Table 2 Review inclusion and exclusion criteria

Participants

Studies that report on the sustainability of EBIs at multiple levels, including individual, team, and organizational levels.

Studies of participants not in healthcare.

Concept

Studies that report and provide a description of the use of specific KT strategies to facilitate the sustainability of EBIs. We employed the following operational definitions:

KT strategies promote the translation of research evidence into practice [7].

Evidence-based interventions are defined as treatments, practices, programs, policies, or guidelines with proven efficacy and effectiveness [1].

Sustainability occurs after a defined period of time, where the EBI continues in practice, KT strategies continue to be delivered, behavior change is maintained, and where the EBI and behavior change may evolve or adapt while continuing to produce benefits for individuals/systems [35].

No explicit description of KT strategy.

No explicit description of EBI.

EBI did not extend beyond 1 year of initial implementation or did not look at sustainability after the termination of research funds.

Studies that contain both implementation and sustainability descriptions but do not explicitly provide a detailed breakdown of related sustainability efforts.

Studies that ONLY evaluate determinants (barriers and facilitators) of sustainability (not related to the KT strategy described).

Context

Studies focused on the sustainability of EBIs in healthcare institutional settings (hospital organizations and long-term care settings)

Studies focused on public health, primary care, and family medicine/general practice.

Studies conducted outside a healthcare context (e.g., schools, social care settings).

Types of Studies

Primary, peer-reviewed research studies- not limited by research design.

Studies published in English.

Studies published from database inception to present.

Grey literature sources.

Secondary research that did not include original data.

Literature reviews.