Table 3

Examples of studies reporting follow-up evaluation of implemented interventions

Authors
Design
Intervention
Intervention target
Intervention length
Outcome measured
Post-intervention sustainability period

Knox et al., 2003 [46]
Quasi-experiment, pre-post comparison
Multi-component suicide prevention program
USAF personnel (patient-level)
1 year
Relative suicide risk factor rates
1 year
Harland et al., 1999 [47]
RCT, pre-post comparison
1–6 motivational interviews, with or without financial incentive
General medicine practice patients (patient-level)
3 months
Self-reported physical activity
1 year
Shye et al., 2004 [48]
Multi-faceted intervention trial, pre-post comparison
(1) Basic strategy: guideline, education, clinical supports
(2) Augmented strategy: basic program with social worker added
HMO PCPs (provider-level)
10 months
Rates of female patients who asked about domestic violence
3 months
Sanci et al., 2000, 2005 [49,50]
RCT, pre-post comparison
Multi-faceted adolescent health education program
General medicine practice physicians (provider-level)
3 months
Observer ratings of skills, self-perceived competency, tested knowledge
4 months, 10 months, 5 years
Perlstein et al., 2000 [51]
Pre-post comparison
Implemented bronchiolitis care guideline
Pediatricians who cared for infants 0–1 year hospitalized with bronchiolitis (provider-level)
--
Patient volumes, length of stay, use of ancillary resources
3 years
Brand et al., 2005 [52]
Program evaluation
COPD management guideline
Hospital physicians (provider-level)
--
Guideline concordance, attitudes and barriers to guidelines, access to available guidelines
2 years
Morgenstern et al., 2003 [53]
Quasi-experiment, pre-post comparison
Multi-component acute stroke treatment education program
Community laypersons (patient-level); Community- and ED-based physicians and EMS responders (provider-level); Stroke care policies (organization-level)
15 months
Number of acute stroke patients who received intravenous tissue plasminogen activator
6 months
Bere et al., 2006 [54]
Controlled trial, pre-post comparison
(1) Fruit and vegetable education program
(2) No-cost access to school fruit program
School-age students (patient-level)
1 year
All-day fruit and vegetable intake
1 year
Shepherd et al., 2000 [55]
Systematic review of controlled comparisons with pre-post analysis
Health education interventions that promote sexual risk reduction in women
Sexually active women in any setting, treated by any provider type (patient-level)
Varied from 1 day to 3 years (most lasted 1 to 3 months)
Behavioral outcomes (e.g, condom use, fewer partners, or abstinence, fewer STDs)
Varied from 1 month to 6 months (most were up to 3 months)

Note. To identify studies that measured sustainability, we searched PubMed for reports that included any follow-up analyses of interventions or program effects, using keyword searches for terms such as 'sustain,' 'sustained,' 'sustainability,' and 'follow-up.'

Bowman et al. Implementation Science 2008 3:21   doi:10.1186/1748-5908-3-21