Implementation leadership of the Resident Assessment Instrument in healthcare services for older people: An interview study of specialists.

AIM: The aim was to explore implementation leadership of the Resident Assessment Instrument in healthcare services for older people from the perspective of specialists.

DESIGN: A qualitative descriptive design was used.

METHODS: Thematic interviews with 21 specialists were conducted between April 2022 and June 2022 in eight health and social, one educational and one research organization in Finland. The data were analysed with deductive-inductive content analysis using the Resident Assessment Instrument implementation leadership framework developed for this study.

RESULTS: In implementation leadership of Resident Assessment Instrument, the need for leaders' support and capabilities to ensure that the conditions and supporting structures for implementation are present was emphasized. Regular and continuous basic and advanced training for professionals and leaders' competencies were identified as crucial factors for a successful implementation process of Resident Assessment Instrument. Leading the active implementation of this instrument requires leaders' strong support and regular communication. The importance of frontline leaders and mentors was also stressed in practical implementation, while the responsibility of upper-level leaders, especially in the use of benchmarking, was underlined for the evaluation and further improvement of organizational operations. In sustaining the implementation, it was emphasized that using the Resident Assessment Instrument is a continuous process that does not end with the implementation itself.

CONCLUSION: Implementation leadership of Resident Assessment Instrument has the potential to increase the success of the implementation process. The Resident Assessment Instrument Implementation Leadership Framework can be a useful tool for describing processes, content and leaders' roles in implementation leadership of the instrument in healthcare services for older people.

IMPACT: This study provides a comprehensive view of implementation leadership of the Resident Assessment Instrument implementation process in healthcare services for older people. Overall, the results indicate the significance of leadership in successful implementation.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution. WHAT DOES THIS ARTICLE CONTRIBUTE TO THE WIDER GLOBAL CLINICAL COMMUNITY?: Successful implementation leadership of Resident Assessment Instrument requires continuous monitoring, supporting and evaluating the implementation process. Organizations that use the Resident Assessment Instrument should strengthen their leaders' knowledge and competencies in implementation leadership to enable the full realization of the instrument's benefits. Leaders and professionals in healthcare services for older people need regular, continuous and correctly targeted basic and advanced training on the Resident Assessment Instrument.