. Inappropriate use of spine imaging has a number of potential adverse outcomes, including inefficient and potentially inappropriate invasive diagnosis and subsequent treatment, and unnecessary patient exposure to ionizing radiation. Although evidence-based diagnostic imaging guidelines for spinal disorders are available, chiropractors are divided on whether these guidelines apply to them. While guidelines can encourage practitioners to conform to best practices and lead to improvements in care, reviews have demonstrated that dissemination of guidelines alone is rarely sufficient to optimise care. Evidence regarding effective methods to promote the uptake of guidelines is still lacking. There is growing acceptance that problem analysis and development of interventions to change practice should be guided by relevant theories and tailored to the target audience. To date, very little knowledge translation research has addressed research-practice gaps in chiropractic. This thesis reports rigorous methods to: (1) assess practice and providers’ characteristics, (2) determine baseline rates and variations in spine x-ray ordering, (3) evaluate the impact of disseminating guidelines to optimise spine x-ray ordering, and (4) assess determinants of spine x-ray ordering and potential targets for change prior to the design of a tailored intervention. A mixed method using two disciplinary perspectives (epidemiology and psychology) was undertaken. A cross-sectional analysis of administrative claims data was carried out on a sample of chiropractors enlisted in a large American provider network. Despite available clinical practice guidelines, wide geographical variations in x-ray use persist. Higher x-ray ordering rates were associated with practice location (Midwest and South US census regions), setting (urban, suburban), chiropractic school attended, male provider, employment, and years in practice. The impact of web-based guideline dissemination was evaluated over a five year period using interrupted time series and demonstrated a stepwise relative reduction of 5.3% in the use of x-rays. Passive guidelines dissemination appeared to be a simple, cost effective strategy in this setting to improve but not optimise x-ray ordering rates. Focus groups using the theoretical domains framework were conducted among Canadian and US chiropractors to explore their beliefs about managing back pain without x-rays. Findings were used to develop a theory-based survey to identify theoretical constructs predicting spine x-ray ordering practice. Psychological theories and theoretical constructs explained a significant portion of the variance in both behavioural simulation and intention. Results from this thesis provide an empirically-supported, theoretical basis to design quality improvement strategies to increase guidelines adherence and promote behaviour change in chiropractic. Other researchers interested in improving uptake of evidenced-based information could use this method in their own setting to investigate determinants of behaviour among other professional groups. Future research may use knowledge gained to inform the development and evaluation of a theory-based tailored intervention to improve guideline adherence and reduce the use of spine x-rays among targeted providers.

SMEs are an integral part of the Kenyan economy, and SMEs working with a circular economy (CE)can play a crucial role in contributing to sustainable growth and the nation’s sustainable development goals, Vision 2030. However, these SMEs face several challenges. This study aims to contribute to the body of research on CE and SMEs in developing countries, an area that is under-researched. Through the study, the researchers explore and bring to the fore the barriers and enablers experienced by SMEs practising CE in emerging economies. This study further examines whether SMEs can apply organisational learning to overcome and harness the barriers and enablers. This research is a qualitative study of an exploratory nature. Primary data was collected from SMEs across different sectors through semi-structured interviews. The main findings indicate that the SMEs face barriers with resources, collaborations, infrastructure, regulations and policies, culture, awareness, and the internal and external environment. However, these categories were also found to act as enablers in addition to adaptive spaces and knowledge management. The research further establishes that the present conditions in the external environment attached to weak policies and regulations are a barrier to progression and learning in CE. This study invites further research of circular economy in developing countries and practical solutions for a way forward.

The public cultural sector in Sweden has been facing the challenges of digitalization over the last decade. The Swedish government has over these past years introduced various strategies and visions for taking advantage of the opportunities that digitalization provides. Due to the implications of the pandemic, many public cultural sector organisations were forced to go through some form of rapid digitalization. However, it is not known how these rapid digital efforts will affect the public cultural sector going forward. Digitalization is not a one-time event, a change in organisational strategy, processes and culture need to happen for digital transformation to occur. The case study of Malmö Opera examines the digitizing activities between 2017 - 2022 in the context of digital transformation. The results of the study showed that although digital efforts had been made prior to the pandemic, a rapid period of digitization occurred during the pandemic years. During 2020 and 2021 the organization took substantial strides in digital progress speed up by the impacts of the pandemic. After the restrictions lifted, digital developments in Malmö Opera were at a slow down due to a lack of dedicated recourses that had be available during the pandemic. The findings of this theses suggests that digital transformation is one way to face the challenges that digitalisation provides. By applying a framework or process for the digital transformation journey this provides a tool for decision makers for how to approach digital transformation on an organisational level.

Bakgrunden visar att den prehospitala sjukvården kan vara hektisk med många olika faktorer som sjuksöterskan måste hantera. Att omhänderta barn i ambulansen kan vara utmanande, då antalet uppdrag med akut sjuka barn är få och det kan fortlöpa lång tid mellan dessa jobb. Statistiken visar att endast cirka 10 procent av uppdragen i ambulansen är med barn och ännu färre är akut sjuka barn. För att underlätta omhändertagandet av denna patientegruppen är det därför viktigt att undersöka vilka barriärer och möjligheter som finns. Syftet var att belysa barriärer och möjligheter i det prehospitala omhändertagandet av akut sjuka barn. Som metod användes litterarturöversikt med systematisk metod där totalt 17 artiklar av kvalitativa, kvantitativa och mixed-method design ingick. Resultatet delades in i två teman; Upplevelser hos ambulanspersonalen samt Organsiatoriska förutsättningar, med tillhörande subteman. Slutsatsen var att omhändertagnadet av akut sjuka barn är komplext och måste ske mångfacetterat. Det finns en rad barriärer som kan påverka ett patientsäkert omhändertagande men även en mängd möjligheter till förbättring. Även om ambulanspersonalen har utbildning och erfarenhet kan kombinationen av stress och utmaningarna i omhändertagandet leda till en ökad risk i patientsäkerheten, eftersom stressen kan hindra dem från att agera snabbt och korrekt. Genom att organisationer och arbetsgivare vidareutbildar ambulanspersonalen i pediatriskt omhändertagande kan omhändretagandet av akut sjuka barn optimeras. Eftersom uppdraget med akut sjuka barn skapar stress behövs det även strategier för att ambulanspersonalen ska kunna hantera det efteråt. Detta för att få en hållbar personalhälsa och långvariga anställningar. / Prehospital care can be hectic, with many factors that the nurse needs to consider. Caring for children in the ambulance can be challenging, mostly because these types of calls are few and far between. Statistics show that about 10 percent of all calls are with children, and fewer are calls with acutely ill children. It is therefore necessary to understand what barriers and enablers that exist to better take care of these patients. The aim of this study was to highlight barriers and enablers in the prehospital care of acutely ill children. The method chosen was an integrated literature review; 17 articles were included in the result; they were of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-method design. The results were divided into two themes: Experiences of ambulance staff and Organizational prerequisites, with associated subthemes. The conclusion was that the care of the acutely ill child is complex and has to be conducted multifaceted. There are several barriers that can affect patient-safety but also a number of enablers to improve the care. The combination of stress and the challenges the ambulance staff face when caring for the acute ill child could lead to a risk of the patient-safety even if they had education and work experience. Stress could be a hindrance in swift and accurate care. The organization and employer of the ambulance staff could help optimize the care of these patients by giving the ambulance staff further education in the care of the acutely ill child. There also needs to be strategies in place for the ambulance staff on how to handle the sometimes traumatizing events that these types of jobs can lead to. This to ensure that the staff remain healthy, and a good sustainability can be achieved within the personal group.

Mitigating the negative environmental impact of plastics is an important part of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite plastics having great recycling potential, it is the waste fraction with the lowest recycling rate in Sweden (with 33% being recycled). Hence, efforts must be made to promote households' engagement in plastic recycling. Therefore, an informational campaign with the aim of increasing residents’ plastic recycling intentions was designed, using Community-Based Social Marketing. The campaign was made in collaboration with the real estate company Ikano Bostad, and was implemented in their residential area in Danderyd, Sweden. The campaign was running for 5 weeks and was designed and distributed as two posters, which addressed the context-specific barriers and enablers to plastic recycling among residents. To aid the design and evaluation of the campaign, the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) was applied for a deeper understanding of the underlying constructs of plastic recycling intentions. To measure the campaign's effectiveness, two questionnaires (one pre-campaign and one post-campaign) were distributed to the residents, consisting of 294 individuals, to obtain quantitative data about their intentions towards plastic recycling. The results did not show any empirical support for the campaign's effectiveness in increasing residents’ plastic recycling intentions. However, this study contributes important insights and recommendations for increasing future campaign effectiveness, such as highlighting the importance of empowering and motivating individuals and the benefits of conducting a profound pre-study before designing the campaign.

Evidence suggests that Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) is an effective intervention leading to positive behaviour change when used with parents and their children. The aim of this paper is to explore the processes of Video Interaction Guidance (VIG). Utilising a case study methodology it explores some of the key processes within the video intervention through in-depth analysis of shared review sessions. It also examines what parents and EPs perceive as significant and helpful within the process of VIG. Results reveal that the interplay between the visual image and the nature and content of discussions appears to be qualitatively different when parents are more actively engaged in video review sessions. Parents perceived the intervention in different ways, which appeared to correspond with their level of engagement in shared review sessions. The limitations of the study and suggestions for future research are discussed and the direct implications are dealt with in the overall conclusion in Paper 2 (pg. 93). Abstract Evidence suggests that Video Interaction Guidance (VIG) is an effective intervention that leads to positive behaviour change when used with parents and their children. This paper aims to evaluate the perceived impact of VIG when used with four parents and their children. Utilising a mixed methods case study methodology, it explores parents’ views of their experiences of the video intervention and examines whether any changes are maintained over time. Findings indicate that parents perceived some positive attitudinal and emotional changes. However, it was not clear that any changes were maintained over time and whether they could be solely attributed to the impact of VIG but were perhaps a result of a combination of other factors. A number of common themes emerged across cases that related to barriers and enablers of successful outcomes in VIG as perceived by parents and EPs. The direct implications of this study, suggestions for further research, and for Educational Psychology are discussed.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of schools of teacher education (STE) in Turkey in terms of how they prepare future teachers to use information and communication technologies (ICT) in their professions, and the current situation of K-12 schools in terms of how teachers employ ICT in their professions. The primary focus was to develop a deeper understanding of ICT perceptions, competencies, classroom use, related courses effectiveness, main barriers, and possible enablers to integrating ICT. This study may contribute to the existing literature by revealing and establishing baseline data on the current status of ICT integration into schools of teacher education and K-12 in Turkey. The results of this study can be used by policy makers, Ministry of National Education, Higher Education Council, universities, and K-12 schools to reexamine the current status of ICT and revise related policies, strategies, and courses. A mixed method approach was used by utilizing questionnaires from 51 deans, 111 faculty members, 1330 prospective teachers, and 1429 K-12 teachers / and interviews with 6 faculty members, 6 prospective teachers, and 6 K-12 teachers. It could be interpreted from the results that most of the participants expressed positive perceptions about the integration of ICT into teacher education and K-12 schools. Generally, faculty members perceived themselves as competent overall, while prospective and K-12 teachers did not. Faculty members and prospective teachers perceived ICT related courses beneficial and effective in ICT integration into education. On the other hand, K-12 teachers showed a degree of overall unsure (neutral) perception towards their ICT related courses and considered themselves well prepared for professional life. There were strong agreements between the participants as to the main barriers and possible enablers.