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Site engagement in implementation research: Introducing SEAMLIS as a conceptual and measurement framework

Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Multisite implementation research in justice and health settings often does not systematically assess differential degrees of project involvement among participating sites, despite its implications for both research and the intervention. Tracking organization and participant involvement across sites, when attempted, has typically entailed the use of discrete and sometimes disjointed fidelity measures that may not accurately reflect engagement with a project. This article advances a more comprehensive and sophisticated conceptual model for measuring and monitoring site engagement. This conceptual model was developed from a literature review of the implementation science and related disciplines while being informed by multisite project implementation experience. We propose the Site Engagement Activity Model Leveraging Implementation Science (SEAMLIS), a conceptual model that holistically identifies the breadth of agency participation (diverse activities such as trainings, meetings, etc.) and duration of site engagement (participation levels from inception to completion) to be measured, assessed, and reported. CASE PRESENTATION: We also describe Juvenile Justice Translational Research on Interventions for Adolescents in the Legal System (JJ-TRIALS), a 36-site implementation research project, as an illustrative case example of our proposed model. We then operationalize all proposed domains and subdomains and specify key measures from the project. CONCLUSIONS: We provide analytical recommendations for the application and future research of the proposed model in health and justice settings. In multisite implementation research, site engagement could be fruitfully used as an independent, dependent, or intervening (moderating or mediating) variable. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02672150, February 3, 2016.
DOI: 10.1186/s40352-025-00349-1
Authors: Sarah D. Jones, John P. Bartkowski, Steven Belenko, Jennifer E. Becan, Faye S. Taxman, Gail A. Wasserman, Gregory A. Aarons, Larkin S. McReynolds, Cheyenne Dolbear, Xiaohe Xu
Institutions: Temple University, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Texas Christian University, George Mason University, Columbia University, University of California San Diego
Language: English
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,790
Funders: Emory University, Mississippi State University, Texas Christian University, Temple University, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Drug Abuse
Awards: KIIDS: Knowing about intervention implementation in Detention Sites, G2762685570, G3049879646, G3130396163, G3141776752, G3332020255, Texas Research Initiative for Adolescents in the Legal System (TRIALS), G5908470177, G6426209147, G6606010432, G661269291, TRIALS Coordinating Center to Reduce Substance Use, HIV Risk Behaviors, & Crime, G9000073313, G9000091123
OpenAlex ID: W4412055507
FWCI:
Cites: 71
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Related to: 10