# 202201271438 How to implement digital health intervention service? Source : [[Closing the Research-To-Practice Gap in Digital Psychiatry The Need to Integrate Implementation Science]] [[HOPES Project Index]] #hope-s First, we need to include a process-oriented perspective - _how the intervention is introduced_, such as what is said to patients by clinic staff, what is written in patient handouts, and where patients’  questions are directed - _the specifics of adoption and use patterns_, such as how patients enroll, how the intervention impacts clinicians’  workflow, and when and how patients use it - _describing any follow-up_, such as if clinicians or research staff follow up with patients and if patients receive automated or personalized messages if they disengage - _a detailed account of any financial or personnel resources provided by research or program evaluation teams._ Second. Qualitatively understand user behavior. - Second, we need to systematically collect _qualitative data_ to deepen our understanding of how contextual factors, process dynamics, and other nuances impact intervention adoption and use. Conducting semistructured interviews with patients (or subsets of patients), for example, will shed light on the reasons underlying low engagement. Similarly, interviewing clinicians and clinic administrators will generate insights on ways organizations can support improved adoption and sustained engagement. While such interviewing requires significant effort, the data resulting from such interviews will be invaluable. Third. Have an implementation strategies. - Third, we need to intentionally _apply implementation strategies_.**[16](https://www.psychiatrist.com/jcp/psychiatry/implementing-digital-mental-health-interventions/undefined "16. Powell BJ, Waltz TJ, Chinman MJ, et al. A refined compilation of implementation strategies: results from the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) project. Implement Sci. 2015;10(1):21. PubMed CrossRef")** To date, in digital mental health, we have limited knowledge of what techniques might improve adoption and use. Many techniques have been suggested, from facilitation to contingency management (ie, paying participants and/or providers for engaging). Specifying implementation strategies used in clinical or research settings will be important, as will comparing alternative strategies. We may, for example, evaluate the impact of employing a staff member with 50% dedicated time to following-up with patients and providers who are using the digital intervention and how such follow-up impacts use patterns (an example of facilitation).